Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

“From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and “writer of astonishing depth” (The Washington Times) comes a poignant comedy about a crime that never book place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.“

About The Book 📚

Title: Anxious People

Author: Fredrik Backman

Publication Date: September 20, 2020

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada

Suggested Reader Age: Adult

Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Humour

Synopsis

“Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to send an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle, an eighty year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.

Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People’s whimsical plot serves up unforgettable insights into the human condition and a gentle reminder to be compassionate to all the anxious people we encounter every day.”

About The Author

“Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove (soon to be a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks), My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, as well as two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, his first work of non-fiction, will be released in the US in May 2019. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @backmansk.” https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6485178.Fredrik_Backman
https://fredrik.cafe.se/

My Review

“A bank robbery. A hostage drama. A stairwell full of police officers on their way to storm an apartment. It was easy to get to this point, much easier than you might think. All it took was one single really bad idea.”

› Anxious People made me cry actual tears and laugh out loud. I received a complimentary e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 10
Every character is well-developed, but completely unreliable. I love the diversity.
It’s hard to choose a favourite character. Police officers Jim and his son Jack were an interesting duo, I would watch a TV show about them. Their dynamic and relationship felt so real. Jim is older, slower, and likes to tell a story whereas his son likes to “get things done”. Jack likes to figure out the crime, fill out the report, and be done with it.

“Dad…,” Jack said over his shoulder.
“Mmm,” Jim said.
“Are you seriously googling ‘what should you do in a hostage situation’?”
“I might be.”

› Atmosphere: 8
The emotions were perfect but I couldn’t quite picture the actual apartment in my mind.

› Writing Style: 10
Told with a mixture of witness interviews and narrative, the writing quality is outstanding. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with characters that portrayed “real” human behaviour like this.

› Plot: 10
I didn’t want to put it down!
This isn’t just a comedy about a strange hostage situation. In one moment Backman made me want to cry, then laugh, and then hits me with weighty thoughts like:

“One technique I’d recommend is to ask yourself three questions before you flare up. One: Are the actions of the person in question intended to harm you personally? Two: Do you possess all the information about the situation? Three: Do you have anything to gain from a conflict?”

› Intrigue: 10
Did I want to keep reading? YES. I didn’t want it to end!

› Logic: 10
I didn’t see anything that didn’t make sense.

› Enjoyment:
overall experience 10

Average 9.7 (that might be my highest rating for 2020)

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• Anxious People is almost a perfect story for me. Weird, sad, funny mystery about a very strange hostage situation. We learn to never judge a person because we never know what others are going through.