Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

29 reviews

uhtceara's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Confinement and Mental illness

sj_54's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.25

Context: Had to read this for a book club. Would have DNFed otherwise. 

Characters were one-dimensional until the last 1/4 of the book or so, then everything got tied up with a nice 'wholesome message, everyone gets a happily-ever-after' bow.

Maybe it's me but I have no patience for authors who introduce characters by their most annoying traits. Then expect us to like them by the end?? I don't even know how I feel about the story itself because it was such a struggle to listen (audiobook) to everyone whine and complain about each other for the first 3/4 of the book.

Extra things that I disliked: all the terrible stereotypes. Old lady is introduced as invisible/inconsequential because of her age, lesbians got together through an affair, super rich person who looks down on everyone else has hidden feelings that mean she's just like the rest of us.
Oh and

the bank robber is never referred to with any pronouns and GASP it's a woman when everyone assumed it was a man! Can we please drop the 'surprise! women are never expected to do dangerous things!' twist, it's so tired...

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Gun violence, Blood, Confinement, and Lesbophobia

anouks_books's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Blood, Confinement, and Death

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Gun violence

lanna_aud's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Mental illness

Moderate: Confinement

lena04's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Minor: Addiction, Confinement, Racism, Gun violence, and Lesbophobia

mandib's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Death, Death of parent, and Confinement

Minor: Alcohol and Blood

amressing's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

longlostreader's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Death of parent, and Death

soshereads_'s review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I attended a virtual event with Backman and was able to hear his humor directly. I saw this same slightly dark witty humor woven throughout the book. A tale about a hostage situation that wasn’t supposed to be a hostage situation lends itself to a comedy of errors especially with the case of characters present. You have the retired couple who’s husband is struggle with retired life and the wife who lovingly dotes on his wishes. A same sex couple who is expecting any day now but can’t seem to agree on anything related to what home they want. And more. This book challenged my assumptions about people and made me reflect and remember that everyone has a story and everyone works through their anxieties differently. This book threw me for a loop! I’m glad I read this now, I found it oddly comforting considering the landscape of our current world. The ending was absolutely the best part, so if you want to know if you should keep reading, you should! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Grief