Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Anxious People

This is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read. It makes you laugh and cry and feel honored to share in the human experience with everyone around you.

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sring42's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

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modryzamek's review against another edition

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dark funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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chlaraphyll's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.75

this is my second time reading fredrik backman’s work (the first book that i read was a man called ove).

it’s a story about a hostage situation at a house viewing. we get to know the story of the people who came to the viewing.

before their stories unfold, they might give you some annoyance. probably it’s just me. but as time goes on in this hostage situation and these characters share their narratives, my empathy grows even more.

this book is about having empathy. we never know someone’s story and we must not judge them right away.

out of the 10 main characters in this book, estelle’s story appeals to me. her “affair” is such an interesting story. i’d love to read a short story about her book exchange and see the man’s bookshelf.

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aleroness's review against another edition

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Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Such a beautiful read centred on such a deep, complex, and sad subject.

Phenomenal examination of human behaviour and how everyone plays a role in everyone else's lives. So many fully fleshed out characters!!

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madelinedalton's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.25

I am in the minority of readers who did not like A Man Called Ove, so this book is a winner to me for the mere fact that I had a decent time reading it and am not swearing Fredrik Backman's writing off entirely.

Maybe this was a me problem, but I found it difficult to get emotionally invested in the poignant, human side of this story when the premise was so wacky and unrealistic. The storytelling structure was a clusterfuck--every time I picked up the book, I had a niggling feeling that I had missed a key detail, and I think that was due to the execution of the non-linear timeline. It felt as though the author was purposely withholding information from the reader so that they'd keep reading. I'm fine with this narrative structure if it is the best possible storytelling vehicle, but in this case, it was not.

All of that said, the cast of ensemble characters grew on me over time. It was really sweet. And while the "everyone has a story" and "you are not alone" (Alexa, play "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen) themes weren't anything groundbreaking, I still thought they were touching.

Also, it’d be great if Fredrik Backman could knock it off with the casual fatphobia. (Still gonna read Beartown though.)

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