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A review by isabelsdigest
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
5.0
Last book I read in 2020, (and arguably the best too) - No spoilers
“Because the terrible thing about becoming an adult is being forced to realize that absolutely nobody cares about us, we have to deal with everything ourselves now, find out how the whole world works.”
[b:Anxious People|49127718|Anxious People|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597575031l/49127718._SY75_.jpg|67840009] presents us with a poignant understanding of human nature. [a:Fredrik Backman|6485178|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1493098924p2/6485178.jpg] makes use of a plot of a robbery that never took place, of a group of hostages whose lives will never be the same, and two local police officers that should never work in another case together. Backman’s objective- I believe- is to show us how with a handful of details at the time, we can get so attached to fictional characters that work as mirrors for our flaws.
With a combination of some of most real people you could ever read about, Anxious People accomplishes what every reader aches to experience: you can see yourself, but not any version of you. You see the most vulnerable part (or maybe you do not, if you try very hard)
The central themes of adulthood, marriage, loneliness, emptiness, (and that secret you hold so tight that sometimes it feels like the secret holds you and not the other way around), are all board in the most delightful way. Reading Anxious People is going down the rabbit hole of human interconnection that is as infinite as it is complex.
Sometimes I wonder what happened with that woman who looked so sad by the canned goods in the supermarket. Or when I see a pregnant lady I get a little bit sad that I will never know how they named the baby. Anxious People understands that feeling. It understands that we are swimming in a big pond of other lonely confused adults, and that mostly our first assesment is wrong- people are contrarians- we will not dare to show who we really are in plain sight. To reach adulthood is to grow a thick layer of skin, and this book shows you how obvious you are in your attempt to act put together.
If you want to know more about my book opinions, you can go check my booktube channel and my bookstagram. All linked in my profile.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCYIlVUaPpFE33KvomfCX7g
“Because the terrible thing about becoming an adult is being forced to realize that absolutely nobody cares about us, we have to deal with everything ourselves now, find out how the whole world works.”
[b:Anxious People|49127718|Anxious People|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597575031l/49127718._SY75_.jpg|67840009] presents us with a poignant understanding of human nature. [a:Fredrik Backman|6485178|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1493098924p2/6485178.jpg] makes use of a plot of a robbery that never took place, of a group of hostages whose lives will never be the same, and two local police officers that should never work in another case together. Backman’s objective- I believe- is to show us how with a handful of details at the time, we can get so attached to fictional characters that work as mirrors for our flaws.
With a combination of some of most real people you could ever read about, Anxious People accomplishes what every reader aches to experience: you can see yourself, but not any version of you. You see the most vulnerable part (or maybe you do not, if you try very hard)
The central themes of adulthood, marriage, loneliness, emptiness, (and that secret you hold so tight that sometimes it feels like the secret holds you and not the other way around), are all board in the most delightful way. Reading Anxious People is going down the rabbit hole of human interconnection that is as infinite as it is complex.
Sometimes I wonder what happened with that woman who looked so sad by the canned goods in the supermarket. Or when I see a pregnant lady I get a little bit sad that I will never know how they named the baby. Anxious People understands that feeling. It understands that we are swimming in a big pond of other lonely confused adults, and that mostly our first assesment is wrong- people are contrarians- we will not dare to show who we really are in plain sight. To reach adulthood is to grow a thick layer of skin, and this book shows you how obvious you are in your attempt to act put together.
If you want to know more about my book opinions, you can go check my booktube channel and my bookstagram. All linked in my profile.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCYIlVUaPpFE33KvomfCX7g