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katsbooks 's review for:
Anxious People
by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
“That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between two people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.”
“We don't have a plan, we just do our best to get through the day, because there'll be another one coming along tomorrow.”
“Expensive restaurants have bigger gaps between the tables. First class on airplanes has no middle seats. Exclusive hotels have separate entrances for guests staying in suites. The most expensive thing you can buy in the most densely populated places on the planet is distance.”
I found this novel to be quite charming and quirky. It was definitely a bit far-fetched and the situations/characters were quite unrealistic at some points but that was almost part of their charm. I found the writing style to be really comedic and fun to read. It was quite remarkable how the author made me really care for each of the characters and take their lives and problems seriously while also not really taking anything seriously at all. I definitely get the hype around this author's work. This novel hit some really serious themes about what it means to be human and how we show up for one another. I think my favorite thing about this work is how the narrative was written in a way to purposely fool you into thinking the story was going in one direction or that you understood what was happening just to flip that on it's head. I couldn't help but think that this book must be so much better in the author's native language if it's the writing is this good after being translated.
“We don't have a plan, we just do our best to get through the day, because there'll be another one coming along tomorrow.”
“Expensive restaurants have bigger gaps between the tables. First class on airplanes has no middle seats. Exclusive hotels have separate entrances for guests staying in suites. The most expensive thing you can buy in the most densely populated places on the planet is distance.”
I found this novel to be quite charming and quirky. It was definitely a bit far-fetched and the situations/characters were quite unrealistic at some points but that was almost part of their charm. I found the writing style to be really comedic and fun to read. It was quite remarkable how the author made me really care for each of the characters and take their lives and problems seriously while also not really taking anything seriously at all. I definitely get the hype around this author's work. This novel hit some really serious themes about what it means to be human and how we show up for one another. I think my favorite thing about this work is how the narrative was written in a way to purposely fool you into thinking the story was going in one direction or that you understood what was happening just to flip that on it's head. I couldn't help but think that this book must be so much better in the author's native language if it's the writing is this good after being translated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Gun violence