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A review by yuunoel
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
(2022/03/16 - 2022/03/30)
Amazing writing.
This book is about a group of strangers who have been intertwined due to an incident in the past. As the plot progresses, we get to know more about the characters, such as their names, their occupations, and how they correlate to other characters. This quote perfectly captures the essence of the novel:
"This is a story about a bridge, and idiots, and a hostage drama, and an apartment viewing. But it's also a love story. Several, in fact."
Things That Were Iffy.
I normally start with the things I like, but I decided to change things up a bit.
- The humour here is either a hit or miss. I generally like the comedy in this book, but some parts didn't do it for me. The pizza bit in particular was just plain stupid.
- Backman's writing style in this book was very outlandish and eccentric. I'm not sure if this is his usual style, or since this is a comedy book he wanted to make it more funny. Either way, I'm just here to warn you to be prepared for the quaint remarks and the weird actions done by the characters.
- There was this distinct chunk of writing that got me confused??? Like at about the 20% mark, (not sure if this is accurate) there was a tangent on if it's okay to kill someone depending on many lives you can save? I just got very confused... I didn't know we were going to talk about philosophy in this book 😅
- And finally, the witness interviews. They were so redundant and those were the parts where the characters were the most foolish.
I know there was a reason for why they were acting so stupid, but it didn't make me dislike it less anyway
Things I Liked.
- It's such a page-turner. Backman adds revelations to the story at the end of a chapter, so it's essentially a plot twist. It leaves you curious, wanting to know more, hence making it a page-turner.
- The characters. I know you'll find them annoying at first because I DID TOO. But I started to like them more and more as they continued to interact with each other. I loved all the characters, especially impulsive Ro and emotionally challenged Roger. They have my heart; hook, line and sinker. 💕
- This book is actually hilarious. I actually chuckled out loud and didn't do the breathe-through-your-nose-thingy. I don't want to give you examples since that could ruin the funniness.
- I like how we didn't get the name of the people at first. We referred to them at first as the younger policeman or the older policeman, and when we get to know more about their backstory, their problems, we refer to them as Jack or Jim. It perfectly encapsulates real life. I referred to someone as "the girl in my class who's very loud," until I knew more about her, and suddenly I now refer to her as Ashley.
- And finally, the romance. Romance isn't even a major focal point, but I just want to point out the relationships are amazing. When the couples interacted, it made me feel more butterflies than in most romance books I've read.
I'd definitely recommend this book. It was so good! I'm so excited to read more of Backman's novels. 🥰 This is also a book that I'd be happy to re-read. I probably didn't notice some details, so re-reading will be a different experience than the first.
"You're like a self-help book, only in reverse." - Roger
- noel
Amazing writing.
This book is about a group of strangers who have been intertwined due to an incident in the past. As the plot progresses, we get to know more about the characters, such as their names, their occupations, and how they correlate to other characters. This quote perfectly captures the essence of the novel:
"This is a story about a bridge, and idiots, and a hostage drama, and an apartment viewing. But it's also a love story. Several, in fact."
Things That Were Iffy.
I normally start with the things I like, but I decided to change things up a bit.
- The humour here is either a hit or miss. I generally like the comedy in this book, but some parts didn't do it for me. The pizza bit in particular was just plain stupid.
- Backman's writing style in this book was very outlandish and eccentric. I'm not sure if this is his usual style, or since this is a comedy book he wanted to make it more funny. Either way, I'm just here to warn you to be prepared for the quaint remarks and the weird actions done by the characters.
- There was this distinct chunk of writing that got me confused??? Like at about the 20% mark, (not sure if this is accurate) there was a tangent on if it's okay to kill someone depending on many lives you can save? I just got very confused... I didn't know we were going to talk about philosophy in this book 😅
- And finally, the witness interviews. They were so redundant and those were the parts where the characters were the most foolish.
Things I Liked.
- It's such a page-turner. Backman adds revelations to the story at the end of a chapter, so it's essentially a plot twist. It leaves you curious, wanting to know more, hence making it a page-turner.
- The characters. I know you'll find them annoying at first because I DID TOO. But I started to like them more and more as they continued to interact with each other. I loved all the characters, especially impulsive Ro and emotionally challenged Roger. They have my heart; hook, line and sinker. 💕
- This book is actually hilarious. I actually chuckled out loud and didn't do the breathe-through-your-nose-thingy. I don't want to give you examples since that could ruin the funniness.
- I like how we didn't get the name of the people at first. We referred to them at first as the younger policeman or the older policeman, and when we get to know more about their backstory, their problems, we refer to them as Jack or Jim. It perfectly encapsulates real life. I referred to someone as "the girl in my class who's very loud," until I knew more about her, and suddenly I now refer to her as Ashley.
- And finally, the romance. Romance isn't even a major focal point, but I just want to point out the relationships are amazing. When the couples interacted, it made me feel more butterflies than in most romance books I've read.
I'd definitely recommend this book. It was so good! I'm so excited to read more of Backman's novels. 🥰 This is also a book that I'd be happy to re-read. I probably didn't notice some details, so re-reading will be a different experience than the first.
- noel
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Minor: Dementia and Addiction