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A review by literaryjunarin
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
This is an absolute gem! This book is about a bank robbery gone wrong which turned into a hostage drama with the worst hostages ever.
I have no idea what the book is about when I first opened it but I loved A Man Called Ove so I dived in without hesitation. At first, the ridiculous Witness Interviews got on my nerves but when the hostages' stories were slowly laid out, I understood then why they were being so uncooperative with the police.
Backman is a fantastic storyteller. He captures human nature and our everyday struggles perfectly. I can't help but nod in agreement on the character's dialogues. Also, I loved how the narration talks to the readers like this, "You probably have someone in your life whom you'd do something stupid for."
Backman made me reflect, laugh, and grieve.
"For some reason, beneath the blankets is a toy pistol, so you sleep with that in your hand, thinking that if some crazy burglar breaks in during the night, you can scare them away with it. Then you start to cry, because you realize that you're the crazy burglar."
This book is also about love, parenthood, marriage, retirement, and most importantly, hope. This is only my 2nd read of Fredrik Backman but I can say that he writes about love so beautifully. After reading the last page, I felt like I can open my heart and let everyone in.
I have no idea what the book is about when I first opened it but I loved A Man Called Ove so I dived in without hesitation. At first, the ridiculous Witness Interviews got on my nerves but when the hostages' stories were slowly laid out, I understood then why they were being so uncooperative with the police.
Backman is a fantastic storyteller. He captures human nature and our everyday struggles perfectly. I can't help but nod in agreement on the character's dialogues. Also, I loved how the narration talks to the readers like this, "You probably have someone in your life whom you'd do something stupid for."
Backman made me reflect, laugh, and grieve.
"For some reason, beneath the blankets is a toy pistol, so you sleep with that in your hand, thinking that if some crazy burglar breaks in during the night, you can scare them away with it. Then you start to cry, because you realize that you're the crazy burglar."
This book is also about love, parenthood, marriage, retirement, and most importantly, hope. This is only my 2nd read of Fredrik Backman but I can say that he writes about love so beautifully. After reading the last page, I felt like I can open my heart and let everyone in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide