Anxious People
Fredrik Backman
Rave
Positive
Mixed
Pan
Anxious People
Fredrik Backman
Rave
Positive
Mixed
Pan
Rave
Positive
Mixed
Pan
I wonder if I will ever pick up a book by Backman and not be completely baffled at the synopsis only to fall in love with the book on the very first page (chances are slim, to be honest). Backman excels in Anxious People the way he has excelled in all his previous releases and it’s because of one thing: the way he writes the most painful truths, the way he uncovers what we all think sometimes, but would never dare speak aloud. It’s like he’s hiding in our brains, snagging our worst nightmares and most hopeful daydreams and shoves them into characters that will then make you question why you haven’t robbed a bank yet or gone into the real estate business (okay maybe that’s going a bit too far but you get my point, right?).
Cutting back and forth in time, the tight-knit, surprise-filled narrative slowly unravels this mystery while revealing the poignant backstories of both hostages and hostage taker, even as rattled nerves lead to some very funny exchanges. Meanwhile, the story of a suicide wrought by economic extremis quietly frames the action, unexpectedly tying together characters, and the brisk, absorbing action prompts meditation on marriage, parenting, responsibility, and global economic pressures.
... as this quirky story unfolds and its collection of misfit characters emerge, Anxious People gradually becomes truer than life itself.
Backman’s gift for portraying the nuances of humanity is well known to his many loyal fans. With Anxious People, Backman once again captures readers’ hearts and imaginations.
With poignant and sympathetic care, the always incisive and charming Backman gently examines garden-variety insecurities against a quaint pre-pandemic backdrop..
As equally idiosyncratic and iconoclastic as [Backman's] debut, it is an outrageously hilarious, flawless novel.
The observer/narrator is winding and given to tangents and, in early moments, might distract a bit too much from the strongly drawn characters. But the story gains energy and sureness as it develops, resulting in moments of insight and connection between its numerous amiable characters.
... witty, lighthearted.