Anxious People

Nilufer Ozmekik

Rating: really liked it
Don’t miss tv series adaptation of Anxious People on Netflix! My thoughts: the book is still so much better!

This is my goodreads 2020 choice as best fiction novel! It came at the second place and I adored “ Midnight Library” too. But this one still has special place in my heart! It’s still my favorite fiction reads of the year!

Good news: This amazing is about to be adapted in Swedish series. And fingers crossed, I hope Netflix buys this limited series so we may enjoy them!

This is one of my favorite, highly recommended fiction novels of 2020!

I think my vocabulary is so limited to express how this book made me feel. Yes, it shook me so hard but it also entertained the hell of me. It was tragic, tear jerker, but it was also funny, enjoyable, witty! It was action packed, riveting, heart throbbing but it was also thought-provoking, complex, dazzling, deceptive, educational and heartfelt.


I know you got confused. How a book makes laugh so hard and then makes you cry like a baby and also hooks you up from its riveting, exciting chapters and at some parts you want to stop, taking a deep breath to absorb what you read, aching for characters, feeling their pain but you’re also laughing their ridiculousness! This book captivates your heart, brain and your soul at the same time and plays with your emotional balance, juggling between different genres and you just want to clap the author and take a bow for his remarkable, original, unique work.

His sarcastic, witty and dark sense of humor reminded me of Guy Ritchie’s crime/dark comedy scripts (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch) and his quirky, sarcastic, awkward characters slowly warms your heart and entertains the hell of you! As soon as I finish it, I turned back and reread the police interrogation parts of the book and I laughed over and over!!!

So what this book is about? Bunch of idiot people? YES
An unsuccessful bank robbery attempt and hostage situation? YES. What a minute! If the robbery is unsuccessful, how the thief managed to take hostages? And how many hostages he has? 8 hostages!

Is this book about suicide attempts on the bridge? YES!

Is this about stock markets, mortgages, banking system and destroying effects of capitalism makes rich people richer and makes you poor… yes, you may fill the blanks…! YES!

I guess you must be confused again but don’t! Even though the book looks like a puzzle, all the pieces find their right place and so many twists that you may not foresee confuse you more but at the end you realize you read something so spectacular make you question your morals, your judgments, beliefs, the way you look at the life and test your decency.

Jack and Jim, police officers, son and father, carrying Whiskey brand names, are anxious people who are not happy about their lives, polar opposites, barely stand with each other but unfortunately they are still colleagues and they’re interrogating hostages about the whereabouts of the bank robber. Oh sorry, the guy couldn’t rob the bank because the bank didn’t have enough money and young intern just called the cops so the unsuccessful bank robber runs into an apartment viewing. 8 people seeing the house become the worst bank robber’s reluctant hostages. But I have to admit they are the WORST BATSHIT CRAZY HOSTAGES you may imagine!

Jack and Jim surrounded the building with their colleagues, called the big guns from Stockholm to save the hostages from another syndrome but they hear gun shot and when they go to check the building, they see the blood stains in the living room but amateur bank robber (you’re gonna understand my reasoning why I keep tell the robber this silly name after reading this book!) is nowhere to be seen. So Jack thinks one of the hostages helped the first time robber. Or they may hide something from them.

So we’re moving back and forth between interrogations, the hostages’ back stories, secrets, the reasons behind they want to see the house. And naturally my favorite hostages are sarcastic, direct, cruel, smart, entertaining, cool Zara and golden-hearted Estelle (I wish she would be my grandma and her story broke my heart into pieces)
The ending of the story (or let’s say new beginnings of the characters’ stories) was surprising but also heart melting, memorable, tear jerking. And I forget to add what this book is about… IT IS ABOUT REAL LOVE…

Thanks to Atria Books/Simon Schuster for sending this special ARC to me in exchange my honest review. I love this author’s works so much and this is one of the best books I’ve read on 2020.

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Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️

Rating: really liked it
2 - 2.5 Stars

I am definitely in the minority on this and I am very aware of that...all I can say is, Backman can really write (although I already knew that). And he can really write people. Which I also knew...

The problem was I just didn't actually like any of the people here. Or the plot.

Now, I'm not saying I always have to like all the people in a story to like the story itself. But when I not only dislike the people, but think they are completely obnoxious? And I think the plot is ridiculous and makes bumbling idiots of everyone involved?



And, yes, I am aware the characters were supposed to be bumbling idiots. The narrator calls them idiots multiple times throughout the book. It was a theme. After all, we are all idiots at what time or another, right? *wink wink* See what Backman I did there? *nudge nudge* (All throughout the book, mind you.)

I know all the quirkiness was supposed to give me all the feels and and all that. Instead, it just grated on me.

Now, to be clear, I didn't outright hate this or anything. As I said, the writing was superb. I thought there were a lot of cute moments and I really liked some of the narratives Backman explored about life, human nature, the human condition in a modern world, and anxiety as a whole. My love for those things just didn't offset my general sense of annoyance at the characters and the plot enough.

But, oh well. As I said, I am definitely in the minority on this one. I know most people loved this. And if you think you might too, you should absolutely give it a go.

I will definitely read more Backman in the future. This was just a miss for me, that's all.

EDITED: Because I am sick of repeating this in the comments, I'm adding this here...I'm not stupid, folks. I understood why the characters were acting like idiots. I understand they were (view spoiler)[purposefully behaving that way to protect the true "robber" (hide spoiler)]. I didn't "miss it" and thus not like the story because of it. I understood what was happening. I "got" was Backman was doing. I don't need it explained to me. The characters - regardless of their motivations - just annoyed me and I did not like the book. It's that simple. I thought I made this clear enough in my review, but I guess not.

Yun

Rating: really liked it
Oh my, what an absolute gem this turned out to be! It's quintessential Backman: quirky, heartwarming, and uplifting.

On the surface, Anxious People is a story about a bank robbery gone wrong. The bank robber, having failed at robbing a bank, bursts upon an apartment viewing and proceeds to take a group of unfortunate strangers hostage. This group of mismatched folks, each with their secret fears and mistakes, slowly open their hearts to one another, and as a result, find their lives inexplicably changed for the better.

At its heart, this is a story that speaks to the humanity in all of us. No matter our backgrounds or experiences, we each have done the best we can with what we are given. We have messy feelings that go with our messy lives. We've made mistakes and all deserve second chances to redeem ourselves. That is what Backman has captured so deftly with his tale.

Reading this book feels like digging through a treasure trove, with wonderful surprises at every turn. There's even a little mystery in here, when the police tries to reconstruct what happened, and things don't seem as straightforward as they initially thought. The mystery is really a small part of the story, but even that is superbly done and managed to surprise and delight me.

Backman's writing style has always been quirky and his themes somewhat sentimental, but the two elements balance each other out, so that the quirkiness cuts through the cheesiness and helps to tone it down. The theme of this story, when you think about it, is really more sentimental than all the rest, so I found the writing to be even quirkier than his other books. I really enjoyed it, but I can see how this style wouldn't be for every reader or even every moment.

I appreciate that Backman tries to tackle complex and timely topics in his books, and he does so in such an uplifting way. Especially now, when we live in a world more divisive than it's ever been, this story reminds us that if we only take the time to get to know the other side, we'd realize we are more alike than we are different. In my opinion, it's an overly optimistic stance, but it's still healing to be able to escape into this imaginary, wonderful world, even if just for a few hours.

Muhtasin

Rating: really liked it
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Thought-provoking, heartbreaking but amusing. It is a perfect mix of tragic and hilarious, believable and absurd. The whimsical & humorous writing style about real subjects like suicide, depression made this story remarkable.

God doesn't protect people from knives, sweetheart. That's why God gave us other people, so we can protect each other.

Sweet Story

Lisa of Troy

Rating: really liked it
This is the most hilarious book I've read!

A bank robber on the loose runs into the apartment across the street. In it, he notices an apartment door open. There is a showing for the apartment, and there are prospective buyers inside. He enters the apartment to clear his thoughts but finds that these are the worst hostages ever. Meanwhile, the police in this small town are hot on the trail of the bank robber. Will they be able to discover who is the bank robber and where to find him?

Anxious People is very true, hilarious, and also moving at times. In my typical reading fashion, I practiced immersion reading (listening to the audiobook while following along in the printed version). The audiobook was amazing! I really enjoyed the entire performance and all of the different character voices.

Anxious People also has one of the strongest openings that I have read.
It is rare that I enjoy a book so much from the first chapter; however, this book was laugh out loud funny, starting from the very first chapter. There were some portions in the last half of the book that I thought dragged a bit but because this book made me laugh so much that I had to overlook that.

Overall, if you are looking for a heart-warming, hilarious story, definitely give this a read!

2022 Reading Schedule
Jan Animal Farm
Feb Lord of the Flies
Mar The Da Vinci Code
Apr Of Mice and Men
May Memoirs of a Geisha
Jun Little Women
Jul The Lovely Bones
Aug Charlotte's Web
Sep Life of Pi
Oct Dracula
Nov Gone with the Wind
Dec The Secret Garden

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MarilynW

Rating: really liked it
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman hit me right in the part of me that I never want to discuss, the part that I don't even know how to discuss. He knows how we feel at our lowest moments, during our biggest and smallest times of disappointment, grief, and feelings of despair. Yet, rather than bringing me down, he lightens my heart because we aren't alone in these feelings. There is humor in how we feel and there is hope in low times. This book made me laugh and I loved it. 

So now, watch me call all of us idiots because Backman makes such good points about the subject. We aren't alone in our idiot-ness, though. That could be beside the point or it could be THE point . Things happen, mistakes are made, but sometimes we can do things that alter the path of those mistakes before they become so destructive that we can't pull back from the black hole we are facing. 

There is a very reluctant bank robber-to-be and when attempting to rob a bank, the bank robber makes the biggest mistake a bank robber can make. So the failed bank robber runs and accidently takes an apartment of people hostage. The now hostage taker is having a very bad day, worse than the bad day they were having before they tried to rob a bank. And the hostages! The hostages are the worst! What is wrong with these people! 

We learn more about the hostage taker and the hostages and I loved it all. The two police officers, who later try to question the former hostages, are at their wits ends. The former hostages won't answer questions, they talk in circles, they ask their own very unhelpful questions, it's obvious that they are idiots and the police officers feel like they are idiots, too. How can so much go wrong and where is the bank robber/hostage taker? How did they escape from a closed area, with only one guarded exit. Just what is going on?

Publication: September 8, 2020

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Susanne

Rating: really liked it
*Updated 11/8/20* Buddy Listen with Kaceey! I'm so grateful that I got to share my love for this book with my book buddy and am so glad that Kaceey loved this book as much as I did.

*

5 Powerful Stars

“Anxious People” is a thought provoking, heart-wrenching, comical novel that leaves you in wonderment. It’s Fredrik Backman at his best. At its heart, this book deals with human connection and the impact people have on each other. It showcases Mr. Backman’s talent in an entirely new way and it is another reminder as to why he is one of my favorite authors.

Fredrik Backman is an author who has an innate ability to capture the human spirit, get under his characters’ skins and relay his characters thoughts and feelings in a way that makes us feel as if we know them, as if we are friends with them and at times, as if we are them.

“Anxious People” is different from Backman’s other novels, there are no quirky curmudgeons like Ove or Britt-Marie and there are no Benji’s. This story features a Bank Robber, a Hostage Situation, a Real Estate Agent and an entire cast of other extremely complicated characters. This is a character driven novel and it delves into the trials and tribulations of each individual whose lives are affected by the situation that they are in. I had no idea what I was in for when I dived in - what I will say is that each and every character will steal your heart. It’s that thing called human connection.

Within just a few minutes of reading this, tears pricked my eyes and I knew from that moment on that this book was special. It is wild and crazy and unlike anything you’ve ever read. At times you will be exasperated and yet you will keep reading. One minute you will be laughing and the next you will be in tears. For me, it happened and happened often.

Once again, Fredrik Backman does something special here and I’m so very grateful for it.

“Anxious People” is a must read and will most certainly be on my Goodreads Best of List for 2020. This novel reminded me that everything I do can potentially impact others and therefore, I must think before I act. It also reminded me how important human connection is and how grateful I am for the relationships I have built with all of you. Though times are difficult right now, I am thankful that we have each other. I wish you all good health, peace and safety. Namaste.

A huge thank you to Ms. Ariele Friedman at Atria Books and NetGalley for the arc. Thank you also to Fredrik Backman for continuing to write such incredible words. You inspire me.

Published on Goodreads on 5.9.2020.

JanB(on vacation till October)

Rating: really liked it
DNF at 15%.

The author tries too hard to be witty and quirky with a "deep message", but is neither funny or appealing. He uses an abundance of similes such as comparing children to kites (you hold on tight but the wind carries them off anyway) and fog is "like someone setting fire to ghosts" (has he actually set fire to one to know what it looks like?). My eyes were rolling. The witnesses to a bank robbery exhibit unrealistic and weird behavior (which is supposed to be quirky?). The 3rd person POV adds to the lack of appeal.

Many readers love this author and this book, so do check out other reviews. I'm obviously the wrong reader.

* I received an e-galley via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

jessica

Rating: really liked it
‘we are doing the best we can, we really are...’

this message is the heart of this story.

‘…we all have this in common, yet most of us remain strangers, we never know what we do to each other, how your life is affected by mine. when this day is over and the night takes us, allow yourself a deep breath. because we made it through another day.’

and this is the heart of us readers.


this is a story that will speak to everyone who picks it up - from the anxious to the confident, from the broken to the loved, from the young to the old, and everyone in between.

the fact that FB can take such heavy topics about people and life and so respectfully explore them in a light-hearted way is still truly astounding to me.

and its truly a testament to FBs writing skills that he can continue to construct stories that are relevant and not only resonate with, but emotionally touch, such a wide audience.

this story is nothing short of the perfection FB consistently creates.

↠ 4.5 stars

chan ☆

Rating: really liked it
move over beartown

there's a new sheriff in town. well, i guess that kind of depends on what you're in the market for. but this book came to me at the perfect place and time in my life. and something about that kind of serendipity makes this the superior book to me.

you see, i was perusing the aisles of target, as one does. and i was looking for something that i had a. never read before and b. actually had interest in reading. and among the popular fiction, i found something to fit the bill. this pretty little yellow number. and despite some initial misgivings about the title of this book i read the inside flap and was intrigued. a book about a bank robber and hostage situation. score.

but oh boy. it was really not about that. in typical backman fashion, this book is about humanity. the ugly sides and the hopefulness. all tied up in an interesting plot that had twists akin to a thriller. all while never venturing into preachy life advice territory.

i'm realizing that this review is a bit of a mess. like me and like you. read this book, it'll likely make your 2020 better.

Dr. Appu Sasidharan

Rating: really liked it
What will happen when a profoundly compassionate person decides to keep a bunch of crazy people as hostages? Fredrik Backman shows it marvelously through this novel.

What makes this novel unique? Is it the elegance amid the chaos? Is it the hope of a better future amid the downright macabre of the present? Is it the humor amid the tragedy? Is it the author's prowess to make us smile and cry at the same time?

This book is an artistic creation, which subjugates our introspection and overwhelms our contemplations on possible comparisons and interpretations. If you are an art aficionado, you are invariably going to relish the experience of reading this book.

"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."

emma

Rating: really liked it
The thing about this book is that it is cotton candy-level, cavity-threatening, headache-inducing type sweet, and simultaneously very sad and real and filled with the most upsetting things about being alive.

A real whirlwind.

If you are in the right mood for this book (which I was when I started it), then it is a whimsical, amusing, life-affirming journey to becoming an optimist.

But if you are not (which I suddenly shapeshifted into at some point), it is arduous to get through and kind of annoying.

I personally prefer the version of myself that enjoyed this book, but unfortunately that version of myself only stuck around for a day or less and left the more powerful version of me to wade through this for the following 6 days.

Still, I'd like to be an optimist. So...3.5 stars.

But rounded down. I'm not Mary goddamn Poppins.

Bottom line: Depends on whether you're nice or not!

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currently-reading updates

not sure at this point if i'm even capable of reading without lily

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tbr review

insert joke about this being about multiple copies of Me

Dorie - Cats&Books :)

Rating: really liked it
****FINALIST IN THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS, EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK, IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD****

This will definitely be a top 10 book for me this year!!

I have now read all of Mr. Bachman’s books and have enjoyed them all. This book had me engaged from the very beginning.

There are a handful of characters and they are all well developed. He is a genius when it comes to portraying people, their emotions, their habits, their “quirkiness”.

This book reminded me of a Seinfeld episode. There are lots of things going on involving most of the usual cast and they don’t all get tied together until the end. I knew that there were underlying connections but I didn’t really guess all of them until they were revealed.

As you know from the quite extensive blurb this is “ a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.”

I took a lot of notes about things that made me laugh but to share them would ruin the surprise for you, the new reader. I have never been so amused while learning lessons about life.

“Everyone inside the apartment had their own complexes, their own demons and anxieties: Roger was wounded, Anna-Lenna wanted to go home, Julia was tired, Ro was worried, Zara was in pain, and Estelle . . .well . . .no one really knew what Estelle was yet. Possibly not even Estelle”

Along with the narration of the events taking place there are also pages of interviews. After the event the police are trying very hard not to personally implode as they interview the hostages who really weren’t hostages!!! Why are they being so uncooperative????

This book is best gone into blind, you won’t understand how incredibly well written it is until you immerse yourself in the story.

If you have read any of Mr. Bachman’s books before, BUY THIS BOOK. If you have never read any of Mr. Bachman’s books, BUY THIS BOOK.

There are some serious issues dealt with along with the lighter tone of the novel including: divorce, lack of leadership, father-son relationships, betrayal by someone you love, psychological problems including thoughts of suicide.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.

Matthew

Rating: really liked it
Backman does it again! I loved it!

I could only assume the book was about me and my people 😁. In all seriousness, though, it is appropriate title because it is a character study and a character driven mystery. As you learn about the people along the way, you might learn a little bit about yourself.

I love the way that Backman writes. He only has one book that I did not completely adore (My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry). I am excited every time I see a new book is out from him and I cannot wait to check out some of his earlier works I haven't tried yet. If you have loved his writing before, I give you my 100% guarantee that you will 100% love this one.

This was another Couch Time listen with my wife. We enjoy finding books we think we might both enjoy and we take time after the kids have gone to bed to listen to them together. It is my favorite time of the day! This was an AWESOME audiobook and I LOVED the narration. Marin Ireland is a fantastic narrator - I will be looking for more books with her narration in the future.

Final verdict: very, very great! Read it!

Miranda Reads

Rating: really liked it

Just released my Top 10 Books from 2020 BookTube Video - now that you know this one made the list, click the link to find the rest!

The Written Review

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

Oh my gosh.

Like most Backman books at this point...I'm at a complete loss regarding how to tell you that this book is, quite frankly, the best thing I've read all year.

I'm just overwhelmed by the sheer goodness of this book...and if I were to try to summarize it...It would be:

Failed bank robber takes on kidnapping role (unintentionally) and also kinda fails at it....but in a good way? Like a laugh-cry-laugh way.

Oh gosh. Now I'm not making sense.

Essentially, this book was amazing. But you really just have to read it yourself.

As always Backman is able to instantly create fully-fleshed out characters from just a few sentences and he plays your emotions like a violin.

I've never listened to an audiobook and had that serious of a yo-yo happening constantly - like there would be literal tears leaking out of my face followed by laughter.

The way all of the characters came together and fed off of each other's energy was amazing. The way their pasts interwove with their presents was just as stunning.

This truly was an amazing book and I cannot recommend it enough.

“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.”

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