Anxious People: A Novel

This story was just what I needed, funny, sad, human, interesting and a great story to the very very end. I really enjoyed that all the characters were just as valuable as each other with their own complete and complex stories.

Well, I read and listened to this one, and it initially felt like a random farce with bit part actors. But when I took a step back, I realised there was much more to it. We have Jim, a police officer who didn’t want his son Jack to follow in his footsteps. However, Jack joined the force anyway. While it’s clear they love each other, there’s continued stress and irritation from Jack. They have their own story. On New Year’s Eve, an estate agent is hosting an open viewing. As the guests arrive, they’re met with a rather reluctant and accidental bank robber. This wasn’t the intention; the bank robber is going through heartbreak and a breakup. She’s at the end of her tether, which causes a desperate act that turns into more than anyone realises. As the strangers get to know each other, they start to bond. Each person is holding something within, and bit by bit, we get to hear about their backstories. Some of the stories were emotional, while others made me cry. I also laughed at some of the absurdity of what was going on, like the guy wearing a rabbit’s head. We learn that behind the facade, everyone is going through something. Some of the stories were relatable, and we see the very real and human side that we often conceal. At the end of the day, we learn that as humans, we all make mistakes. We need kindness and not judgement. Patience and love go a long way. This turned out to be a clever and moving story, cleverly woven despite the collection of characters. It didn’t feel crowded at all.

Funny, dramatic, thoughtful and suspenseful. 10/10 A must read to everyone that enjoys a good story. Nothing else to be said.

An easy read but be warned it does contain references to suicide, that may upset some people. Estelle was my favourite character and I loved the awkwardness of ‘Stockholmers’ term explanations. Story not very believable but was an original take.

From the beginning, the book makes you feel like you are in a conversation, not just reading a story. It is a conversation that had me laughing out loud and intreagued how it could possibly end. The plot twists and the emotions it brings to the surface as all the threads and facinating characters slowly come together make for an unusually enjoyable read.

This book surprised me as I had read others by this author and thought it would be of the same very light-hearted silly funny ilk. I was incorrect, this was not quite from the same stable. This was more profound. It was a cleverly put together rigmarole of reasons why / how a situation occurred and why / how the ultimate tragedy was averted and by whom - basically a very human book with a large dose of empathy without preaching about life. All kinds of situations occurred in the backstories, some of which even joined up with each other. The characters were numerous, the twists and turns of their stories also numerous and the whole a (deliberately) confusing melee. Yes, the light-hearted touch was ever evident in the circular questions and purposefully obscure answers in the interrogations. Yes, the cast were each in their own way complex but totally individual characters, some very likeable, some not so easily likeable yet all recognisable as an aspect of very familiar humanity. I am in the camp of those who liked this book.

The unusual narrative style of this story was arresting from the start – with characters deliberately obfuscated and obfuscating – and it was a little startling for the first few pages as I was trying to get a feel for who everyone was and what was happening, but it didn’t take long for the rambling, conversational style of the narration to become one of my favourite things about this book. Other favourite things included the humour, the pathos, the initially ridiculous but eventually incredibly relatable character, the riddle-in-a-mystery-in-an-enigma plot that felt so intricate and interconnected and yet was somehow very easy to read… everything really. One minute I was laughing at the silly police interview dialogue and the next I was nodding enthusiastically at a description of the difficulties of adulthood and its many responsibilities. The coincidences in the plot are not meant to be believable or realistic, but they make for a very satisfyingly neat finale and are balanced by the realism of the pain, worries and fears of the small cast of characters. The story hangs around a banking system and a bridge, but its heart is the despair and kindness of ordinary, everyday people. This is one of those books that made me immediately seek out everything else the author has written to add them to my wish-list and also create a mental list of people in my life that I need to buy copies for as soon as possible (three so far, and counting!) I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a unique, people-centred locked-room mystery that really gets how hard modern life can be for all sorts of different people and reasons.

Really enjoyed this unusual book. Lots of layers unpeel, lots of truths and untruths, lots of insights into people’s characters. Comical in some ways but quite sad in others. Worth a read

My first Fredrick Backman book. After reading this, I bought two more books of the same writer.

It’s such an amazing book takes you through different emotions one second you’re feeling deep for the character the next unexpectedly laugh out loud. Love it from start to finish. must read

It’s not often you accidentally find a treasure of a book. What story telling, what character building, what plot. Tears in my eyes from laughter … and suddenly not. One of the toughest but warmest stories I’ve encountered.

É sem dúvidas um dos livros mais diferentes que já li, a narração é muito singular e genial! É um suspense que te prende e te faz de bobo, mas acima de tudo é uma imersão verdadeira e crua sobre nosso ser e nossos anseios. Encontramos nos personagens tudo aquilo que sentimos, mas não temos a coragem de refletir sobre, tanto no emocional quanto nos fatores externos que os causam. Ele te enubria com críticas pertinentes sobre o mundo financeiro e como este pode arruinar a vida de tantas pessoas, assim como também dar de tudo para uma minoria, que mesmo com o MUITO não tem nada. É uma história que te aventura na ficção de um bom drama e no mais emocionante caminho do humano, da empatia e da compreensão. É impossível terminar e não colocar todos os outros trabalhos do autor na lista de compras.

Comfortable ans relatable read. Just pick it up.