Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller A People Book of the Week, Book of the Month Club selection, and Best of Fall in Good Housekeeping, PopSugar, The Washington Post, New York Post, Shondaland, CNN, and more! “[A] quirky, big-hearted novel…Wry, wise, and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure.” –People From the #1 New York Times bestselling … wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure.” —People
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove comes a charming, poignant novel 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.
Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.
Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them–the bank robber included–desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.
Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope–the things that save us, even in the most anxious times.
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Great character development. Author is a superb story teller
This a witty book that depends upon an unusual premise about a group of people caught inside an apartment during a showing with presumably a bank robber in the group. The individual character’s stories contribute to the outcome for the robber.
This is a book about a bank robbery, scratch that, it’s a book about a hostage drama, wait no, it’s a book about an apartment showing, not really – actually, it’s a book about a bridge, hold on, it’s actually a book about people – anxious people, yes, that’s what it’s about. I have a love/hate relationship with Backman. So, I’ll start about what I didn’t like about this book.
This is a book where you never forget it’s a story. Backman reminds you consistently throughout the book. You’ll never get a chance to lose yourself in the plot, because most of the plot is almost hidden behind mounds of narration. And this isn’t descriptions of events, or action, or even settings or character attributes. This is heaps of character motivation, observations, and reflections. My favorite books are where the characters come alive through their actions and dialog – those books become page turners that I can’t put down. They become movies in my head. However, in the first third, this book was a chore. In fact, it never came alive for me. Backman tells you the story, tells you what the characters are thinking, and tells you the ending. For being 350 pages, little happens in this book. Dialog and action are minimal, dotted throughout the narration. So, sounds like a recipe for a one- or two-star book – right? Not so fast . . .
In my opinion, you could call this book self-indulgent. I felt like Backman was working through some things and the ‘Author Thanks’ section appears to confirm that. But here’s the plot twist. It still all kind of works. We get way deep into Backman’s psyche. And it feels honest. And Backman’s smart, witty, funny, and clever observer of human nature. I think part of the reason we (or I?) enjoy novels is that it’s a rare chance to climb inside someone else’s head and see how they think. We know our real-life conversations are carefully guarded. But an honest author, revealing their thoughts, views, ideas for over 300 pages? That’s a rare glimpse into a fellow human’s mind. So, while the story never came alive, I couldn’t help but enjoy the continuously onslaught of heartfelt and witty observations, viewpoints, and perspectives. There is also the mystery of what happened to the bank robber, but that’s secondary to Backman’s insights. Some will love this book, I didn’t love it, but I did appreciate and enjoy it.
A slow-burn story, filled with quirky characters, that’s more about compassion and truth, than plot and storyline.
One of my favorite books of the year. It handled such an interesting topic in a truly unique way.
Loved this book so much that I read it twice. This is my favorite author, although he doesn’t write thrillers.
I truly enjoyed this book. There were so many wonderful flawed but lovable characters. Getting to know them in this purposefully confusing and very entertaining way was a delight. There was grief, but the connections that bring people together were also very hopeful.
I loved this book. Several twists in the story and very uplifting!
The author tells the reader these characters are idiots. That assessment is confirmed in throughout the story; and yet, somehow by the end of the story you get it. The light bulb over your head comes on and you have an “Aha” moment. Now you have to go back to the beginning to see the true picture. A bank robber, an elk, a rabbit and an open house…….
I loved the juxtaposition of wacky characters, crazy situations, and people stuggling to figure out their lives. Some lines were laugh-out-loud hilarious, while the story developed into one of learning to find love and connection when the world serves you lemons (or, in this case, limes). Unusual, creative, and wonderful.
As with all of his books, this book is one I couldn’t put down. The twists are well timed. The character development is thorough without being overdone. Ive read almost everything he’s written and it is on par with the greatness I’ve come to expect.
Loved it!
3.5 Stars. At first, I really did not care for this book. Bachman, whose novel Beartown is one of my favorite novels, was up to obvious tricks and it was getting annoying. He was trying to annoy the reader and he was doing a good job. Eventually, his schtick gave way to some very interesting plot twists revealing hidden purpose behind his playful ruse. Bachman is a master storyteller and it comes through. He is exploring themes of gender, bias, and of course, anxiety. He really articulates anxiety very well through his characters. Bachman is playful and jokey throughout, which is purposefully opposite of his character’s anxiety. Worried about crazy stuff? Might as well laugh about it. Bachman is ever empathic though and never condescending. A lot of the humor just didn’t land for me though. I think some was lost in translation. Also, the interview transcript structure of the first third of the novel was irksome to me. Overall, I think he really did accomplish what he set out to do with this novel. The second half of the book is superb. It needs the first half for it’s payoff, but his schtick throughout the first half was just too obvious and obnoxious for me (even though that was his purpose.) Of course, my expectations were quite high after Beartown. Still, this is an intentionally unserious novel, which missed just slightly for me.
In absolute love with this book! It’s the first in awhile that’s made me laugh and cry at the same time. Backman meticulously crafts a world that seems implausible on the surface but is more relatable than I anticipated. I found myself rooting for characters I’d normally be predisposed to hate, and that’s truly a feat. I’d never heard of Backman prior to reading this, but I’m definitely checking out his back catalogue now!
What an interesting story! Full of hope, love, sadness, chaos, anxiousness and yes, idiots.
This is my first Backman book and I am impressed. The construction of this story, how he weaves everything together, is top notch.
Concept: a group of strangers at an apartment viewing end up being held hostage and two local police get involved to sort it out. There are so many characters in this book, in a lesser hand it might’ve fallen apart. Backman does a great job of giving us enough backstory on all the players so we are invested.
Beautiful writing, so heartfelt. Loved every minute of it.
I typically love books written by this particular author. I couldn’t get into this book and found it difficult to follow. With that being said, please don’t rely on my review…I think I need to re-read it and give it a second try!
I love this author , very entertaining. Creative writing and wonderful characters.
I LOVE this author and this book was wonderful!!!
Fredrik Backman is one of my very favorites because of the way he introduces each character and instantly makes the reader understand – if not always sympathize with – their predicaments. A lot of reviews mention kind of a “silly start” to the book, which all becomes clear once you reach a certain point in the story. Because I love and trust this author, I enjoyed the story right from the start and even more about halfway in. If you loved Beartown or A Man Called Ove, you’ll love this one too. I am curious if Backman considered any other titles for this one- I don’t feel Anxious People is a very enticing title or reflective of the whimsy. So glad I started my summer with this one.
Unique plot with wonderful characters.
“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.”
This odd, difficult-to-describe novel broke my heart and gave me hope. If you appreciate the kind of story that helps you view the people around you with more grace and compassion, try this one. But be sure to have a few tissues handy—especially for the ending section!
My favorite quotes: “You love each other until you can’t live without each other. And even if you stop loving each other for a while, you can’t live without each other.”
“Have you ever held the hand of a three-year-old on the way home from pre-school? You are never more important than you are then.”
“God doesn’t protect people from knives, sweetheart. That’s why he gave us other people. So we could protect each other.”
“That’s the power of literature, you know. It can act like little love letters between people who can only explain their feelings by pointing out other people’s.”
“Nothing must happen to you. No what am I saying? Everything must happen to you, and it must be wonderful.” (poem)
“He was my echo. Everything I do is quieter now.”
“I don’t know why ordinary anxieties aren’t enough. Does anyone really need something new to worry about?”