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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I must confess that I listened to an audio reading of the book. Although I’m sure that the book could be entertaining in any form, I found that the audiobooks reader made it even more enjoyable because she took on the persona of each character. The book is about a day in the life of several people who get caught up in a botched scheme by one of them. Due to the characters’ unique backgrounds, each responds in a different way, some according to their characters and many impacted by prior events they have had. It is written in the persona of the two policeman, who happened to be father and son, who investigate the”crime”. And although I found many of the scenes funny the underlying reason for the main event is actually one made of several life altering and tragic occurrences. I have actually gifted this book to two friends already and have recommended it to several people. For readers of this author, I would like it at most to his book “A man called Ove” due to its underlying serious subject that at the same time is witty and funny at time.
This book is beautifully and whimsically written. I was pulled in from the very first page and couldn’t stop reading. I loved the insights into human nature snd I highlighted so many amazing quotes I finally had to stop or else the whole book would’ve been yellow. I loved the quirky, strange characters and the connections between them all. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Read this book immediately. I laughed and I cried. It was the kind of book that I never wanted to end. And the quotes. This book has all the quotes. You’ll be wanting some post-it flags to remember all the amazing lines that Freddie B has given us. You’ll love the characters because, as Backman says, they’re idiots….in the best possible sense of the word. They’re infuriating and endearing. They’re shallow and caring. They are the most amazing bunch of idiots you’ll ever read about. This is a book that will stay with me for a lifetime.
5 Stars
I highly recommend this read!
First official 2021 book rec: Anxious People by Frederick Bachman
Seriously. This. Was. So. Good.
It was the perfect 2021 read! Not to mention the plot centers between December 30th (the day I started it) and January 1st (the day I finished it). It’s a love story (not a Romance, that’s different!) and a story about second chances and compassion and idiots. All of this is told through the lens of a hostage situation. It’s not a crime story, it’s a people story. It is dark but hopeful, harsh but compassionate, it’s literally about the second chance that we all get with this new year! If House in the Cerulean Sea was the perfect sweet 2020 read to bring you comfort and togetherness, Anxious People is the 2021 book that tells us to keep moving and show compassion. You. All. Need. To. Read. It.
Very disappointing for a Frederick Bachman book. Convoluted plot left me cold. Yes, there were messages, but it took too long to get to them.
Couldn’t get into it. Did not find it funny or interesting. Decided to move on to something I found more interesting from the beginning. I’m guessing this book would have gotten more engaging as it went along. Just didn’t have the patience for it.
If you, like me, flag in your interest about half way through this book (where I would have given it 3 stars), stick with it. The end makes it work finishing (the reason I gave it 4 stars).
This is the fourth book I’ve read by Fredrik Backman, whose humor I love. There are some passages in here (like a spot-on description of the busyness of adulthood) that I found absolutely priceless, that you’ll want to read aloud to those you love. Then there were other times when the plot seemed to drag and the humor got kind of gimmicky and annoying.
The narrative jumps around in time, so the story is slowly pieced together. A fleeing bank robber ends up hiding out in an apartment with a bunch of random people looking to potentially rent the unit. Outside, father and son police officers, with their own relationship issues to navigate, are trying to figure out what’s going on. And that’s all I will reveal about the plot so I don’t spoil anything for you.
As readers slowly figure out what’s happening along with the police officers, we get to know this group of people, some of their inner most vulnerabilities, and, for some of them, the trauma inflicted by actual and near suicides in their lives. So, while there is lots of humor, periodically, there are quite serious and beautiful moments that reveal simple humanity, with all its flaws and foibles. Bottom line: I’m still a Backman fan, though I liked The Story of Ove better.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
We don’t have a plan we just do our best to get through another day.
One single really bad idea is all it takes.
This book uniquely weaves the story of several individuals who find themselves in a “potential” hostage situation while attending an Open House for an apartment in Stockholm. There was a failed bank robbery next door where the desperate criminal doesn’t realize is a “cash-less” bank and stumbles into the Open House in an attempt to escape the police. Things begin to go sideways when the robber realizes the current unplanned situation as the people present see the gun and assume they are being held hostage.
Alternatively, the police arrive to find an empty apartment and all “hostages” released for questioning at the police station. Jack is a young ambitious officer who works with his officer father Jim in their small town. They have a story which is told parallel to the missing robber case they are in pursuit of solving. The police interviews with the “hostages” are amusing but frustrating for the Jack as the statements digress into unrelated issues. Oddly, the hostages shared personal stories and antidotes while sequestered in the apartment. The unlikely group discover they share more in common than initially thought.
The use of witty quirky humor pads the gravity of the story which addresses how as much as people are different they are more alike than they realize. All lives are interconnected in one way or another and may not be obvious. All people share the experience of feeling anxious at some point in their life. The key point is how you manage to cope with those feelings. In moments of despair and desperation sometimes people make “stupid” decisions like robbing a cash less bank making suicide seem like the only option left. Feelings are universal and no one is truly alone and support can come from unlikely places.
An entertaining tale with original characters and a surprise ending. But, it did make me a bit anxious trying to keep track of everyone…
I listened to audio book through chapter 45 and had to stop. I found it utterly annoying. All the characters were snarky, pedantic and overall unlikable. I understand the book is about anxious people, but he should have called it Annoying People. I loved OVE, so I was quite disappointed by this one.
Fredrick Backman is masterful in his storytelling. His novels are quirky, and some might find that odd, but these stories are about people who have huge hearts, are struggling in their own ways, and who make a lasting difference in someone else’s life.
In this novel, a young woman is struggling, and she makes a decision on impulse. The people she meets as a result of this decision are all dealing with issues, some of these issues are due to things that happened years earlier. All of these stories intersect in special ways.
The moral of this story, to me, is, always be kind as you never know the burden another is carrying, and you – through even the simplest of actions – can make all the difference in the world. You are enough.
Thank you Fredrick Backman for another beautiful book.
#AnxiousPeople #FredrikBackman
Definitely a different style of writing but certainly hilarious and entertaining! Completely unpredicable in some ways, it was a great selection for our little 4T book club!
This was one of my favorite books of the year. It’s a book about a lot of things – with a lot of characters – but ultimately it is about being human with all of our imperfections. I highlighted passages to share with others. I bought copies for friends. I felt broken open and I laughed out loud. I didn’t want to end. Wonderful book!
Fredrik Backman is one of my favorites authors, I always enjoy his books and this book was no exception.
This is a book about bad decisions made by a very desperate adult bank robber, and how the actions of this robber impact in the hostages lifes.
This book will make you laugh, think and in the end will warm your heart.
The end was epic, thanks so much to the amazing author for the magical experience 🙂
I loved the way this book opened — both poetic and philosophical. And then the story started to circle back on itself and repeat. I noticed that no one had any names, just occupations, until Chapter 13. And I started to wonder about all the high ratings. But I stayed with it, a few times flipping back to look for something I’d read chapters earlier. It was actually brilliant — well thought out and more than one surprise.
This story was perfect for the phase of my life I am currently in. I’m glad I read it, and I recommend it. 5 stars.
A masterful story told in an unusual style about a would-be bank robber who holds an apartment full of people hostage. At times funny and always poignant, with a bit of mystery thrown in. Definitely try this one.
This book is not an easy read, but it is well worth sticking with it. Backman has multiple threads in his story and often you wish he would move the story along and tie something together. When he finishes laying the foundation, the story begins to fly. One of my finest, most enjoyable reads this year.
Anxious People is at times funny, at times poignant, and at times thought-provoking. What do you do when life takes a turn for the worse . . . unemployment, divorce, child custody issues, and no money to find a new place to live . . . and you feel things are hopeless? In this novel, the solution is to become a bank robber. But things turn unexpectedly and it evolves into a hostage situation. The police get involved. The hostages have no choice but to interact with each other and with the bank robber. Ultimately, a rather unusual solution is reached. The characters are all quirky but well-defined. Anxious People is Fredrik Backman at his best! Laugh-out-loud episodes. Fun reading!
You never know where the story is going, but will be pleased with the end.
I loved this book! Loved the way it was written and the quirky characters.