Anxious People by Fredrik Backman – Book Review
Every once in a while, you read a book about idiots and you fall in love with reading all over again. This is that book. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman.
About The Book
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a story about a bridge, a bank robber, a few hostages and two police men. And this is one of the most wholesome, beautiful, heart-warming stories I’ve read recently.
It’s New Year’s Eve and House Tricks estate agents are hosting an open viewing in an up-market apartment when an incompetent bank robber rushes in and politely takes everyone hostage.
Politely.
For Anna-Lena and Roger, busy buying-up apartments to fill the hole in their marriage. For Julia and Ro, panicky parents-to-be, it’s yet another worry. Bank manager Zara has a very interesting stroy to why she is here for the viewing. And 87-year-old Estelle is wiser than you can imagine and seems rather pleased by the company.
What’s happening inside is now what usually happens in a hostage situation. Will someone die? Will the bank robber run away? Will there be blood?
Book Review
No wonder Fredrik Backman is loved by everyone. His writing is magical. His stories are human. It almost at times feels like reading an internal monologue and god you feel so seen and naked reading the hard truths you often choose to not put it into words.
Coming back to the book. The plot twists and character arcs are essentially what kept me going. I love it when humans are kind to others (as it must be all the time). I was almost bored after finishing 50-60% of the book, but I kept going. I now see why the build up was important. The chapters are really short (1-4 pages long at max) which helps you read quickly giving you a sense of accomplishment.
Talking about characters, without giving you spoilers, Estella was undoubtedly my favourite character. She’ll stay with me for a long time. And I would’ve loved for Knut to be there in the room. When Estella says that when your better half is sick and can’t function by themselves, your life pauses. And once they are gone, your aging accelerates. And I couldn’t agree more. I kept thinking about my dadi and dada every-time I read her bit in the book.
One thing I LOVED about this book is how it ends – structurally and story-wise as well. You are not left with an open ending to interpret what could’ve, would’ve been once the story ends. As much as I love raging over open-ending books, but not every time. Sometimes, I’d love to read from the author what happens to your favorite character. Sometimes, I’d like to know if two people meet after the story ends. What happens to their family? Are they still alive? Sometimes, I’d love to know if characters in questions are held up against their morals, do they improve, do they find love, do they get a chance to re-try, re-start. This book gives all of that.
I’ll leave you with a favourite quote from the book and a recommendation. Please do read this book whenever you get the chance. The book will choose you at the right time.
“Nothing must happen to you
No, what am I saying
Everything must happen to you
And it must be wonderful”
Do I Recommend this Book?
“Not knowing is a good place to start.”
I carry this quote with me. They say the book finds you at the right time. And I’ve always believed in that. The last time I read Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, I felt exactly the same thing. So I would be the loudest advocate of the ‘books find you at the right time’ theory.
This book can be a good book to start with if you aren’t a reader. Or a perfect gift for any kind of reader – occasional reader or/and avid reader. As Backman wrote, not knowing is a good place to start.
“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore. You’re good enough.”
I once many years ago dreamt of this exact message. It’s funny and doesn’t make sense. But so does the world. It doesn’t make sense. I once dreamt of myself in my old building lift and one of my old neighbours from a different floor told me “You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, you are not answerable to everyone. Remember that.” It was a very peculiar dream. One that you would never first. And when I read this line, it felt like a deja vu.
I am not in a dramatic life situation to need this advice, but if the same message comes up again out of the blue, should I discard it as a coincidence? That it just is?
I don’t believe in coincidence. As random as everything is, everything is planned, written, fated.
“But we weren’t ready to become adults.”
Read it. Read Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and I hope you have the best time reading it, especially the last 50-60 pages.
Buy Anxious People by Fredrik Backman Now!
My Favorite Quotes From Anxious People
“They say that a person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. But that isn’t true, at least not entirely, because if our past was all that defined us, we’d never be able to put up with ourselves. We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows.” – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
“We don’t have a plan, we just do our best to get through the day, because there’ll be another one coming along tomorrow.” – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
“We give those we love nicknames, because love requires a word that belongs to us alone.” – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
“But if there’s one thing modern life and the internet have taught us, it’s that you should never expect to win a discussion simply because you’re right.” – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
“Because the people we argue with hardest of all are not the ones who are completely different from us, but the ones who are almost no different at all.” – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
“That we do our best. We plant an apple tree today, even if we know the world is going to be destroyed tomorrow. We save those we can.” – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
“But when you get home this evening, when this day is over and the night takes us, allow yourself a deep breath. Because we made it through this day as well. – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
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