For the month of May, we delved back into the realm of fiction with Fredrik Backman's book, Anxious People.
This book is a hilarious "hostage drama", written in a casual, almost conversational style. While this story begins with a botched bank robbery attempt and moves to an apartment hostage situation, it is much more about the pain and hilarity of being human than the crimes being committed. The people are what matter and Backman does an excellent job creating deep and diverse characters while still maintaining an air of comedy throughout.
For anyone slogging through day-to-day life, sure they are failing and battling with the anxieties of being an adult, this novel is a funny and sweet reminder that everyone is struggling, even the multi-millionaire bank bosses of the world. Not all of the characters are likable, however, all are relatable in one way or another. Beckman does a good job of creating multi-layered individuals and reminding us that outward presentation means very little at the end of the day.
Beckman's writing style is certainly unique in this piece, jumping around the timeline and regularly employing authorial intrusion when the author informs us what kind of story we are reading and that the book is about a bunch of "idiots" (or is it?). Character development unfolds slowly at first but picks up speed as the hostages and failed bank robber get to know one another better. Additionally, seemingly unrelated plot lines fit together as the story progresses in a charming and poignant way.
Overall, this is a heartwarming story about the quirks, hardships, and wonder of being human. We all struggle. We all have secrets we would prefer the world, or even our family members, never know about. We all have insecurities and desires. We all make idiotic decisions from time to time. This book is a comedic wake-up to let us know that we are not alone in our fears and failures and anxieties. A fun read for when you're feeling like a failure or just want to escape into a truly outrageous and yet utterly accurate rendition of the world.
We give Anxious People 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Our rating system is as follows:
⭐️ Not a book we recommend
⭐️⭐️ Decent story/some good content, but lacking substance or writing skill
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Well done; good quality writing or research, a worthwhile read
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Extremely well done; well written with excellent story/content
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Breakthrough work that stands out from the crowd, resulting in personal growth by the reader
