Anxious People - Fredrik Backman

Anxious People

By Fredrik Backman

  • Release Date: 2020-09-08
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 3,882 Ratings

Description

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 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.

Reviews

  • Axious people

    5
    By Idfmom
    Mr. Backman’s books just keep getting better and better! Can’t wait for the next one
  • A heartfelt story line

    5
    By Denyce21
    I loved how each of the characters story lines collided. The plot was beautiful and deeply touched my heart. I will definitely be sharing this read.
  • Great read

    5
    By grabber2
    Great book loved the way all the characters tied together!
  • Anxious People

    5
    By The Myth5214
    Wonderfully written with excellent pacing, character development, and wonderful interaction and twists. Brought tears to my eyes.
  • 4 stars

    4
    By KThugs3
    I give this book a solid 4 stars! I do love all of the books that I have read by this author. I loved all of the characters by the end of the book, which is a bit funny because when I started it, I was mostly annoyed or disliked each character. It’s funny, because people are like that sometimes in the real world, too. The overall message of the book was great, and there were a few things mentioned throughout that I felt applied to my life. Some of the characters end up telling stories or saying something that made me grasp or understand something about people in my own life. I did knock it down one star only because I felt it was a bit difficult to follow at first. I was also able to guess two of the plot twists throughout the book.
  • Love this book!

    5
    By Engineerbroad
    So unique and entertaining!
  • Ehh?

    2
    By KJOHN131
    There are really good parts of this book but I just feel like it’s covered up with cliché sayings and extra words padding pages for no reason. The ending was the saving grace for me. I almost dnf, happy I didn’t but the price should be lowered.
  • Amazing!

    5
    By allison nolagirl
    The interwoven character happen chances is truly amazing. The omniscient yet blinks narrator point of view is another great touch along with slightly anonymity of the bank robber!
  • Really good!

    5
    By EnE16
    Really endearing and great storytelling
  • Creative and wonderful

    5
    By collegereaderk
    Incredible. Don’t be turned away by it being a little slow and slightly confusing at first. It is so worth it. Relatable and heartbreaking and uplifting. Feeling lonely has never felt less alone.

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