One of my reading goals this year is to read more books by Fredrik Backman, because I have enjoyed all three of the books I read by him immensely. His writing style is unique, his characters bravely vulnerable and his stories heartwarming. While I have already mentioned some of his books in my other articles, I want to write a full review on Anxious People, because it is by far my favourite and I want to read it again this year. Not only is the plot unique, but the way the characters all came together was so hopeful. In times where humanity is often so divided, books like these really matter.
When a bank robber loses control of the situation and runs into an apartment building across the street, the robbery turns into an involuntary hostage situation. Unbeknownst to the robber, the apartment in question is currently hosting an open house for prospective buyers. With a pistol pointed at them, the people in the apartment anxiously huddle together. With police gathering outside and the unlikely group of people inside stuck in a sticky situation, who knows how this will end? But maybe people have really bad ideas sometimes, and maybe some people are lonely while others are desperate. Maybe we are all just anxious people, trying to get through life together.
While a dry description of the plot might sound like a thriller, the way Backman goes about writing his book makes it a humorous situation. From page one you are smiling as he calls the bank robber an idiot and urges you to think about biscuits. His writing is unlike any other, and I think I would be able to read a passage and say it is written by him without knowing it in advance.
He also manages to make even the most unlikely situation relatable, which is a real feat. One of the reasons I have loved reading my whole life, is because it gives you an insight in the minds of so many others, which offers an understanding of humanity in ways living life is unable to. For instance, the bank robber. Of course most of us would never rob a bank (at least I hope so), and while this book does not suddenly make that allright, or while not everyone would do the same if they were in that situation, Backman makes us understand why the robber did it, and makes us feel for them.
You probably have someone in your life whom you’d do something stupid for. But obviously you would still never rob a bank. Of course not. But perhaps, though, you’ve been in love? Almost everyone has, after all. And love can make you do quite a lot of ridiculous things.
This innate understanding of people’s motivations, even if we don’t agree with them or wouldn’t do it ourselves, is what makes this book so important and what makes Backman such a notable writer.
His character work is also one of the main characteristics of most of his work and Anxious People is no different. There’s Anna-Lena and Roger, who have been married for a while and are trying to find ways to save their marriage, Julia and Ro who are about to become parents and are dealing with it very differently, A lonely bank manager Zara, or Estelle who seems to be pleased to just be around so many people even if she doesn’t know them. Then there is the robber, or the police agents. Every single character is well-developed and different from the others. We are given their background, what drives them and how they became the way they are. A cast of characters different in age, beliefs, past and situations, but who are thrown together into an anxious situation. I love when different storylines and characters are separately developed and then come together, which is exactly what happened in this book.
Finally, there were many absurd elements in this book, that made the storyline extra entertaining. But what I found even more impressive is that they all made sense in the end. They were not just elements added to hook readers, but they were a true value to the storyline and contributed to making all of the pieces come together.
I always find it difficult to write a full review on a book without giving spoilers. But, I hope I have successfully conveyed my enthusiasm and love for this book by highlighting what made it so great, and that I have convinced you to read it as well.
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