Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

17 reviews

book_girl's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Grief

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

"This story is about a lot of thing but mostly about idiots.

I feel like the supreme idiot for punishing myself to finish this book.  I thought the characters were irredeemable from the start, regardless of any growth, explanation, or context given for their actions or reactions since they seem only to be annoying caricatures.

Reading this book feels like you are actively getting whiplash since it keeps tugging you in different directions, trying to keep the suspense/mystery.  Because of this it takes forever for anything to happen and it never feels like anything has a natural progression.  It's as if you take one step forward and then two steps back in a halting cadence.

Also, this book suffers from what I will henceforth call: Boomer-Humor.  To elaborate, any chance to make a disparaging remark about the youths (TM) it is taken.  This is all mixed in with the attempt to have meaningful personal stories about grief, loss, addiction, suicide (ideation/attempts) and tie it all up into one interconnected comedic bow, and in the end it is a jumbled repetitive mass of knots.

I thoroughly disliked this book.  I will never read anything else from this author.  I did not enjoy their prose, their humor, their character-building...  No redeeming qualities.  It was not for me.  I can see where there would be some people who would like it, but I was not one of them.

Also, because I was curious -
Number of times the word idiot is used in the book: 60
Number of times Stockholm is used in the book: 74

This book takes place in Sweden, but not Stockholm.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

amylloyd's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Abandonment, and Alcohol

onion's review against another edition

challenging hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

nelthilta's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Dementia, Death of parent, and Abandonment

standshort's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Abandonment

TW: Capitalism

8odell's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment