A review by haileyhardcover
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Anxious People is a story about a bank robbery. No, it’s a hostage drama. No, it’s about a bridge. No, wait, a rabbit? No… No. It’s a story about idiots. 

In truth, Anxious People is about desperation, grief, mental health, greed, the housing market, purpose, loneliness, parenting, marriage, hope, connection, love, Stockholm… It’s a fascinating exploration into being human. 

It’s also part mystery that will keep you hooked until the very end! When I tell you I could not put this book down, I mean it.  HOOKED. It had me in an absolute fucking chokehold all the way through. I gasped, I screamed, at one point I closed the book and beat it against my couch because I was so mad that I missed something so obvious… lol It also has so much heart, and such endearing (and frustrating and hilarious and idiotic) characters. I wiped away lone tears, I laughed out loud, snorted, and fully broke down sobbing…. several times… just within the last 25 pages. 🥲

No one can craft a story like Fredrik Backman. No one captures the messy magic of humans like him. No one else can weave so many seemly disconnected stories together into an absolute masterpiece, and tie them all together flawlessly. 

I didn’t think it was possible, but Anxious People has unseated My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry as my favorite book. Backman remains my favorite author for a reason. The man is undefeated. 

A quote on the back from USA Today sums up Anxious People perfectly: “Hits the sweet spot between profoundly insightful and preposterously funny… I hugged this book tightly with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.”
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