I have enough anxiety in my life without adding a book called Anxious People to my reading list.
Alas, I love the author, Fredrik Backman, so much that I could not resist giving it a try. Since then, I
have been continually trying to convince friends to pick it up, as well. And now, thanks to the
platform of this excellent publication, I get one more chance to spread the Anxious People love.
Speaking of anxiety, starting a new book from a beloved author can be nerve-racking itself. When I
already admire an author, I really don’t want to be disappointed. Fortunately, there was no cause for
concern. Anxious People easily met my high standards and was a shining star during the doldrums
of 2020.
Personally, when I start a new book, I want to know as little as possible about the plot or what is
going to happen. Goodreads’ teaser was just enough: Anxious People is a “…poignant, charming
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.”
Backman is stellar at character development and a masterful storyteller. Who knew that an
apartment open house would be an interesting setting for a novel? Also surprising is how touching a
relationship can be between two police partners, who happen to be father and son. This book is full
of random and potentially unlikable characters. Somehow, you end up rooting for every single one of
them, which makes for such a pleasurable read.
A book that has you laughing one moment and crying the next is artful and rare. Backman does that
with this piece of fiction. He has so many poignant reflections on relationships, particularly with
parenting:
“Perhaps you, too, have children, in which case you’ll know that you’re frightened the whole
time, frightened of not knowing everything and of not having the energy to do everything and
of not coping with everything. In the end we actually get so used to the feeling of failure that
every time we don’t disappoint our children it leaves us feeling secretly shocked. It’s possible
that some children realize this. So, every so often they do tiny, tiny things at the most
peculiar times, to buoy us up a little. Just enough to stop us from drowning.”
And just as you find your Kleenex and flip the page, you suddenly laugh out loud with lines like,
“People want to be good. Deep down. Kind. The problem of course is that it isn’t always possible to
be kind to idiots, because they’re idiots.”
I could fill this review with endless witty reflections and emotional excerpts, but I will let you check
the rest out for yourself. As mentioned, I almost did not pick this up because the title sounded like a
downer. Do not let that stop you. Anxious People is a joy.
