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A review by lillimoore
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
4.0
I wasn't sure what to expect when a coworker recommended Anxious People to me, heralding it as the best book he might have ever read. That's a big label for any title and a lot of pressure for someone like me, who has been becoming choosier and choosier in regards to my reading tastes recently and more easily dissatisfied with what I'm reading than I ever have been before. Several times throughout, I wasn't sure if I DID like the book much, though I recognized the talent Fredrik Backman possesses. It's evident on each page and in each relationship just how thoughtful he is about his writing. (Don't worry guys, by the end, I more than liked the book. I really loved it.)
This is the story of a bank robbery turned into a hostage drama, but it's really not about that at all. This story is about the driving forces behind each good and bad decision we make in our lives, particularly in regards to parenting, how we treat others, how we understand others, and how we forgive. It's about the intricate web of connections we have with other human beings and that they might have with one another, creating tethers unbeknownst to us. The plot of the story is interesting and pretty hilarious, but the plot isn't really the point of this story at all. It's definitely a story of relationships. It's about the relationship one has with themself, their partner, their children, their jobs, and the world around them. Each character is intricately carved by Backman to have real driving forces behind their actions and real consequences determined by the outcome.
The pacing of this story never felt exactly quite right and I did have a harder time getting into it or getting excited to pick it back up when I would hit a lull. The second half of the book really picks up and redeems this fault of the first half of the book, and I always appreciate the device of an unreliable character. I wouldn't say the narrator was unreliable since it is being narrated objectively, but the bank robber most certainly wasn't who I thought they were. That part of the story made it infinitely more fun for me personally. The last 10% of the book or so had me very emotional. I was choked up through to the end.
Where this story shines is in its empathy. Some characters are empathetic by nature and others are driven to empathy almost as if it is contagious from the others around them. I enjoyed what it had to say about individuals and their motivations in their separate lives, and how those motivations overlap and show how similar humans really are to one another. This book reminded me of the way group therapy feels. I always said in group that you learn so much about yourself from other people learning about themselves and that often you learn more from other people in a similarly distressing situation to your own than you do from the professional leading the group. It was heartwarming, endearing, silly, and lovely.
Surprisingly, this was my first Backman, but I can't wait to listen to more of his audiobooks. This one was narrated by Marin Ireland and holy cow that woman can NARRATE an audiobook. Her narration was absolutely top-notch. She also narrates Beartown and the affable J.K. Simmons, one of my top 5 favorite actors, narrates A Man Called Ove, so I'll be adding those to my list pronto!
This is the story of a bank robbery turned into a hostage drama, but it's really not about that at all. This story is about the driving forces behind each good and bad decision we make in our lives, particularly in regards to parenting, how we treat others, how we understand others, and how we forgive. It's about the intricate web of connections we have with other human beings and that they might have with one another, creating tethers unbeknownst to us. The plot of the story is interesting and pretty hilarious, but the plot isn't really the point of this story at all. It's definitely a story of relationships. It's about the relationship one has with themself, their partner, their children, their jobs, and the world around them. Each character is intricately carved by Backman to have real driving forces behind their actions and real consequences determined by the outcome.
The pacing of this story never felt exactly quite right and I did have a harder time getting into it or getting excited to pick it back up when I would hit a lull. The second half of the book really picks up and redeems this fault of the first half of the book, and I always appreciate the device of an unreliable character. I wouldn't say the narrator was unreliable since it is being narrated objectively, but the bank robber most certainly wasn't who I thought they were. That part of the story made it infinitely more fun for me personally. The last 10% of the book or so had me very emotional. I was choked up through to the end.
Where this story shines is in its empathy. Some characters are empathetic by nature and others are driven to empathy almost as if it is contagious from the others around them. I enjoyed what it had to say about individuals and their motivations in their separate lives, and how those motivations overlap and show how similar humans really are to one another. This book reminded me of the way group therapy feels. I always said in group that you learn so much about yourself from other people learning about themselves and that often you learn more from other people in a similarly distressing situation to your own than you do from the professional leading the group. It was heartwarming, endearing, silly, and lovely.
Surprisingly, this was my first Backman, but I can't wait to listen to more of his audiobooks. This one was narrated by Marin Ireland and holy cow that woman can NARRATE an audiobook. Her narration was absolutely top-notch. She also narrates Beartown and the affable J.K. Simmons, one of my top 5 favorite actors, narrates A Man Called Ove, so I'll be adding those to my list pronto!