I've loved all of Backman's fiction thus far and this may be his best yet. It feels like it should be read aloud. The story is moving and moves quickly. I highlighted so many rich lines that capture enduring truths about the human experience. Highly recommend.

While this is not my favorite Fredrik Backman book, I still loved his writing and the way he can make readers "feel" the story. I have read nearly all of Backman's books so I was surprised when I had trouble getting into this story. I thought at first I may just not be in the right frame of mind or that all the distractions in my life were keeping me from being absorbed into the story. I'm still not sure exactly what was going on, but the second half of the story sucked me in and I ended up really enjoying this book.

I loved this book! It is unlike other Fredrik Backman novels I have loved in the past, but his impeccable prose and spot-on characterization shines through, along with humor. irony, and laugh-out-loud moments. And it is emotional, with a diverse group of characters facing loneliness, despair, frustration, and the realization that life is hard and doesn't always turn out the way you want no matter how hard you try. How these characters develop and ultimately help each other, along with the mystery of what really happened, may start slowly but becomes a page-turner that I did not want to put down. Highly recommended.

This is not my favorite of his books, but I still enjoyed it very much. As always, the author created a group of very interesting, flawed individuals. This book threw together a variety of people, all strangers to each other. We were able to get to know them as they got to know each other. As usual, the characters ended up being different than their first impression suggested. When you get to know them and understand their behavior, they are so much more likable and interesting than originally thought to be. The plot is definitely not as straight forward as it originally appears either. There are connections made and twists turned that bring a deeper story to the forefront. This was once again a wonderful dive into the lives of ordinary people who leave a lasting impression on the soul. I can't wait to see what (or who) we'll get to meet next from Fredrik Backman!

I don’t even know where to start with this one. I adore Fredrik Backman’s writing and the way his mind works! The story starts fairly simply; then it gets, not quite confusing but definitely convoluted, as characters and relationships begin to cross-cross across the storyline. But as the reader continues to sort things out, the character development just blossoms. It’s an odd assortment of people, but everyone helps someone else. And through it all, Backman’s humor shines through, and his occasional foray into 2nd person makes the reader feel a part of it all. I laughed; I cried; I stayed up reading a lot later than I ever do. And then one of my favorite things happens - Backman doesn’t just end the story. It gradually follows different characters so that no one is left hanging, including the reader!

Thanks so very much to NetGalley for providing this ARC. The sad part is that, now when the book comes out in September, I will already have read it!

Loved this more than Ove, which I would not have guessed was possible. Clever plotting, a unique storyline and pitch perfect characters make this a must read. The deep connections and intricacies between characters are so well shown that each character is a fully drawn person. There are no bad guys, and each person is relatable.

Buying for my library and giving to everyone.

Trigger warning: this is as much about mental health and suicide as it is about a bank robbery

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC

We’re all just doing the best we can. This one took a little longer to get into and become connected with the characters than some of his others, but it finishes strong! Backman’s ability to write about human connection and emotion is unlike anyone else. He can make you laugh and cry in the same paragraph.

This was only the second Backman book I have picked up. I really struggled to get through the first part of this story. However, the second half really came together and for that it was worth sticking with this story.

A bank robber enters an apartment viewing after fleeing from a bank and holds several people hostage. Once the hostages are released, police officers Jim and Jack are tasked with collecting witness statements. They are trying to learn more about the bank robber and hear about the events that transpired inside of the apartment. Unfortunately the interviews are not providing anything helpful. It appears as if the witnesses are giving the police officers the run around and purposely avoiding helping them catch this bank robber- but why would they do that? Perhaps these witnesses understand more than any of us that we all have bad days, make mistakes and deserve a little bit of grace.

I honestly kept thinking what in the world is going on while I made my way through this story, especially reading the infuriating interviews. But I promise you if you stick with this one, the ending makes up for it. Only someone as talented as Backman could bring this beautiful story together after what felt like such a rocky start.

Thank you Atria Books for this advance reading copy.

One of my favorite books that I have read this year and maybe ever. I have loved every single Fredrik Backman book I have read, and I really enjoy his style of writing in general. Darkly humorous and often pointing out the idiosyncrasies of life and humanity.

This story was intricately woven and jumped around in time in a way that some may find repetitive, but I never tired of spending time with our quirky cast of characters. The way everything came together was marvelous and I want to reread/buy this once I can get my hands on it in paperback.

While this didn’t feel like your typical Backman, the prose was astounding as usual.

This books handles many, many subjects, and it does it well in my opinion. Every once in a while I would feel a little lost and then things would sort of come full circle.

Backman always knows how to get people to really feel things, and care and empathize with his characters and their problems.

I’d only recommend it to those who would not be triggered by a hostage situation since that is the main location for this book.

I’ve been wanting to read a Fredrik Backman book for a while now (I have pretty much all of his previous works on my TBR), but hadn’t found the time to do so until recently when I was approved for an ARC of his latest novel Anxious People (which is scheduled for publication next month). Of course, I had high expectations going into this one given the reputation of the author — well, after I finished reading, my first reaction was: Wow! Now I know why Backman is such a beloved author to so many (my second reaction was: I need to go back and read all his previous books, like asap!).

This book was so unlike anything I’ve read before. On the one hand, this was a sad story where each character had at least one (in some cases more) issue they were trying to deal with -- issues “serious” enough so as to make their lives seem utterly miserable and hopeless: be it a painful memory from their past that they were trying to suppress, worries over an uncertain future after entering a new stage in life, fear of losing loved ones due to circumstances beyond one’s control, feeling helpless in the face of life’s many injustices, etc. There were also some “heavy” topics explored in the story, such as death, suicide, divorce, betrayal, emotional and psychological distress, etc. But yet, this was not a “heavy” read at all – in fact, truth be told, this was actually one of the funniest books I’ve ever read! Yes, I know it sounds odd – after all, how can a story be so sad and heartrending one minute, to the point that I’m tearing up, yet so witty and hilarious the next minute that I found myself laughing until my insides hurt? Therein lies the brilliance in the way Backman crafted the story – the topics were heavy, yet the light-hearted tone in which this was written didn’t diminish the issues in any way...in fact, it did the opposite in that it actually made me pay more attention to the circumstances that caused the characters to be in the predicaments they ended up in.

Speaking of the characters, they were another reason why I loved this book so much. All the characters were so brilliantly written – every behavior, emotion, quirk, personality flaw, etc was so spot-on! Also, each character had distinctive personalities, yet their experiences and behaviors were so relatable and resonant on a personal level that with every single character, I actually found something in common either with myself or with someone in my life (in fact, I was nodding my head so often when I came across some familiar trait / habit / circumstance with the characters that I ended up with a neck cramp after I finished reading, lol). If I had to sum up this book, I would say that, in essence, this is an ingeniously-told, character-driven story that, at its heart, explores the trials and tribulations of what it means to be human.

Another thing I loved about this book was its cleverness in terms of structure. On the surface, it sounded like a really simple story – so simple in fact that, after the first 10 pages or so, I thought for sure the story was over, as what else was there to tell? A lot, it turned out! The “simple” story turned into multiple seemingly unrelated threads, with various tidbits of information added here and there as the story progressed that seemed to alter the narrative slightly -- just when I thought I had things figured out, well, it turns out I had nothing figured out at all! The way all the variant threads came together so perfectly and flawlessly at the end, I only have FIVE WORDS* to describe my reaction: Fredrik Backman is a genius! (*inside joke for those who read the book).

If this review sounds a bit vague, note that this was done on purpose, as nothing I say (or write) about this book will be able to do it justice. You need to experience this wonderful book for yourself – and sooner rather than later! Oh and if you’re like me, who usually only skims the Acknowledgements section after finishing the book, you may want to actually read this one, as it was as much fun as reading the book itself!

Received ARC from Atria Books via NetGalley.

This book is unique from Backman's other books as he writes this as a mystery, keeping much of the information secret until the end. At times, especially in the early chapters, the vagueness and secrecy can make the plot hard to understand/follow which was difficult to get through. Yet, as the chapters go on, the book revealed enough information that I was drawn into the book and quickly finished.

The book begins with a bank robbing gone wrong which turns into a hostage situation at a nearby apartment where a real-estate open house was occurring. The characters slowly realize that they are all idiots and grow in their capacity to empathize with others. Meanwhile, the police are interviewing the hostages, but they can't seem to understand the situation. This book was a great blend of mystery and comedy as Backman used his story-telling prowess to develop yet another group of characters that were easy to love!

This book was very different than what I was expecting, and I do not know exactly what I was expecting as this is my first Fredrik Backman, but he is a beloved author by so many so I was very excited to read it and this book was so different that it kept me hooked the whole time.
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The book looks at a group of people who are involved in a hostage/bank robbery situation. We get a glimpse into each of the people who are being held hostage, their fears and desires; but we also get to see inside the head of the person holding everyone hostage, their motivations, as well as the police officers involved in the investigation.
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The writing is absolutely beautiful and lyrical. I thought that the book did a good job of presenting humanity, how people are never actually perfect, and the complexities between people and their relationships! Overall I really enjoyed!

Amazing novel! Didn't hook me at the beginning but very soon I couldn't put it down. Humor is hard to write but Mr. Backman succeeds combining laughs with poignant moments with serious reflections. Perfect read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to read and review.

5 big lovely stars!
“This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. So it needs saying from the outset that it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you can forget how idiotically difficult being human is.”
Jack is having a really bad day. A police officer, he’s investigating a bank robbery that wasn’t a robbery, that led to a hostage situation and a missing perpetrator. The witness interviews all have a sense of “who’s on first?” to them. Well, his day might not be as bad as the bank robber’s, who might have been shot, but has gone missing and so who knows? “The bank robber undeniably had a point. Not that this is in any way defense. Bank robbers, they can have bad days at work, too. Hand on heart, which of us hasn’t wanted to pull a gun after talking to a twenty year old?”
This book is much more broadly humorous than his other works. But he still deals with all the important issues - the anxiety a parent feels worrying about a child, the anxiety one sibling has when another goes off the rails, the anxiety of being an adult, even the anxiety a stranger has for another soul in agony.
I love Backman’s way of looking at the world, his ability to express things so perfectly. “Suddenly, you find yourselves living alongside each other, not with each other.” I found myself highlighting all sorts of passages, big and small.
Backman employs an unknown narrator to talk to the reader, which works really well. The narrator actually empathizes not just with the characters, but with us, because we all share the same emotions, desires and needs. There are lots of laughs here, but also crying. Keep the hankies handy. I loved the ending and the twists that Backman used.
My thanks to netgalley and Atria for an advance copy of this book.

Oh my goodness. All the stars for this book. This is a Backman novel through and through and I was HERE FOR IT. I fell in LOVE with these characters and the slight "whodunnit" storyline mixed with love, nostalgia, and themes current in today's landscape. I will absolutely recommend this book!

Fredrik Backman works his magic again with his spot-on observations of humanity and the myriad of humerous and tragic situations we inadvertently get ourselves into because as the narrator says (and the characters admit) we're idiots!

The story of a bank-robbery gone awry and the hostage situation that ensues is well told through a third person narrator and police interview transcripts. Laugh-out-loud funny, this book also runs readers through a long and quite comprehensive list of feelings as readers learn about the characters (each so rich and deep, so complex, so wonderfully human and humanly flawed), and what led them to be in the apartment that day. Full of surprises, this is a quickly paced book you won't want to put down.

The characters, strangers at the beginning of the day, discover that they share more in common than just their hours together, and Backman shows us once again that we are far more alike and connected by our humanness than we are different due to age, gender or ideologies.

Anxious People is poignant, funny, heartwarming, heartaching book that will make you feel so good for having read it! DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK!! It will rank as one of the best books of the year. I personally think it would also make a great play!!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

I was very excited to win an advanced copy of Anxious People as part of the BLC VIP Giveaway from @BradeighGodfrey and a chance to chat about it with the group!

I've read Beartown and Us Against You, so I am familiar with Backman's writing style and know there is usually a slow start and a lot of characters. The first third of this book I was not loving it, trying to keep track of who is who and how the bridge plays into it and I honestly didn't really like any of the characters. The middle third, they started to grow on me and I loved the last third of the book!

As the author states in the beginning; And, it's a story about idiots....

The father/son police duo had me laughing, I liked the witness reports scattered in and I loved the ending. The way it all connects and how people want connections.

Push through this one and it is a wonderful, wonderful book!

Translated from the original in Swedish, this novel takes a witty look at contemporary Swedish society. On the day before New Year’s Eve, in a “not particularly large or noteworthy town,” a desperate parent attempts to rob a bank in order to provide for two young children. As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with a group of impossible people. To combat the situation, father and son police officers Jim and Jack scramble into action.

On the surface, Anxious People chronicles a crime that never took place. The book opens to a bank robbery that isn’t really a bank robbery and follows that with a hostage situation that really isn’t one. But at another level, it's as much about slowing down and capturing the smaller moments in life we never really think about, the connections we make and take for granted instead of seeing them as the blessings they are, the kindnesses and cruelties that have become the norm when really, they should stand out, for better or for worse.

I highlighted half of this book.

Favourite moments: when one character wants to take a screenshot, he uses the photocopier. Another has realised she can always be in a wonderful mood if she thinks about cheese. More people should ask if you're hungry instead of how you're feeling. Authors are like musicians who never get to the point.

"Men and women going around for months having trouble breathing and seeing doctor after doctor because they think there's something wrong with their lungs. All bcause it's so damn difficult to admit that something else is...broken. That it's an ache in our soul, invisible lead weights in our blood, an indescribable pressure in our chest."

When I finished I thought that this wasn't particularly Backman-esque. But the more I think about the prose and the sheer affinity I have for each character, the more I think I was wrong. This is at heart a mystery instead of character driven, but it still advances through the characters and through revealing to us more about their lives. It's funnier than normal though.

Backman just has a way with prose that makes me exhale with relief that someone else feels that way. He captures the essence of a feeling in a sentence that somehow manages to catch every single nuance. (Also, Neil Smith is a god amongst translators.)

This deals with suicide, mental illness, and the condition of loneliness very beautifully. I read through in just over a day, so I think I'm back on track with him after not finishing US AGAINST YOU which I just couldn't get into. Might bump this to a five as it keeps growing in my memory.