“Anxious People” is a very disjointed novel, told in pieces, which don’t come together until Chapter 11. Not too long after Chapter 11 I gave up on reading it, and therefore I will not be writing a formal public review.

The book definitely lives up to the title. The wannabe bank robber is anxious. The hostages are anxious. The father-and-son police officers are anxious and have Issues. Everything moves at a snail’s pace among too many characters. It’s all very twee and precious. Backman’s formula works when it works, but this novel seems to draw out all of its inherent weaknesses.

Backman doesn’t know how to plot a mystery, and he can’t stop pulling on the reader’s heartstrings long enough to move the plot along. To me, it felt like, “Would you like to cry over the characters now?” “Not particularly, no.” “How about now?”

The story of Anxious People follows a would-be bank robber and the several people that are accidentally taken hostage, as well as the two police officers who are working to free the hostages. All of the characters are linked by an event that happened ten years prior, and through the course of the book, we learn how that one event altered the course of everyone's lives.

In true Backman style, this book is driven by incredible characters. Backman has a way of writing about the everyday events and emotions that people feel, and will leave you muttering to yourself, 'YES! That's so true!". This story is no different. Woven throughout is a story about love, suicide, and being a parent. It is a captivating story and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is another great book from this author. He spins creative and beautiful stories that always touch the heart..The book is part bank robbery gone wrong, hostage situation and an apartment viewing that is crashes by the bank robber. The police need to solve the crime by finding out how the robber gets away eventually. Backman is somehow able to tie all these random things together.
The book takes a variety of people and unravels all their personal baggage throughout the book . By the end of the the book the characters find out they all have dealt with a lot of similar feelings in their lives. The characters seemed like a mismatched bunch from the beginning. Backman spins humor and serious topics into the book in a way that works. He always finds a way to reveal
how the stories connect.
If you like mystery, humor, stories about goofy robbers and cops, and interesting characters then you should pick up this book. Be warned there are some serious topics that might be triggering for some people but the author finds a way to provide hope for the people dealing with those issues.

This book had SO much going on - in the very best way. I laughed, cried, and found myself thinking introspectively. It was more “action-packed” than any of Backman’s books that I’ve read previously, but had many of the same wonderful, thought-provoking qualities that I have come to know and love from him.

Fredrik Backman never disappoints and I always look forward to his books! His stories always have great depth into human nature. His understanding of human nature is amazing and there is much compassion shown in this story, which is what we are in need of at this time.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh, what a treasure Fredrik Backman is! In a novel sparkling with whimsicality and rich with wonderfully crafted characters, Backman once again delivers an irresistible and intensely human read.

This is a super fun, quirky evolution of a bank-robbery-turned-hostage-situation, and at times I laughed out loud, feeling as though I were in an episode of Three's Company.

Sometimes the dialogue crossed the line from slapstick into over-the-top, and there was a particular character arc that I felt needed a little more attention.

After I finish a book, I often find myself wondering what became of the characters; I especially appreciate how Backman left me feeling satisfied.

*My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another amazing story and rich characters from Fredrik Backman. A wonderful and quirky journey that is deep and meaningful. A must for any collection.

With a diverse cast with a spectrum from (Swedish) society, this book is true to Backman style, witty, pithy and amusingly sardonic yet sensitive and trenchant at the same time. Add love stories, familial complications and sort of a "locked door" mystery and you get a story that does not disappoint.

Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for providing this review copy.

What can I say? Fredrik Backman just knows people. This is the story of a bank robbery turned hostage drama except it’s not. This is a story of the human condition. Wonderfully written for fans of an unusual cast of characters coming together.

Meet your new favorite Backman! This book was unbelievably witty... Backman's narration was GOLDEN and his characters so broken and relatable, while also whimsical and light-hearted. I can't begin to do justice for this book! I absolutely adored it. The story of an unusual bank robbery gone awry, these strangers find themselves in a strange hostage situation. Each character is more unique than the next; extremely fallible, unreliable, and yet I loved them all. Backman did an incredible job weaving together these characters and their stories, and I just enjoyed this book so much.

Anxious People is the story of a bank robbery...and a hostage situation...and a divorce and a police officer and his dad and a suicide...caught your attention?

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors, with the articulate and insightful way he addresses the way we all feel without knowing how to articulate it ourselves. In this novel, we have multiple characters and tragedies and human experiences that all manage to interweave in a way that keeps the reader wondering how these people are connected and who they are.

This isn't a feel good novel in the same obvious way as a Man Called Ove, but it is in that the reader sees human experiences that we can all identify with and empathize with and wonder how we'd handle this. Would we be the good guy? Would we be one who cared or would we be the one to let another human suffer beside us?

My one critique is that in the interest of keeping the reader guessing about the identity of the characters, it was hard to sometimes follow the plot and which character was which. At times, I felt like the narration dragged a bit slowly, but the overall effect was still one of suspense in a pleasant way.

Overall, Anxious People is a lovely way to see different walks of life and at the same time, investigate your own role among other people who are struggling.

Similar to Backman's My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She's Sorry, Anxious People incorporates a large cast of characters who's lives intertwine and create a heartwarming tale of the power of human connections. Anxious People is the story of a bank robber, who never planned to be a bank robber, on the worst day of their life. They attempt to rob a cashless bank and on fleeing stumble into an apartment showing which creates the unlikeliest of hostage situations. Within the apartment are an older couple who have made a hobby of flipping apartments, a younger couple expecting their first child, a rich banker who is unable to let herself feel love, a real estate agent who may not be very good at her job, a rabbit, and an old lady who just wanted company for the new year.

As usual, Backman's storytelling is heartwarming and amusing with moments of tears and laughter. But what is stronger is the message that we all struggle and behind everyone's mask is a battle that we aren't aware that is being waged. It is easy to forget that each and every person has their own story when we become so consumed in our own but if we take a moment to be nice to each other there is no telling how it will change our lives. This is a powerful message and the reason that I absolutely adore this book.

Fredrik Backman writes the very best characters even if they are idiots (his words)!!! This is a story about a bank robbery without money being stolen and a hostage situation! This story is full of humor and at the same time lots of tears were shed while I read. I read this book in one day because I just couldn't put it down! If you loved A Man Called Ove, you will love Anxious People! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

I just finished this novel, and I am a puddle.

Admittedly, it took me longer than I'd have liked to engage with the narrative: at least 15%. The perspective and starting distance from the characters was tough for me, and I found it difficult to really connect with who was whom and the significance of the details.

Once the main drama ends, it's clear that this extremely broad perspective highlights the laser focused personal delving that happens by the end. This notion of generally encountering people in the world, paying them no mind, going about one's business, and then deeply connecting with others in overt, life-changing ways is the central theme of the novel. Backman's top skill here is forcing us to have the same experience, even as readers.

The resolution is lengthier than average, and it is fantastic. Though I did have that aforementioned trouble connecting in the beginning, I am already feeling like the stars on this review are going to keep creeping up and that I'll be thinking about parts of this novel for a very long time.

If, like me, you have a tough time hanging on toward the beginning, know that the pay off is worth it.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anxious People is a story about idiots, and readers will learn that everyone is, in fact, an idiot in some way, at some time. So really it's a story about ordinary people who have more in common with each other than one would think at first glance. These ordinary people all somehow get caught up in a bank robbery gone awry and find themselves all hostages in an apartment that's for sale and having an open house. The story isn't about the bank robbery or the hostage situation; it's really about all the people (idiots) and how they get to know each other, and we get to know them.

The way the story progressed was a little annoying to me - the back and forth in time and character, but I enjoyed getting to know the characters and to know the story from different angles. And by the end, if you don't see a little of yourself in all of the characters, you're not paying enough attention (either to the story or to yourself).

Nothing but praise for this gem. Such a rich story of characters told in such detail and with such care. I haven't read a book in years that as soon as I finish I want to pick it up and read it all over again. I don't want to give too much away but the way the stories connect and intertwine is so inventive and clever. Though this book deals with dark topics, it leaves you feeling less small, less alone as a person.,This book is a study in humanity, in the ups and downs in life and perseverance and hope and the importance of planting that apple tree, even if you know the world is going to end tomorrow. I feel like the title doesn't give sufficient credit to the story and might turn some readers off but that's a minor issue. This is by far one of the best books I have read so far this year.

This is a completely biased review. I would probably give Fredrik Backman's shopping list 5 stars. On the day before New Year's Eve, 7 strangers are accidentally taken hostage by a failed bank robber. . Over the course of an afternoon the strangers become friends and the police struggle with the mysterious disappearance of the bank robber. In typical Backman fashion, the individuals' stories intertwine to create a beautiful coherent whole.

Fredrik Backman does it again!!
this is a story about a bank robber but maybe, it is a story about life, the struggles we go through and how some of us suffer
in the quiet, hiding our pain. This is a story of making connections and life triggers stress and anxiety. Lovely and relatable book!!

Would absolutely read 300x againn

I don't know how Fredrik Backman manages to fill his books with so many characters who are so unique, yet relatable. In a single book, he manages to showcase the feelings and development of so many different characters, and tie them together with powerful shared moments and memories. The situation in Anxious People brings people together by exploring both their differences and their similarities, and I really liked how there were a few twists and turns in the story. I also found that the depth of the characters allowed them to be good people with a less-than-perfect side, rather than having outright good or bad characters.