I just completed a the netgalley version of Fredrik Backman's upcoming book "Anxious People". Wow. Just another amazing offering from an author who makes me laugh and cry simultaneously. His stories always ring true and yet take me to a world of fairy tales. While I got it as an ebook, I will be buying the print version to add to my collection alongside All of his previous books. 2 thumbs up! 11 stars out of 10. Kudos!

4.5*
Fredrik Backman got me right in the feels. This book is thought provoking, comical, and heart wrenching. This book had me wanting to rip out the pages and show them to people. Backman is so insightful, this release could not come at a more opportune time. I feel this book will be a balm for the soul during this pandemic.

This book is different from Backman's previous work. Anxious People gives us new characterizations to love. This book features a would-be bank robber, a hostage situation and a cast of very complex characters. Nothing is exactly what it seems. We get a front seat to the trials and tribulations of each individual whose lives are affected by the hostage situation - from the hostages, to the police, to the robber. These are good people, questionable people, quirky people; we learn about their lives and the motives that encourage their decisions. These people were frustrating as hell in the beginning, but by the end of the book I felt a genuine fondness for them all.

The beginning of this book is a bit hard to follow. Push through! Backman is being intentionally confusing (in my opinion) and the payoff is worth it. This book lost half a star for me because there is a certain... vague-ness that I didn't love. Some reading between the lines is required, and as a reader, I prefer to be told the story in no uncertain terms. I already miss the characters and this story. I want an epilogue, if not a sequel!

Simply put, this book is about being human and the connections we create. It's a love story but not only in the way you'd think. Compassion, empathy and friendship are displayed so perfectly, I could cry just thinking about it. The Author's Thanks had me crying all over again.

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this Backman book. True to his style he had me captivated from beginning to end. I laughed, felt sad, felt empathy, saw courage and transformation in the characters which were so well developed as the story progressed. Simple plot really, but the story flowed as we got to know and understand the people, all so diverse, and saw how they let us into the deepest parts of their lives. Would be a terrific selection for my book club!

I truly loved Backman’s style of writing and depiction of human characteristics. Not sure I was hooked from the very beginning with so many turns and twists in the storyline. But, patience and perseverance was worth the time spent reading as characters were brought to life.

It begins with a debunked bank robbery, never bite more than you can chew I’d say to the bank robber. Who after his/her fail entry must find a place to hide and instead steps into an apartment viewing with 7 very high strung people in attendance. This then turns into a hostage situation, because what else would a masked gun holding running from the law person be doing in New York on New Year’s Eve!

I felt sorry for the bank robber./hostage taker as she has to endure the anal retentive stories from all these 7 others. The anxious people bring to light some of the most funny and realistic stories of themselves ranging from past trauma experiences to suicidal ideation to just plain fear or raising a family in these times and it didn’t even include the phenomenal COVID pandemic (my suggestion to Fredrik is to add this post script)

Overall, I give it a 4 star. Thank you Netgalley for allowing my personal humble opinion.

Wonderful! Admittedly not the easiest of reads, it is so much to share to get to something so worth the effort. We all need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more then the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all our next choices, too, all our tomorrows. The best Backman yet!

I just finished Anxious People and it gets four stars from me! I’ll admit it was a rocky start — I was extremely annoyed/frustrated with ALL of the characters and I was trying to figure out what type of satire madness this book was supposed to be. But in typical Backman fashion, he was busy behind the scenes weaving a complex and beautiful tale about humans. Good humans, questionable humans, wacky humans — their lives and the various motives that encourage their decisions. By the end of the book I felt a genuine fondness for all of the characters, particularly Estelle. I just love stories where everyone’s background somehow intertwines and this book didn’t let me down. Contemporary isn’t usually my favourite genre (which, I suppose, I don’t know if that’s what this is technically categorized as), but this one was so fun. It was quirky with a bit of mystery and I had a great time reading it. Fredrik Backman is 100% an auto-buy author for me now.

Loved this book....it is simply a brilliant read! Switching between past and present, and different sets of characters, the author eventually ties this rather unlikely story all together with humor and his very unique writing style.

Jim and Jack are father and son who work together on the police force. One day they are called to attend a hostage situation to try and resolve it. By virtue of it being New Years Eve most of the force is off so it falls on them by default.
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The hostage situation began in a unique way when a burglar tried to rob a bank unsuccessfully and during his attempted escape he ended up at an apartment viewing by mistake. The rest of the story outlines the story of Jack and the rest of the hostages. It details both their personal lives as well as their experience during the hostage situation.
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So listen I am sure that was a horrible synopsis but I am telling you this might be my new favourite book. I had never read a Frederick Backman book before and had been wanting to for so long. I’ve actually already picked up three of his other books from the library and can’t wait to read them.
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This one had me seriously hooked from word one and I could barely put it down. The writing style is so unique and interesting and it had me laughing out loud. I can’t say one bad thing about this one and highly recommend you check it out when it comes out on September 8, 2020.

Fredrik Backman is a master of putting characters together and creating a funny and emotional human drama. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his Beartown series wondering how the best hockey novel comes from Sweden, not from Canada, and admiring the skill of weaving a tapestry of so many characters.

"Anxious People" is not a disappointment. It is more controlled in terms of the number of characters and a more focused situation, which is a hostage case. From the first page, the omniscient narrator tells the reader that this book is about a bank robbery, a hostage drama and a story about idiots. And it really is and then it is not.

On a day before New Year's Eve, an odd time for an open house, a bank robber walks into the apartment where two couples (one is a IKEA-obsessed house flipping couple and the other a lesbian couple expecting a baby), a female bank manager with social and mental issues and an eighty years old woman are looking at the apartment with a view. As the bank robber has a gun, the whole situation is a hostage case and a father and son police duo is dealing with the situation and later trying to solve the puzzle on where the bank robber/ hostage taker is.

Every character is pictured in detail and with care. Every idiot's life story is an easy one that readers can relate themselves to. In the end, the story is about human relationships, empowered women and mental health. Because it is a comedy, everything is neatly folded and after some tears, a warm smile will remain.

The book is quire readable literarily. If this is a movie or TV show, we will lose a lot of fun that only a readable book can provide. Without any spoilers, I would only say that as it involves a crime, the novel "reads" like a detective story in many ways.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me a chance to read this book.

For the first half of this novel, I thought a better title would have been "Insufferable Assholes" because all of the characters were incredibly disrespectful. As the plot is revealed and motivations are uncovered, I conceded that these people still weren't perfect, but so few of us are. This story is about love, lose, connection, depression, and trying to do your best even when you repeatedly come up short.

CW: suicidal thoughts/mention of suicide, continual use of an ableist slur.

Backman has crafted a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking whodunit with his new novel, releasing in English this September. The premise sounds like fun and while that is true, Backman has once again told a story that is a reflection of humanity and delves deep into topics like parenthood. He hits you with twists you don't expect, and the stories of each character tie together nicely, and provide great background on their motivations. Even the "unlikable" characters were lovely to read about, and I thoroughly enjoy Anxious People. Fredrik Backman remains my favourite auto-buy author and I will definitely be encouraging customers to buy this one!

The writing style took a bit of getting used to - the first 20% of the book just felt like rambling to me. But then the first twist came about around 60% and a lot of things previously mentioned no longer made sense. I felt outright deceived by the author. However, overall I enjoyed the book. The characters and "narration" if you can call it that we're brilliant! I hope a follow-up is written only about Zara's character!

Backman has done it again! His latest novel, Anxious People, due out (in English translation) in September, is a comedic, yet deep and moving commentary on life.
I am such a fan of Fredrik Backman’s work, so jumped around the chance to read this eARC. Anxious People reads like a zany skit, but the layers of social commentary Backman is known for shine through and I was in tears by the end, as per usual. (Need to read the acknowledgments too, to carry on the tears.)
Anxious People highlights the impact we have on those we love, but also those brief, casual encounters.

I love books by Fredrik Backman because they remind me that a person can never know everything about another person and I am reminded to be more patient. Everyone has their own story, shaped by their own experiences, and we spend a lot of time sharing these stories. As Backman writes in chapter 58, “That’s the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people’s.”
This is a book about idiots, love, suicide, growing apart and a hostage taking, of sorts. The characters are complicated enough to be real people, stumbling through life one day at a time, trying their best but still making mistakes. It's also about how, if someone takes the step of listening and reaching out, they can surprise themselves and be better people than they thought they were.
If you've read any of Backman's previous work, you'll recognize his style of spiraling down into a story, putting in together in swirly bits and pieces until he reveals the big picture at the end. Some readers will find this frustrating, but if you trust him to take you there, you may find that you see yourself a little more clearly, too.

I've never had the pleasure of reading a feel-good who-dunnit before and WOW.
Backman kept me so engaged in Anxious People that I read the book in a single sitting.
To be honest, I've already read it a second time I loved it so much.
I love how we are taken on a journey and while it seems like the premise of the book keeps changing - is it about a bank robber? a policeman? a bridge? a rabbit? it all flows so beautifully.

Everytime I thought I knew what to expect, what a character would say my predictions were completely wrong and it changed how I viewed the characters and the entire story. When Backman takes us through the witness interviews - I almost cried I was laughing so hard. Those were the most frustrating conversations imaginable, and Jack/Jim's frustration is palpable as they try to weed through the crazy.
I loved the pacing, the interspersing of the interviews with the main event, or character back story.

The payoff.... it's delightful.

I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.

I'm trying to find the words to sum up a book that started so oddly. At its heart this book is about human beings and the emotions we hold deep inside of us, but on the surface its about a bank robbery gone wrong/turned hostage situation. Seemingly random people are brought together in this tale, but as the story progresses, the curtain is drawn back on all of their situations and lives and little hurts and things that make them so glaringly human.

Everyone and everything is deliberate and connected. There isn't a wasted character (well, maybe the hostage negotiator from Stockholm, but I mean, he never even makes it into the story, so does that even count?) I spent the first 1/3 of this book wondering just where it was going, only to be pleasantly surprised as things began to click so seamlessly into place.

If you loved Backman's "A Man Called Ove" then you'll enjoy this as well. It carries with it the whimsy of his storytelling, along with his signature style of giving you time to absorb and process what he's saying. He gently takes you by the hand and leads you through a storm of emotions.

I want to also draw attention to whoever his English translator is, because they just get it. There was one thing that didn't quite translate well for me, the "TRICKS REAL ESTATE AGENCY" (or whatever it was) but I imagine it was much funnier in its original language and they were struggling to find a suitable counterpart. Regardless, it doesn't detract from the story, more just makes you think "huh, this is a particularly groan-inducing dad joke!"

Four solid stars. I really enjoyed it, and I think most Backman fans and newbies alike will enjoy it too. He manages to deal with some heavy stuff, but still make it light and funny. Definitely give this one a chance.

A bank robber, hostages, pizza, fireworks, and a rabbit! And that only touches the surface of this delightful novel. Both serious and humorous in content, Backman has done it again. Each of his novels is as enjoyable as the previous. This is one author that does not disappoint. Loved it!

This book is a compelling story that has many stories within. It shows the good and not so good in people and how they cope with what life dishes out. The author does a wonderful job at drawing the reader in, even though the story is quite complex. The two main characters are policemen who are father and son as they deal with a bank robbery and hostage situation. However, you learn about all the hostages lives and what has brought the story to this point from all their perspectives. I highly recommend this book!

5 definite stars!!

Another special book from Fredrik Backman deserving all the stars!

There are so many reasons why I loved this book and the complex, entertaining and quirky characters is the main one. Anxious People is a character driven novel and every single person contributes to the overall awesomeness of the book.

The storyline was also very clever - at first it kind of seems like there is so much going on in the book and there are so many scattered characters and events but as our characters develop one by one, so does the story. Everything falls into place smoothly and once you get to the end of the book, you realize how beautifully the story has progressed to get to the end. It was superb!!

There were moments in the book that I was laughing out loud and at times I was crying hard and that is a firm testimony of how clever and strong the author is with his words.

Grab a copy and enjoy!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing this arc.

Such an amazing tale! Both heartwarming and heart wrenching at reminding you that you may have more in common with the stranger next to you than you may imagine, and how close friendships can form in the strangest of circumstances. Mr Backman has such a beautiful way of writing, I’m not sure I’ll ever not love his books.