What a lovely and unexpected delight!

Frederick Backman’s Anxious People is part caper, part character study, part absurdist comedy, and it successfully blends all three into a single story that is at once absolutely hilarious and disarmingly sweet.

Backman’s nutty cast of characters are a treasure. From the “bank robber” who accidentally takes the attendees of an apartment viewing hostage after a botched attempt to rob a bank to the exasperated pair of police officers attempting to deal with the hostage situation as well as their own personal relationship to the lovably obnoxious assortment of hostages, everyone in the story is flawed, everyone in the story is hilarious, and everyone in the story is someone you want to root for.

The book leans heavy on humor in the early going and heavy on sweetness toward the end. I wish the narrative hadn’t gotten *quite* so earnest toward the end (which resulted in a sharp decline in humor, but this is a small complaint about a wonderful, wonderful book.

For audiobook readers: The narrator for this was outstanding, seamlessly shifting between characters and never resorting to the cringeworthy and dreaded “doing voices.”

Things You Should Know About Me:
1. I have never read or listened to a Backman book before Anxious People.
2. I define my existence with long-running comedic bits.
3. I finished this book 7 days ago, and in that time have reached out to 43 friends and family members to tell them they must read this book.

Anxious People is about the most ridiculous attempted bank robbery turned hostage situation turned pizza party. It includes a full cast of characters whose lives all co-exist in this comedic world in which Stockholmers are SUCH Stockholmers and rabbits ruin real estate events. While listening to it, it reminded me of Love, Actually (if it were a hostage situation and not a Hugh Grant dance party), and it had so many iconic comedy moments a la Abbott & Costello's 'Who's On First?' Also, I want to give a huge recommendation to listen to the audiobook on this one - it is the BEST audiobook I have listened to in the last few years as the narrator, or rather - voice actor, lends her talents to a cast of lovable characters.

There's such a large cast to choose from, but honestly I loved Zara the most. My favorite moment from her was a therapy consultation in which the therapist asks her what keeps her up a night and scares her. Zara replies "poor people." The therapist corrects her and asks, "You mean poverty?" Zara deadpans "if that makes you feel better." This catchphrase presents itself at the most comedically opportune moments throughout the story, and this reader was certainly appreciative of it!

I'll conclude this review by saying the most mind-blowing moment of this book reminded me of a riddle I used to ask my campers during my summers in college: A father and son are in a horrible car crash that kills the dad. The son is rushed to the hospital; just as he’s about to go under the knife, the surgeon says, “I can’t operate—that boy is my son!"