Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.
Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers slowly begin opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.
As police surroundthe 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 this group of impossible people
Before I start talking about Anxious People, I must confess that I had not read anything by the author and now I know I should have and I regret not doing so sooner.
Anxious People seemed like a peculiar read. I mean is not common to find books about bank robberies gone wrong or at least to in this genre – or that I know of- and from the moment I started reading, I knew that not only the topic was unique but also the way is written.
The style is light, fresh, and humorous and that helps to make the story fast-paced. The other part that makes this story compelling is the plot and characters. We have plenty of characters but each of them has a part in the story and each of them has its own personality. I cannot say I liked them all, sometimes they were exasperating and acted like, well…idiots (although, that is kind of the point). However, it is hard not to feel related to them, in some way and as you continue reading, you can start to understand them.
I liked the plot twist and I enjoyed the ending. I do not know exactly what I was expecting from the book; I read a big amount of praise for the author, thus I did have some expectations, but the story surprised me. I laughed, I cried, it was thought-provoking and riveting and I ended up liking it much more than I thought. I finished the book at 1:00 am and just stared at the horizon, thinking: wow!. Yes, it was that good. And yes, I do recommend it.
Digital ARC provided by Netgalley.
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