Fredrik Backman writes such good characters
I love his insight into people and how he portrays them
How he brings a story of a bank robbery that goes wrong - then a sort of hostage situation
and makes it into a captivating, emotional and compassionate read
Intertwining the characters together and bringing them into your life
showing the best and worst of people is breathtaking
but with Fredrik Backmans fabulous way of writing - are the characters all what they seem

Loved it

Thank you netgalley, Fredrik Backman and Penguin (Michael Joseph) for allowing me to read and review this book.

Frederik Backmann has such a whimsical, layered, rich way of writing that sometimes I miss a few of the diamonds which are glistening in each paragraph. That’s okay though, ‘cause it gives me a valid excuse to go back to the start & become immersed in the dark, heartwarming humour of Anxious People all over again.

I have read most of Backman's books and I always love them. This one is great because it tackles really, really difficult subjects (including suicide, divorce, mental health issues) but in a (somehow) light-heartened way. The chapters are short and the story jumps around between different points in the story and different characters. You can't even be sure sometimes if what you're reading is what actually happened, or if it's just what the character wants you to think what happened!

Note that the characters are really, really annoying. It's so frustrating but hold on in there and the story comes togethers. And it's lovely.

Fredrik Backman never fails to deliver stories full of humour and food for thought. This multilayered and highly enjoyable story is no exception.
It talks about life, us and life. It can be humorous or meditative but it's always an excellent story.
I think he's a master storyteller that develops great characters and gripping story.
It's an excellent story that I loved, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Fredrik Backman is a genius! What a brilliant book!! Just when you think you know what is going on, you find you really didn’t at all. Firstly, don’t make any assumptions - you will be wrong! All those things you thought were nothing to do with the story - they were. So clever is Mr Backman, that you don’t see what is going on until it hits you. Genius!!

This is the story of a failed bank robber who tried to rob a cashless bank for the price of a month’s rent. Who is so unlucky that when the robber runs away they find themselves in a flat viewing with a bunch of people who can only be described as “the worst hostages in the world “.

Or it’s the story of a bridge and who does or doesn’t jump and how it affects everyone’s lives.

You decide...........

READ THIS BOOK!!!

THIS BOOK DESERVES ALL THE STARS IN THE WORLD!

"Sometimes it hurts, it really hurts, for no other reason than the fact that our skin doesn't feel like it's ours."

I'm sure this has become one of my favourite books of all time, it's just too good, too wonderful, too emotional, too real, too EVERYTHING.

Fredrik Backman holds up a mirror to society showing us our deepest fears and insecurities all the while ensuring us that it will all be okay, if you only take one step at a time. This is an incredibly powerful reflection about the world we live in today, about what people go through every day of their lives and how a small almost unnoticeable incident can lead to catastrophic ends due to fear and panic.

This is a story about a bank robbery, a hostage drama, an apartment viewing and every single person involved in it. I recommend going into it without reading much about it because I promise it will blow your mind.

This was funny and sad and emotional and sarcastic and just so SO real. I don't have enough words to describe how this made me feel but I was a sobbing mess by the time I finished reading it.

Anxious People is a book everyone should read in their lifetime, because it is simply perfect.

Set in a small town in Sweden, on the day before New Year’s Eve, Anxious People tells the story of a 39-year-old pistol-wielding bank robber, who didn’t mean to be a bank robber, and the people who ended up being held hostage in a nearby apartment. They included seven prospective buyers and a real estate agent.

After the hostage situation ends, the two local policemen (father and son, Jim and Jack) interview the witnesses, starting with 20-year-old bank clerk, London. Next to be interrogated is 50-something Zara, who is wealthy and runs a bank, followed by all the other hostages from the apartment.

We slowly learn more about all the characters and their pasts and how they’re involved in the whole scenario. We follow things from various viewpoints so we build up the full picture of what’s been happening and which led us to this point in time. It’s all a lot more complex than it first appears!

The book is written in a social commentary style and includes discussions of rather dark themes, including suicide, mental health, poverty, relationship breakdowns, isolation, but these are interspersed with some comical moments from the eccentric potential apartment buyers and the incompetent bank robber/hostage taker!

This is an intriguing and quirky tale, written in an unusual style, and I wasn’t really sure where it was going at first. I soon got into the rhythm and enjoyed trying to piece all the clues together in this entertaining and unpredictable locked-room mystery.

Overall, this is a fascinating insight into human behaviour and amusingly written, with some witty observations. The character-driven storyline is well plotted and cleverly woven. Just when I thought I understood what was going on, there’d be another curveball or revelation! It’s a touching and emotional read and also rather thought provoking. The diverse cast of characters were realistically drawn and the various connections made between them were heart warming and poignant.

I love Fredrik Backman's books, they are so different, clever and quirky. This book is hard to review without giving away too many spoilers.
It starts with a bank robbery and an accidental hostage taking. There are some difficult subjects like suicide, but this book still manages to be witty and uplifting and very emotional.
There are a whole range of characters in this book, who I initially struggled with, remembering who was who. I soon manage to get into it and enjoy it.
In my opinion this book is not as good as A Man called Ove, which is fantastic. This book is good and entertaining enjoyable though.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I hate having to write this but I really didn’t enjoy this book at all. I requested it as soon as it came on Netgalley because Beartown and Us against you were quite simply outstanding. I was so excited to read Anxious people but honestly after 30% I actually checked I had the right author in my mind. Yes the characters lead the story in the same way as in the two other books but that is where the similarities end. The dialogue seemed silly and over the top and I couldn’t wait for the whole story to be over. There was no drama or suspense and no believable purpose in the plot.
I won’t give up on this author because you don’t go from genius to rubbish overnight but I will do more research before requesting one of his titles next time.

This was my first Backman book and it didn't disappoint!

Without giving too much away..
This is the story of a bank robbery gone wrong but it's also more than that, it's also the stories of several very different individuals who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You see, this bank robber didn't want to rob a bank, but they were desperate and they definitely didn't intend to hold anyone hostage. This bank robber may be having a bad day but luckily for them, they got the worst (best) hostages ever.

This book was comical, witty and nothing like I expected it to be. But it was great! Backman's style of writing reads just as if he were telling you the story himself and along with the short snappy chapters, made for an easy read. I loved the bizarreness of the plot, but also how cleverly it unfolded. The characters were an odd bunch and you'd be forgiven for thinking they were a group of idiots but they really were very entertaining and I enjoyed learning more about each one. Estelle was definitely a firm favourite. I think this is the first book, were I've been left rooting for the "bad" guy and after finishing thought to myself what the heck have I just read? But in the best possible way. Just brilliant!

I'd like to mention that although overall this book was a lot of fun, it does deal with some more serious issues such as suicide, depression and loneliness, which are intertwined within the chaotic plot but which are written about in a compassionate and thought provoking way.

I had heard a lot of good things about this book and about Fredrik Backman’s books and this story did not disappoint.

Whilst this book covers a lot of dark topics such as suicide and poverty, Anxious People is a story about forgiveness, love and new beginnings. Told in a mixture of story and interviews you learn so much about the characters who are being help hostage, including what lead them all to that apartment in the first place. You also get to learn more about the father and son cop duo who are running the investigation. The development of these characters throughout the book was perfect and I honestly came away loving them all and their individual stories.

All the characters face hardships that a lot of us can relate to and I think that’s what makes me love this book so much. You find yourself able to connect to these characters and sympathise with what is going on in their lives.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book, from the failed bank robbery to this group of strangers in an apartment but I want you to experience it for yourself. This book was such a rollercoaster of emotions for me and Backman’s way of writing brings tears to your eyes but also makes you laugh out loud.

I 100% recommend picking up this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin – Michael Joseph for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favourite authors, so understanding of the human condition, he weaves the most amazing narrative of slow reveals and character development. We meet a group of people brought together by a hostage situation. We learn what makes them tick, what they love and how they will each deal with adversity.

This is my second read by the one and only Fredrik Backman and I can officially say I adore his writing. A Man Called Ove had me laughing out loud and close to tears and the same can definitely be said of Anxious People. The book starts out with a bungled attempted robbery that morphs into a hostage situation. I couldn't have predicted from that starting point where it would end up and don't want to spoil anything but suffice to say there is a wonderful cast of characters, some of whom are utterly lovable.

For those of you who have read Backman's other works, I really don't think you will be disappointed. For anyone who hasn't I think the closest comparison would be to describe him as a quirky Swedish version of Matt Haig, whose writing is poignant, impeccably observed and endlessly heartwarming. But also intelligent and funny. What more could you want?

After reading Anxious People, I have big plans to work through the rest of Backman's back catalogye over the next few months, having truly fallen in love with the way his books make me feel.

Well this book is difficult to explain and also hard to review too!
On the surface this book is about a group of people that are held hostage by a bank robber, but as with all of the authors books, there are many layers so the story is repeated with bits added or changed the way different people would give witness statements.
Its about mental health and a lot of the secondary story line covers suicide, so if this is a topic you struggle with, then just know that I thought it was done sensitively, but still might cause problems for those more sensitive to this subject.
I loved how the various characters all got time in the limelight, from the loveable Estelle to the prickly Zena, we hear about their lives and how they came to be in the apartment and we also hear from the police officers investigating too.
The author has such a quirky writing style which just warms my heart. I think it is Uplit at its finest.
My thanks to the publisher for the gift copy although I do also have it on preorder for my collection.

I’m sorry, I loved A Man Called Ove, which is why I requested this. However, this just rambles on and on and is annoying me more and more; I don’t think you would want me to say that so I shan’t review it.

This has all the hallmarks of Fredrik Backman's novels; a fair amount of social commentary, lots of feelings/experiences to relate to, and of course his remarkable skill of capturing people. This is higher on the comic style of writing than his previous offerings, and reminded me of Jonas Jonasson's books. In fact, it was so amped up that for quite a while the characters came across more like caricatures rather than 'normal' people. This did mellow out towards the end as you found out more about their backstory, but it made reading the first 25-50% a bit tiresome with their behaviour. Make it through that though and you're eventually rewarded with some lovely moments (the chapter with Estelle, Julia and Anna-Lena was particularly great).

Personally I didn't enjoy this as much as his other books, but there's still plenty of good things about it to recommend.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. This is trademark Backman with a twist. A bungled bank robbery and a hostage situation with the worst hostages ever tumbles through scene after scene of a typically British Farce - although it is set in Sweden. The characterisation is excellent a whole host of flawed people. The narrative seems to be one thing and then becomes another before jumping back again. It took me a little while to get into the narrative style which is breakneck - almost stream of consciousness but merges all the events brilliantly.

What I really liked about this book is it is full of "adages" on life, love and mortality, I almost wish i had highlighted them all to share with you but then you wouldn't have the fun of finding them yourselves.

Its perhaps a 4.5 stars just not quite the 5

This is simply wonderful.

It's about a bank robbery that isn't a bank robbery, an accidental hostage situation/apartment viewing, bridges, idiots and the links between us.

Prepare to be a little confused at the beginning. The opening chapters don't tend to use names, so you read about 'the policeman', 'the estate agent' and so on. But it's all for a purpose - so stick with it! Plus, it's very funny ('Hand on heart, which of us hasn't wanted to pull a gun after talking to a twenty-year-old?').

Over time, the witty writing turns into something much deeper, really digging into each character, how they come to be who they are, and what connects them to the people they love (and the people they don't know yet).

It's character-driven, hopeful, surprising. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it did something to satisfy my expectations but then something different as well.

By the end I was crying, not with sadness exactly, but with love for the characters, with happy thoughts for them, as well as covering some touching or sad moments.

I'm going on a mission to get other people to read this now!

Being an adult is hard work when you stop to think about all the things we have to deal with just to keep the family ticking over. It only takes one bad decision to turn it around.

Anxious people is about that one bad decision; A bank robbery gone wrong, a hostage situation, a leap from a bridge. It’s also about the small decisions that mean the world to other people; a bunch of tulips, a book, some fireworks, a letter.

Fredrick Backman’s writing style makes you crave more, and speed up to devour the book and find out where he plan to take you. A lighthearted and humorous book turns into a touching story of how we are all connected and can turn other people’s lives around with a simple gesture.

I won’t write much about the plot, because that is never important in a Fredrik Backman book. What is important is the small jokes, the touching moments between characters, and the four words that make you cry.

Robbing a bank isn't as easy as the robber thinks!

Despite the suggestion in the title, Anxious People is utterly glorious, uplifting and such a touching read. I laughed aloud on far too many occasions to count and I cried too so that Fredrick Backman has created the perfect blend of compassion and humour for me.

In a sense, Fredrik Backman exploits the classical three unities of time - a few hours, place  - an apartment, and action - a hostage situation, and he does so with such clever and witty writing. That said, the backstories of each of the characters and the peripheral places of the psychologist's office and the police station all blend into sheer perfection so that I finished reading Anxious People feeling that I had been given a glimpse into the very souls and innermost thoughts of every single person in the story.

It's so hard to say too much about the plot of Anxious People because it would spoil the discoveries for the reader, but I can say it's about a bridge, a bank robbery, a hostage situation and some police interviews! It can be read for sheer entertainment alone. It is cleverly structured so that several seemingly disparate elements are actually totally fundamental to the story. The direct appeal to the reader draws them in until they are as much part of the story as the robber, the hostages and the police. More than that, however, Anxious People is predicated on Fredrik Backman's total understanding of human nature and complete compassion for even the least likeable people because he understands why we are as we are. Indeed, it is those who appear to deserve our sympathy least who earn it more through the skilled writing so that the experience of reading this narrative leaves the reader changed for the better too. The robber is such a brilliant character. Misguided, hopeless as a hostage taker and totally believable. I was as duped by the robber as are the police.

Speaking of the police, Jim and Jack are simply fabulous. Their relationship, and the presence of their lost loved ones, serve to show the reader how we all have our frailties, our dreams and our loyalties. Fredrik Backman somehow seems to know innately and be able to convey so effortlessly just what humanity is at its most fundamental level. I found reading Anxious People renewed my faith in my fellow man - or woman. 

I'm aware how little I've actually said about Anxious People in this review. It's impossible to define Fredrik Backman's magical ability to make his readers know and understand not just the Julias et al in the story, but to come to know themselves better too. I adored Anxious People. It left me feeling I belong in the world at a time when I've been feeling detached from it. What could be better than that?

About Fredrik Backman