I have really enjoyed everything I’ve read by Fredrik Backman, but I believe this is my favorite so far. “Anxious People” tracks a bumbling Swedish bank robber who never really planned or wanted to be a bank robber and the seven people accidentally taken hostage in an apartment open house across the street from the bank. Then add in the father and son police team that is trying to figure out where the bank robber disappeared to. The story is told in such masterful layers, giving the reader little bits of information about each character and how they unknowingly interconnect and relate to each other. Backman shows us the characters’ anxieties and hang-ups subtly and affectionately. There are laugh-out-loud moments all through the book, but then the next line is so poignant that I want to purchase a copy of the book so that I can reread it and highlight certain phrases. You really need to check out “Anxious People” (or anything, almost, by Backman)!
By the way, the audiobook is really a joy.
- Staff Picks – see what our library staff is reading!
- Northeast Indiana Digital Library – also available via the Libby or OverDrive apps.
- NoveList – a reader’s advisory service covering all types of fiction and non-fiction.