ANXIOUS PEOPLE

Anxious People is out not a moment too soon for fans of Fredrik Backman’s signature prose that makes you feel all the things. Full of heart and hope, this book centers on a hapless bank robber (whose identity is not revealed until late in the story), eight anxious hostages (who, to be fair, were anxious before they were hostages) and two big-hearted policemen. This bank-robbery-that-wasn’t becomes a vehicle for bringing all of these individuals together to get past their inner pain and find their potential for happiness. It’s a bit like a big, warm group therapy session that leaves you feeling like you want to hug these characters, and yourself, and maybe even some strangers too.

If this synopsis sounds cryptic, that’s because this book is almost impossible to summarize without spoilers! Instead, I’ll say it’s meticulously crafted with layers of humanity and connection, humor and heartbreak. It took me a few chapters to get used to non-linear narrative format, but I ultimately found it a very rewarding and heartwarming read with an absolutely perfect and satisfying ending. Fredrik Backman reminds us that adulting can be hard, but our infallibility can bring us together.

If you aren’t craving pizza after reading this book, well, I don’t even know what. Pizza is the great global equalizer, isn’t it? Only Fredrik Backman could give us a story that has a bunch of Swedes eating Hawaiian, capricciosa and plain pizza together. In this book, pizza represents a salve to the stressors of the world: a literal (and literary) comfort food. Here’s my take on all three, hold the olives please. Enjoy!