Fredrik BackmanAnxious People

🌻 They say that a person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. But that isn’t true, at least not entirely, because if our past was all that defined us, we’d never be able to put up with ourselves. We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows 🌻This book was a birthday gift from a friend i love very much. It came to me at a time when i hopeless and was looking for something to smile about. It was the first book picked up after a long long time and happy to report it was worth it. I'm not going to lie and say this is an easy book to read. Because Backman has a point, "no one and nothing is as they seem " and he drives it home repeatedly with every incomplete reveal. The first half will test your patience, because the narrative has no set time-line, it's non-linear and it waves back and forth between the past and the present. Frankly, i found the characters quite annoying. But once i got to the second half, the speed picked up and timelines became crystal clear. After that i didn't even want to put the book down and drink water. The characters became people i see on the streets daily, like friends, like people i love. It was charming, sad, hilarious and had me right where it wanted. Entranced.For me, Backman is a magician. Because weaving sensitive topics such as sui**de, love, loss, parenthood and grief in such a way that the reader ends up laughing and crying at the same time seems like quite an impossible task. But this book for me has struck that fine balance. It's a beautiful reflection of humanity. I feel like this is going to one of those books that's going to stay in my heart for years. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

There's so much to like in this book. It's a beautiful book, you'll feel happy, sad and wholesome while reading and after reading it. A nice take on the different situations faced by people all the time with no body knowing what's actually happening with their life. Highly recommended. Go for it, you'll not be disappointed.

When we are children, most of us live our lives in a routine manner, from getting up in the morning to going to bed in the night but while growing up into adults,our lives become complicated as we get more engrossed in our daily lives - from finding a job, a home to live, taking care of our family, remembering to pay taxes,wifi passwords etc.The other factors that stops our becoming a normal adults are that, as a child if we had been through bad past or witnessed any shocking incidents, then in such case the nightmares of the past haunt us for long,when we enter into adulthood.Hence, these nightmares may act as a stumbling block for growing up into normal adults & may effect our serene & happy life. As an adult, we see the reflection of our scary past that was spent as a child & which influences the decisions that we make & that which may not only harm us but also that of those who are dependant on us.Thus, in genral we lead a life of confusion & then if you are driven by frustration & helplessness, it adds much fuel to our thoughtless actions,resulting in instinctive decisions.But later on hindsight,we may regret our actions & realize our absurdities.We may tend to cure our chaos with chaos,that lead us to an unhappy life filled with anxieties & worries."Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman is one such story.10 years ago, Jack as a child,witnesses a man jumping from a bridge but couldn't convince the man from doing so & save him from jumping.A woman,Zara ,standing at the far end of the bridge also witnesses the incident.Earlier, the man who jumped, meets Zara at the bank for a loan as he was going through financial crisis but couldn't be able to secure a loan to overcome his debts as he had nothing to mortgage at the bank.Zara was able to recognize the man & also finds a letter in an envelope written to her by the man,at the other end of the bridge in water.She carries the envelope in her purse for 10 long years without opening it. A week later both, Jack & Zara witnesses a girl (Nadia) at the same spot ,also trying to jump from the bridge,under distress.Jack driven by guilt of not saving the man earlier,instinctively pushes the girl & runs away while the girl falls unconscious on the ground.Since then Jack & Zara couldn't quite get over from the incidents,they have witnessed at the bridge and their nightmares continued to haunt them even after 10 years.Jack becomes a police officer & Nadia chooses to be a psychalogist with the primary intention of helping the people in distress. Besides the book is also the story of another child(the bank robber)with a troubled past & whose divorced mother couldn't quite get out of her drinking habits & the impact that had on her as a child.The bank robber,when forced by financial crisis,a divorce notice,eviction of building premises,loosing a job & most importantly holding the custody of her two children decides to rob a bank,on an impulse thought.The bank turns out to be cashless bank & just as she decides to abort the plan of robbing & quietly walking away from the scene,the cashier at the bank mentions calling cops which makes the bank robber panicky.She runs into the street & into the building opposite,where an house was on for sale & where a few people gather for viewing the house.What originally was a bank robbery turns out into an hostage drama,just because of one bad idea & poor planning.When you are blinded by love,you take actions more out of instincts than by deep thought.The book is simple and funny, and the writer has got a unique writing skills.Use of the names like "London" for cashier @ bank is hilarious.The interrogation of cops with that of hijacked people is quite funny and makes you wonder as to who is interviewing whom? The bank robber actually turns out to be a woman, which we learn very late in the book.The humane side of the two police officers(father/son,duo) touches the heart of the readers. The revelations of the characters very subtly as we read along the book is quite intriguing.Above all an interesting book where we,as readers find ourselves in one or the other characters. Lastly ,the quote of Martin Luther,through Jack's mother -'Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my Apple Tree, 'Will go a long,long way with the readers.

Awesome.. it makes you laugh out loud as well as shed some tears... Couldn't put it down...Brilliantly written.. enjoyed every bit of it..Easily a 5 Star read..

Backman has weaved a witty and beautiful narrative exploring human lives and the struggles everyone faces. The central theme of the book, the complexities of human emotions and relationships, is explored through flawed yet relatable characters.The ability to surprise and keep the readers guessing is one of the strengths of the novel. The author wrote it brilliantly, skillfully masking crucial information about the bank robber. The writing addresses the assumptions made by the characters as well as the readers, challenging the preconceived biases and notions.The characters are realistic with emotional depth, adding authenticity to the narrative. Every character has a story to tell which gets intricately entwined as the plot develops. The author has beautifully captured the essence of human connection and vulnerability. It is a poignant reminder that empathy and understanding can bridge gaps and heal wounds even in the most unexpected situations.Overall, this book offers both introspection and entertainment through clever storytelling, character-driven narrative and reflection on human connections.

Please read this book. The book is gripping and full of humour.

Such a beautiful book!! The plot, characters, storyline, storytelling, everything is just soo wholesome!

Buena historia, me gustó mucho pero hay mucha lectura introspectiva que te desvía de la historia, eso no me agrado tanto, pero la historia es buena.

Estou muito animada para ler esse! Chegou bem rápido e gostei da versão de capa comum! O meu não veio com aquele adesivo chato da Netflix, então fiquei feliz ahhaha

I highly recommend this novel for its writing craft, but also because it's fun, funny and inspiring. What I really enjoyed most about this book is how it’s so enjoyable you can forget all the work that went into making it and just enjoy the ride.Reading it is like getting hugged by a kind aunt or uncle who knew you as the confused and anxious child you once were. The bugger-nosed child who didn’t know how to fit in and is now an anxious adult who still doesn’t know how to fit in. It is a story about how each one of us can – out of love or confusion -- convince ourselves to implement a really bad idea. And how sometimes, that can be okay.There are so many beautiful, insightful lines:<blockquote>“Julia frowned so hard and so thoughtfully that she got a whole new hairstyle.”“…the people we argue with hardest of all are not the ones who are completely different from us, but the ones who are almost no different at all.”“She gathered the wreckage of her feelings into an expression of derision and went back into the apartment.”“…if people really were as happy as they look on the Internet, they wouldn’t spend so much damn time on the Internet, because no one who’s having a really good day spends half of it taking pictures of themselves.”“The real estate agent looks at him, and thinks he looks like a person who’s had his sense of humor amputated.”</blockquote>It is a story built layer by layer, each one filled with really deep yet funny thoughts about the human condition.It is about a robbery that becomes a hostage taking. But that makes it sound like a Hollywood shoot-out, and it isn’t. All of the characters are both protagonist and antagonist. Each gets time to develop, has their own anxiously lived life, and finds a way to grow. In this way, the novel captures that Tolstoy mantra quite well, “The best stories don't come from ‘good vs. bad’ but ‘good vs. good’.”Backman uses missing information to create little twists and turns that surprise and delight throughout. There’s one zinger right in the middle that is so surprising, it will have you re-reading the first half to see how he did it (no spoilers here!). He also nails the cliffhanger ending to keep you turning to the next chapter.I wasn’t fond of the chapters written as police interview transcripts. These are pure dialogue, giving us an opportunity to hear the character’s voices, but we miss out on their physicality. For me, they read flat. But that’s a quibble.Anxious People is a gentle, fun and funny story about the weird world we live in, how each of us faces challenges and we all need a hug.

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I think this has to be one of the most charming, witty, poignant books I’ve ever read. Perhaps it just found me at the right time, but I was totally absorbed from the first page through to the last.I adore the writing style. It’s informal and easy to read, yet incredibly clever and thought provoking. And funny. And sometimes sad.But then maybe I’m just another idiot trying to muddle my way through life.If you are too, then maybe you’ll love this book as much as I did.