Anxious People (Paperback)

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Anxious People By Fredrik Backman Cover Image
$64.68
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Staff Reviews


Backman's genius is the way he lulls the reader into believing this is a comic caper. It is on the surface the story of an inept bank robber and the apartment hunters the bank robber accidentally takes hostage. But every character is so much more than you are initially led to believe. As their secrets and sorrows rise to the surface, you begin to realize that we all have much we hide and all of us can be made to appear foolish.

— Lisa

I enjoyed this book in a way I hadn’t experienced reading in ages. I paid no attention to what page number I was on. I was just IN the story--escaping, fully along for the ride. From the opening pages where Backman is interviewing the real estate agent, I was hooked. I always enjoy scenarios where multiple lives or storylines intertwine. I enjoyed his way of narrating: his careful reveal of relationships, and incredibly accurate way of capturing two people miscommunicating or rubbing each other the wrong way. I also appreciated how it felt like a tale crafted with intention. The ending was unrushed, and the characters written out with care. Many of my favorite books live within children’s literature, as I often find something missing from books considered “adult”. But Backman’s story gave me the whimsy, humor, and heart I deeply needed.

— Sophie

September 2020 Indie Next List


“This book made me feel all the feels! It was sad, it was funny, it was hopeful, it was everything. The character development is incredible at revealing what’s inside each of the characters, and the way their stories link and interconnect is genius. It’s a story about sadness and hope and human connections. I couldn’t put it down and barreled to the end, but now I am sad it’s over. Anxious People is truly the best thing I’ve read in a long time!”
— Lisa Driban, Hockessin Book Shelf, Hockessin, DE

Product Details
ISBN: 9789869930550
ISBN-10: 9869930557
Publisher: Tian Pei
Publication Date: December 30th, 2020
Language: Chinese