That’s the basic theme of the book: that being a human, especially an adult human, is hard, and most of us are trying our best even if it doesn’t look like it. The characters are all very realistic, in that they all seem incredibly annoying, mean, or stupid until you get to know them and learn their backgrounds. It has just enough mystery and twists that it kept me hooked and trying to figure out what was going to happen, but also a lot of introspection and growth for all of the characters. If you only read the description, you might be tricked into thinking this is a thriller. The “after” is told mostly via witness interviews, as the police officers question the hostages to figure out what happened, because the bank robber has disappeared and no one seems to know how.
The plot jumps back and forth in time between before the hostages are freed, and after. While the bank robber tries to figure out an escape (and the hostages largely ignore the bank robber to fight over who gets to buy the apartment) two police officers with no experience in dealing with a hostage situation - but a lot of experience in being frustrated by each other - try to figure out a way to get everyone out safely. After a failed attempt at robbing a bank, the would-be bank robber tries to evade police by hiding in an apartment building, only to end up accidentally taking a group of people who are in one of the apartments for an open house hostage. The story takes place in a small town in Sweden. Bonus points if you like a good sprinkling of humor and insightful takes on humanity.
If, like me, you’re a fan of almost-too-cheesy ensemble cast movies like Love Actually, where everyone is somehow connected and gets a happy, neatly tied up ending, this book is for you. That is true, but as Backman says throughout the book, it’s also a story about a hostage situation, a bridge, human connection, mental health, idiots, and so much more. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove comes a charming, poignant novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.Īccording to the description, Anxious People is about a would-be bank robber and eight anxious strangers.
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