Anxious People – Book Review

It’s New Year’s Eve and House Tricks estate agents are hosting an open viewing in an up-market apartment when an incompetent bank robber rushes in and politely takes everyone hostage.

For Anna-Lena and Roger, busy buying-up apartments to fill the hole in their marriage, it’s something else to talk about.

For Julia and Ro, panicky parents-to-be, it’s yet another worry.

Lonely bank manager Zara only came here for the view.

While 87-year-old grandmother Estelle seems rather pleased by the company . . .

As the police gather outside, the anxious strangers huddled within try to make the best of a very sticky situation – but could it be that they have a whole lot more in common than meets the eye?

Anyone who has not read Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove yet??? Read that book (and also Beartown and it’s sequel Us Against You) before reading this one!

The story involved nine strangers–Anna Lena, Roger, Zara, Julia, Ro, Estelle were doing apartment viewing when they were being held hostage by an incompetent bank robber. The policemen Jack and Jim, who are actually father and son tries to find out what really happened to the bank robber and the story follows after that.

In nearly all of Fredrick Backman’s books, there is some sort of life lessons being taught in the book itself.

We don’t have a plan, we just do our best to get through the day, because there’ll be another one coming along tomorrow.

Addicts are addicted to their drugs, and their families are addicted to hope.

His writing is very good and the translator also has done a good job of converting the text from Swedish to English. Although the book was very long, nonetheless, I actually enjoyed reading this book. There were some funny parts in the book, particularly the police interview with the hostages that I actually laughed out loud. Overall, I actually enjoyed this book–worth 4.5 stars!