Anxious People

My Review (Spoiler Free)

Anxious People is probably one of the best, light-hearted books I’ve read in a while. Nearly the entire book takes place in a flat on New Year’s Eve during an open house. Nine strangers are stuck in the flat, eight of them held hostage by a bank robber. What unfolds is a story that explores the deep troubles that every day people endure and how we often end up in situations that we never imagined we’d be in. Backman provides an elegant and poignant story of people in the wrong place at the wrong time who develop intense connections with each other during the hostage situation. The group of hostages includes a middle-aged, married couple who are constantly on the lookout for fixer-uppers to occupy their time, a rich banker who attends open houses to avoid attending to her own life, a newlywed, pregnant couple looking for their first home with all of the anxiety and worry involved in that decision, an eighty-seven year old woman who has seen a lot of life, a real estate agent who just needs to close a deal, and a mysterious man in the bathroom. In Anxious People each reader will identify with at least one character, or their situation.

Though comedic on the surface, Anxious People is a deep dive into the anxieties and problems of everyday life. It takes a sharp look at how a diverse group of people deal with and process their emotions and thoughts. In a way, this book also deals with themes of “little deaths.” The death of regularity, for instance, when our lives are upended by sudden loss of jobs, pregnancies, both planned and unplanned, mental health challenges, new or old, or changes in marriages, either through divorce, death, or old age. It also deals with the realities and various outcomes of death and suicide and shows how many people who witness the same event can end up coming to radically different conclusions and takeaways. At its core, the book shows how each day of living we are met with various challenges, events, and decisions and how we carry those challenges, events, and decisions with us can help or harm us, but either way shapes and changes our understanding of our reality. A specific takeaway from the book that I had was the truthfulness in needing to speak about our lives, whether that’s to a friend, therapist, or stranger we happen to be stuck in a hostage situation with. Speaking about the challenges we face with others reassures us that we are not alone, offers up new and different perspectives, and forces us to embrace the fullness of humanity.