Book Review by Subhadra Jayaraman

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒚. 𝑵𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑶𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆. 𝑼𝒎𝒎.. 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔. 𝑨𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒕. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉.

Have you ever felt that you’d just about do anything for someone? Have you also felt that everyone around you is an idiot? Have you then sometimes felt like pizza would just solve everything right now?

Curiously, this book starts by being about everything. Everything you can think of and everything you didn’t imagine a book could be about. For instance, it’s about suicide, but also fireworks. There’s a bank robbery (cough) and also a hostage situation. There’s mystery and ooohs and aaahs, but also eye rolls, wine, and a whole lot of laughs!

Backman is an expert observer of human nature and a talented storyteller. When we all go through difficult times in life, often fiction from contemporary legends like him do much more to lift our spirits, question our judgements, and enlighten us than any textbook or non-fiction prose.

Anxious People is a paragon of contemporary literature. It warms your heart and bring tearful smiles to your face. Every character plays your heartstrings with a twang, and every situation gives you a new perspective. This book needs to be savored with the same enthusiasm and honesty with which it has been written.

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒙𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒔𝒌?

𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖?

Pair this book with a glass of warm mulled wine and a mini banana muffin. Share your thoughts with us and check out my ‘bookstagram’ @theramanlibrary for more reviews and suggestions.