Book Review: Fredrik Backman's Anxious People

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Fredrik Backman’s latest novel, Anxious People, in exchange for an honest review.

After a failing to rob a bank, a would-be thief enters a nearby apartment complex and takes a group of hostages. The hostages are an eclectic bunch of strangers who have come for an apartment viewing. The two police detectives on the case are a father/son pair who are struggling to communicate and their situation is further strained when they cannot figure out how all of the hostages were freed, yet no one has any idea what happened to the robber. After making no demands other than pizza to feed the hostages, she seems to have disappeared.

Anxious People is told via flashbacks to the hostage situation, flashbacks to important moments from the lives of the key characters, and police interviews following the release of the hostages. The suspense is high and Backman’s story unfolds in a way that allows readers to solve the mystery as they read.

More than a mystery, Anxious People is a drama, a story about how failure to communicate with others leaves us feeling isolated and anxious. It’s a story about being human. It’s about the flaws and needs of every human. Backman often breaks the forth wall and speaks directly to the reader, pulling us into the emotional core of the story. We are the hostages, we are the robber, and we are the police. Their story is our story.

In 2020 we need hope more than ever and Backman provides hope. His characters choose kindness and compassion. It isn’t trite, it is human. Yes, I cried buckets.

I’m loath to use the phrase “trigger warning,” but I feel that I must mention that part of the story involves suicide. My father committed suicide when I was four and it is certainly a sensitive subject, but not one that I shy away from. I’m not sure how it might affect others. The suicide aspect of Anxious People has more to do with the people left behind, the people who feel they could have prevented the suicide.

Anxious People is an entertaining mix of genres. It’s surprising, humorous, and has a big heart. I’ve been a fan of all of Backman’s previous novels and I look forward to reading his next one.

Book Review- Fredrik Backman's Things My Son Needs to Know About the World

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Fredrik Backman’s memoir, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Fredrik Backman and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review his latest book. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, is Backman’s first memoir, a departure from the novels for which he has garnered world-wide acclaim. He last few novels (Us Against You and Bear Town) were exceedingly bleak and dark. I loved them, but they left me with a heavy feeling. Generally, the tone of Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, is humorous and light-hearted. Backman has a hilarious style of self-deprecating humor and I often found myself giggling while reading.

The memoir comprised of short chapters, some less than a page, all written within the frame work of advice that Backman wishes to impart to his young son. There is one sweet chapter where he speak directly to his wife, whom he clearly adores and references throughout his book.

Although mostly humorous, there is a running current of Backman’s serious fears and dreams for his son. For example, in one chapter he mentions the importance of finding a sports team. It’s not that he cares that his son plays or watches sports, but Backman sees the way that sports has created bonds in his own life. He wants his child to be able to bond with friends and he sees sports as an easy entry point, but he also fears that his son might develop interests in which he does not know how to relate. He wants his son to know that he will be a supportive father, no matter what, but that he also fears that they won’t have things to bond over. The bonding is vital.

Backman writes about a time when he was shot during a robbery in a convenience store and how just a matter of inches could have left him dead or paralyzed. He speaks to the importance of those inches in everything in life, how something so small can change everything. This chapter was exceptionally poignant and along with the rest of the memoir, made me understand more of why Backman chooses certain subjects for his fiction works.

My step-children are Swedish and live with their mom in Stockholm, so I was interested in the tidbits on parenting in Sweden. I probably shouldn’t be surprised, but most of Backman’s concerns and dealings with other parents, are similar to sentiments that are echoed by my parent friends in the United States.

There is a hilarious chapter on navigating Ikea, which also rings true for the Ikea shopping experience in the United States. Follow those arrows!

Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, Backman is a fabulous writer and someone whom I am always thrilled when he publishes a new work. I highly recommend all of Backman’s books!

Book Review - Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove

Prior to our 2015 summer vacation in Europe, I headed to Vroman's Bookstore to find some physical books to supplement my Kindle library for our trip. I mean, what if the Kindle broke or the battery died? I can't face being bookless. The horror!

So, I was browsing at Vroman's and Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove called out to me.

Basically, it had a cat on the cover. How could I resist?

 However, I also discovered that the author is Swedish and as I was vacationing with my Swedish step-children, this was kismet. 

PLOT-  What is the root of pessimism? Ove is a grump. He's nearly sixty, a widower and his greatest enjoyment is policing his housing estate. Ove has decided that he is ready to leave this world. Unfortunately, the world is not ready to let Ove go. Every time he tries to commit suicide, his plans are thwarted by needy neighbors, including a mangy, stray cat. Will his neighbors make Ove realize that he is a vital part of their community or will he succeed in his wishes?

LIKE - Even with dark themes like loneliness and suicide, A Man Called Ove, is absolutely hilarious and utterly charming. I dare you to read this book and not fall in love with Ove or his neighbors. The story unfolds slowly, peeling back the layers to discover the root of Ove's pessimism. Backman handles the reveal with pitch perfect pacing, allowing the reader to fully absorb the scope of Ove's life. 

You will cry. Buckets.

A Man Called Ove is incredibly moving and poignant. I'm a fast reader and I had to force myself to slow down to take in the heft and impact of this story. This is a story of the power of community and the need to let people into your life, however I had the funny experience of wishing that I was reading this book alone, not while on a packed cruise ship. I guess it's hard to experience powerful emotions while around other people, even if that is what this story is promoting. I hope this will be made into a movie, as I love the cathartic experience of crying in a theatre, where you are both alone and surrounded by people. 

Ove is not the only memorable character. In Ove's backstory we learn about his wife, Sonja, who loves him warts and all. She is his ideal companion and a strong woman. We also meet Anita and Rune, their neighbors, with whom Ove has done battle over the years. Most endearing is Parvaneh, who has just moved to town with her husband and children. Parvaneh's family needs a lot of help and they don't seem to understand personal boundaries with new acquaintances, which is exactly what Ove doesn't want, yet desperately needs. The burst into his life with an utter lack of awareness that is both irritating and charming.

DISLIKE- Nothing at all. A Man Called Ove isn't just one of the best books that I've read this year, it is one of the best books that I've ever read. Truly and I don't throw that around lightly. I've enthusiastically recommended it to several friends and will continue to do so.

RECOMMEND - Don't hesitate, go read A Man Called Ove immediately. I left my copy in the library of Royal Caribbean's The Explorer of the Seas, in hopes that it will be enjoyed by many people. This is such a beautiful story with memorable characters and it will not leave readers unaffected.