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Anxious People

by Fredrik Backman

★★★★☆ 4.16 (830 801 ratings)
2019 · 352 pages · ~5h 52m read · Fiction

A failed bank robber locks himself in an apartment viewing with a group of eccentric strangers, including a retired couple, a wealthy banker, and a pregnant woman. As the police surround the building, the hostages begin to reveal their deepest secrets and anxieties. This poignant and hilarious novel explores the complexities of human connection, the weight of our pasts, and the unexpected ways we can save one another. It is a heartwarming testament to the power of empathy and shared humanity.

Widely read around the world. Estimated 5 million readers.

Atmosphere: Real WorldVibe: TenderPacing: Fast-paced
humormysteryphilosophy

Notable Quotes

"They say that a person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. But that isn’t true, at least not entirely, because if our past was all that defined us, we’d never be able to put up with ourselves. We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows."
"The truth of course is that if people really were as happy as they look on the Internet, they wouldn’t spend so much damn time on the Internet, because no one who’s having a really good day spends half of it taking pictures of themselves. Anyone can nurture a myth about their life if they have enough manure, so if the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, that’s probably because it’s full of shit."
"That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between two people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's."

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