Anxious People by Fredrik Backman *****

Fredrik Backman opens chapter one of AnxiousPeople with “A bank robbery. A hostage drama.” The author goes on to write, “This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. So it needs saying from the outset that it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is.” Also, this book is about how easy it is to misjudge people. It is a mystery where the reader’s prejudices supply all the misdirection.

I read this book in October, a month dedicated to fright and horror. This book is about a bank robbery and hostage drama. Also, divorce, death, desperation, and suicide. Plus, murder, alcoholism, and drugs. However, every character—and this is a novel about the characters—is nice.

The author is an astute and humorous observer of people.

·       The real estate agent takes a deep breath and says what women usually say to men who never seem to think that their lack of knowledge should get in the way of a confident opinion. “I’m sure you’re right.”

·       When a banker is asked what she does with her money, she states, “I buy distance from other people.”

·       Roger was silent for a long, long time before—without looking at her—he said three of the hardest words an older man can say to a younger woman: “You’ll manage it.”

·       “The planet will survive for billions of years even without human help. The only people we’re killing are ourselves.”

Neil Smith deserves special mention. He is the translator. Fredrik Backman writes in Swedish. The book includes plenty of wordplay—wonderfully translated. For example, this is how the real estate agent answers her phone, “Hello, you’ve reached the House Tricks Real Estate Agency! HOW’S TRICKS?” There is also a scene where a character confuses “inverted commas,” for “perverted commas,” indicating that the translation is British.

The truth? The truth about all this? The truth is that this was a story about many different things, but most of all about idiots. Because we’re doing the best we can, we really are. We’re trying to be grown-up and love each other and understand how the hell you’re supposed to insert USB leads. We’re looking for something to cling on to, something to fight for, something to look forward to. We’re doing all we can to teach our children how to swim. We have all of this in common, yet most of us remain strangers, we never know what we do to each other, how your life is affected by mine.

Do you need proof of all the love in the world? Notice: “All the apartments that aren’t for sale.”

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