Anxious People
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 Dr. Sukhman Shergill
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When someone can make mundane things seem interesting to you, that for me is a mark of a great writer. And one such favorite of mine is Fredrik Backman and his book called Anxious People. Fredrik is a NY Times bestselling author who comes from Sweden and is also a columnist and a blogger. His works have been published in more than 40 countries all over. Through his works of fiction, he focuses on the essence of being a human while navigating life, in a very uplifting way which makes for great bedtime read.
Anxious people is a tragicomic tale set in a small town of Sweden, where a series of events unfold on New Year’s eve. His story is character focused and goes back and forth between multiple characters giving the book a quick pace, but since he tackles a complex storyline with greatly lucid writing, it is easy to keep up. The story starts as a robbery that turns into a hostage situation, and when you imagine it going in one direction the plot pivots in the most unexpected and poignant ways. The narrative revolves around the stories of the characters which are - a robber, the policemen and the hostages and what a situation can bring out of different people.
As messy and trying life can get at times, who hasn’t ever made a mistake in desperate times? Through his characters, you can relate to the different life stories, choices, differences and similarities that they all share, and bond over and how intertwined our lives are, even though we may never actually realize it. I found myself highlighting multiple paragraphs peppered throughout the narrative with life philosophy and quotes. The author tackles wide range of topics throughout the story with hope, humor and satire leaving you with a chuckle. The story ends with a warm hug making you realize that there is beauty and kindness that comes through even in the most taxing of circumstances.
Happy reading!
