Jack Edwards's Reviews > Anxious People

This book wins the Goofy Award™ for a novel which is both absurdly unserious and yet deeply moving.

There’s a hostage situation… except it’s not as simple as that. An assortment of characters are held captive in an apartment, representing a microcosm of society with a mix of ages / professions / orientations / dilemmas. On paper, most of them have nothing in common, but as the saga unfolds they begin to bond over the things that make them different, and the things that make them the same. They find ways to build bridges (pun intended if you've read the book) with one another in endearing, heart-warming ways.

The overall impact is powerful: it's a lesson in empathy, recognising that each person is living a complex interior life which takes time to understand beyond our first impressions. I think this book would be great for getting you out of a reading slump.

I will say that sometimes Backman's humour verged on the cheesy side and the storytelling became a tad silly in its farfetchedness, but you can choose to embrace it and enjoy the touching moments instead.