Anxious People

This is my second book by Backman and after reading this, I can pick up Backman's works with no hesitations whatsoever.

Anxious People is about a group of strangers held hostage by a confused bank robber who does a terrible job at both robbing and holding them hostage. To make the situation worse, we have a group of strangers who are unapologetically vocal and demanding and also, do not know how to handle the secrets and grievances they hold. Now, throw in a pair of policemen, who only want to narrow down on the bank robber. You end up with a very witty and a breezy novel, Anxious People.

I previously read A Man Called Ove and I absolutely loved that one. And this book is equally good (maybe a bit exaggerated, but hey! This is really good too). Backman excelled in completing the arcs of each character and I am content when I have such a complete completion (you read that right! Complete completion). The translation by Neil Smith is on point too. I really loved the opening chapter and the ending chapter. It was a full circle and I think this book has one of the most memorable first and last chapters. It just made me want to tear the pages of the book and stick it to the wall. (of course, I cannot do that since I borrowed this book from my public library)

If you are looking for something easy to read and leave you with a smile in the end, I would totally recommend this. In fact, if you are gearing up for a holiday read, this is a perfect choice!