Anxious People

CW: suicide

Look, you know I love me some Backman, but this really didn't work for me. Yes he still has a way with words, yes he can state truths about life in a way that is chef's kiss, yes he can build relationships beautifully. But even when I tried to suspend belief, there was just too much about this story that I didn't believe.

- Estelle attending the viewing of her own apartment- The policeman giving the bank robber advice about how to get away from the police.- The "it's not your fault" unopened letter Zara carried around for 10 years, after the man she wouldn't loan money to jumped off a bridge. (That the man would write the letter and that Zara wouldn't open it.) Also that she basically stalked her therapist, that's a weird thing to do.- That anyone would rob a bank for $6000.- That whole rabbit-on-the-toilet thing?? WTF???

Also I really don't appreciate calling people names, and it bugged me a lot that Backman/the narrator kept calling the characters “idiots” throughout the book, especially because as the reader I didn't think they were all idiots. I maybe didn't believe their motivations or actions, but I rarely think so lowly of someone to think they're an idiot, and it bothered me that it was thrown around so unthinkingly.

I was disappointed, but clearly I'm in the minority based on how many rave review there are. But I've read a lot of Backman's work at this point, and this is probably my least favorite.