ANXIOUS PEOPLE BY FREDRIK BACKMAN

-

“ EXPENSIVE RESTAURANTS HAVE BIGGER GAPS BETWEEN THE TABLES. FIRST CLASS ON AEROPLANES HAVE NO MIDDLE SEATS. EXCLUSIVE HOTELS HAVE SEPARATE ENTRANCES FOR GUESTS STAYING IN SUITES. THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING YOU CAN BUY IN HE MOST DENSELY POPULATED PLACES ON THE PLANET IS DISTANCE. ”

Anxious people is a such a unique and wonderful book about people and life put in the most simplest way possible. This gave me 'Eleanor Oliphant' vibes all over and I totally loved it. When I thought of reading this one, I expected it to be good because I saw all the bookstagrammers go gaga over it but I genuinely thought it’s going to be one of those hyped up books which do not end up working out for me. But never did I know that it’s going to be so unputdownable.

The plot is simple - an attempt of bank robbery lands up being an hostage situation and 8 hostages are locked up in the apartment with the robber followed by police interrogation. But only, the essence of the story is not that simple. There is a lot going on in this book. There is loss, love, empathy, guilt, human stupidity, faulty decision making - all when the book continued to be funny and insanely true. This is my second book by Fredrik Backman after ‘A man called Ove’ and I feel this book has outdone the other one.

PROS: The writing style is different, what I would call the free style. It connects to the readers instantly.

It’s a page turner. It’s funny yet melancholic and describes life and people in its best possible way.

CONS: Definitely none for me. 

MY REVIEW: 5/5

#penbooksandscalpel

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHAPTER 1 - ALIZA AND AHMED

-
Image
Their eyes met for the second time in the day. Every time this happens, Aliza feels a ticklish sensation in her stomach. It's not that they have not been closer than just eye contact, but the jitters won't leave her alone. Her mother-in-law was busy scooping out the last few morsels of chicken from the bowl with a creaking noise that numbed Aliza's ears. Her father-in-law was lost in thoughts enjoying his chicken malai korma and tempered ghee rice.   ‘Aliza, can you get me some warm water?’ Aliza comes running with a jar of water to fulfil her new wife's duties, and Ahmed finds his moment just when Aliza is filling his tumbler and his parents are busy eating. He pokes her in the hip, which is faintly visible between her saree fold and her blouse. Aliza winces and moves behind quickly. She turns around to ensure no one has witnessed it and promptly returns to work, flashing a smile. Ahmed had to steal moments like these between daily activities because the house was alwa...
Read more

CHAPTER 4 - DISTANCE MATTERS

-
Image
'Congratulations on your promotion and transfer. We are looking forward to your full commitment to us. Do get back to this letter at the earliest with your answer.' Read the crafted piece of paper. Ahmed's parents were delighted and jumping with joy. They were chanting 'Alhamdulillah' fervently while Aliza stood confused. She could not make anything of this news because Ahmed's promotion meant everything to her. But his transfer would only mean that Aliza must stay back with her in-laws while he would visit only during weekends. She would happily do so, too, if not for her unsupportive mother-in-law. Aliza wanted to cry, and her eyes brimmed with tears that the world looked like a smudged canvas laying still in front of her. She looked at Ahmed pleadingly and waited until 10 to ask him if he really wanted to go. Asking in front of her in-laws would only mean the end of her good days. Ahmed did not look up because he knew what his transfer meant for both of them....
Read more

CHAPTER 2 - THE BACKSTORY - ALIZA

-
Image
  Aliza is the middle child of her family, with two older siblings and two younger ones. She did not always get her parents' attention because the oldest or the youngest sibling often stole it. She was mostly brought up by her oldest sister, Razia, who made sure she bathed, ate, and went to school on time. After Razia's marriage, her next older sibling Fahim brought home his wife, who had sworn to taunt Aliza all her life. Her younger twin siblings Samir and Ameera were at school, and they often stayed outdoors playing. So Aliza grew up to be the one taking care of her siblings while also managing to thrive herself. After finishing high school, she wanted to join college because her friends were also planning to, and they said studying in college will help a lot in the future. She was also the captain of her school's volleyball team and was a tough player. Aliza thought she could pursue her ambitions after school if she managed to convince her father. But her relatives had ...
Read more