Fiction
2020 Simon & Schuster Audio
Read by Marin Ireland
Finished on August 11, 2021
Rating: 2/5 (Fair)
Publisher's Blurb:
Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.
Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.
Humorous, compassionate, and wise, Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times.
I loved A Man Called Ove, Beartown and My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry, so I was really looking forward to another gem by Fredrik Backman. I decided to listen to the audiobook since it's narrated by the wonderful Marin Ireland. (I loved listening to her narrating Kevin Wilson's novel Nothing To See Here.) I know I'm in the minority, but I was pretty disappointed with this novel. Several characters (and their conversations with one another, particularly the police interviews) were very annoying and it wasn't until the last quarter of the book that I warmed up to any of them. There's a bit of a mystery, which Backman slowly reveals, peeling away at the layers like an onion. Those final chapters are touching and reminiscent of his previous books, but I remain unimpressed with this novel. I still have Britt-Marie Was Here and Us Against You in my stacks and I hope they don't disappoint.
I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So this didn't work for you on audio. I wonder whether the conversations would have worked better in print. I chose print and loved it but, funny thing, I read Beartown in print and I DIDn't like that one LOL
ReplyDeleteDiane, there was one conversation (actually, it was an interview) between one of the cops and the bank teller. That interaction was hilarious!
DeleteIt definitely took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I enjoyed it. It was definitely quirky.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know many readers did. :)
DeleteVicki, it certainly had a twist, didn't it?!
ReplyDeleteI'm still interested, but I will choose print rather than audio. Listening to another person's version of text can be very different from the way I "hear" it. I am enjoying audiobooks, but this can be a drawback; even a beautiful reading of a book by a narrator can be different from the way I envision the words.
ReplyDeleteJenclair, this is one that I probably should've switched to print since some of the narration grated on my nerves.
DeleteI had a hard time getting into this book....in fact, I skipped ahead to the middle of the book just because I didn't have anything else to read at the time, LOL. And then I got hooked! So I went back to the beginning and read the entire thing.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved A Man Called Ove, and bailed on My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry. So maybe I need to go back and give that one another chance!
Laurel, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe I would have been better off reading the print edition instead of listening to the audio.
DeleteIt took me a while to get invested in MGAMTTYSS, but it turned out to be a winner (on audio). Bear Town is probably my favorite, though.
It took me two tries (the second on audio) and I nearly dnf'd around 30% the second time, but I did end up getting hooked around that point and ended up enjoying it very much. Think I gave it 4.5 stars. It was my first Backman novel, so I didn't have expectations.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, I think the audio caused me trouble since the narration of the interviews began to grate on my nerves. Glad you enjoyed it! Now you need to try Beartown, which is my favorite of his.
DeleteWhile I really like Marin Ireland .... I haven't been a big Backman fan ... so I plan to pass. But I'm always glad for your truthful reviews!
ReplyDeleteI really like Marin Ireland too, Susan, but I think this book is probably better in print rather than audio.
DeleteHope all is well now that you are back in Canada. I need to pop over and catch up with your blog.
I loved A Man Called Ove and enjoyed My Grandmother... and Britt-marie. I haven't read any of his other books. I've seen mixed reviews of this one but it isn't really calling to me. I might get to it at some point but I might not. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteJen, Beartown is my favorite, followed by A Man Called Ove. I'm going to wait a while before I try Britt-Marie, but I haven't given up hope for another winner.
DeleteI'm sorry you didn't like it as much as you'd expected. I've only read Man Called Ove, so maybe my expectations weren't as high, but I thought it was a story filled with humor and surprising wisdom.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I did find humor with the interview between the police officer and the bank teller. I was laughing out loud. I just wish the remainder of the book was as enjoyable. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
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