“This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots… it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is.”.You may want to consider doing a multimedia book club and watch some part of the show together and then dive into the discussion questions. Netflix did a Scandinavian adaption of the book as a limited series. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next. And all of them-the bank robber included-desperately crave some sort of rescue. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy 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.Īdd 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.Įach of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. 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. For more great reads like this, keep reading to the end to find recommendations for 3 books like Anxious People. Check out the book synopsis, discussion and selected reviews for lots of conversation starters. Use these Anxious People book club questions to guide your book club’s discussion of these quirky characters and interactions. Backman uses his power of insight into human nature to draw out the quirky personalities of each character, their personal histories and motivations, and tie them together in ways that are surprising, humorous, and moving. The hostages are anything but easy hostages, and the robber is anything but competent.

The story centers on 8 hostages held up by a failed bank robber at an apartment real estate showing. Read our Anxious People book club questions to start the conversation around these unique characters. New York Times best-selling author Fredrik Backman delivers a delightful book filled with quirky characters, moving personal stories, and revelations of secrets and regrets.

Anxious people by fredrik backman