Anxious People
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Anxious People
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Narrated by:
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Marin Ireland
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Written by:
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Fredrik Backman
About this listen
From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of A Man Called Ove and “writer of astonishing depth” (The Washington Times) comes a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.
Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.
First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live - and, perhaps, to send an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle, an eighty year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car.
As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.
Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People’s whimsical plot serves up unforgettable insights into the human condition and a gentle reminder to be compassionate to all the anxious people we encounter every day.
©2020 Fredrik Backman (P)2020 Simon & Schuster AudioYou may also enjoy...
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What the critics say
“Hits the sweet spot between profoundly insightful and preposterously funny . . . I hugged this book tightly with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.” — USA Today
“[A] tight-knit, surprise-filled narrative. . . . The brisk, absorbing action prompts meditation on marriage, parenting, responsibility, and global economic pressures. Comedy, drama, mystery, and social study, this novel is undefinable except for the sheer reading pleasure it delivers. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal (Starred Review)
“Backman’s latest novel focuses on how a shared event can change the course of multiple people’s lives even in times of deep and ongoing anxiousness. A story with both comedy and heartbreak sure to please Backman fans.” — Kirkus Review
What listeners say about Anxious People
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- lanny klaudt
- 2020-10-26
One of the BEST of 2020
I commute to work so I listened to a lot of audible. This was seriously one of the BEST for 2020. The narrators voices were spot on . Story line had me laughing and bawling within minutes. Well done Fredrik Bachman ... a timely novel for these crazy times.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Regina Russell
- 2021-02-15
Twists and Dramas
Interesting, confusing at times, relatable for sure. This was a book club choice and I'm glad we read it (or in this case heard it) but it's a different story with multiple character issues that are revealed slowly, and surprisingly throughly. Life's journey and how people react. This book is eye opening and worth the time to read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christal Barrow
- 2021-02-23
Heartfelt and funny
I loved this book! It is moving, funny, and so clever.
Some really big ideas touched on, but not in a way that felt condescending or forced. It was really a book about grief and love.
The characters were wonderful, complex, and always developing.
I love Backman’s writing style. Plain language, but constantly withholding, giving you a little bit more of the puzzle at a time. Each revelation was a surprise and unanticipated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Huguesr
- 2021-02-28
Wow...! What a great history funny and moving
The title turns me somewhat off...! I was not in the mood for a self help book. This book is full of surprises and it is well written! It is about losses and we are grieving and surviving...! There is a spiritual component and it is absolutely not preachy and it is full of love ..! The reader is doing an awesome work it is acted more than read which brings a third dimension to the book...! The magic of audiobook
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ellen B
- 2021-01-18
A brilliant story.
As always Fredrik Backman brought his characters to life with beautiful storytelling. Excellent narration too.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-01-23
Achieves Intended Results
Although the characters drove me nuts a lot of the time I felt like I knew and loved the by the end of the book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dustin
- 2021-05-29
Just wonderful
What a wonderful narrator and great experience. Such a wide cast of characters and a very engaging story. Highly recommend!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elaine Stirk
- 2021-08-05
Must Read
must read. twists and turns. It is so relevant today and it's done without clichés.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Milana
- 2024-01-27
The speaker is really awesome
Loved the story, but the reader made it even more enjoyable.
This author is simple and so fun/deep at times
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nancy in Canada
- 2024-02-08
You’ll want to listen over and over!
The description of the book I read was ‘it’s a book about a robbery that didn’t happen, a kidnapping that didn’t happen, and all the idiots involved.’
When I received this audiobook as a birthday gift I thought it might be a book about anxiety. After starting, I was laughing so much, if I had anxiety, it would have been gone. It is about the condition of humankind and how complete strangers can band together in times of crisis.
Marin Ireland narrates it to perfection and Fredrik Backman, as usual, nails the different personalities of the witnesses and the police. Every character has a story and their story leads them to the exact place and time the crisis occurs. Life has a way of working out, no matter what we do. I encourage you to read the book and be prepared to love it!
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