Posts

Showing posts from April, 2021

Review: Anxious People

Image
I will be honest: Anxious People made me anxious at first. I had to take a break for a while because I couldn't get past the tragedy and sadness that started the book. I wanted to trust Frederik Backman , so I took a few weeks off, read a few other things, then went back to this book. I am so glad I did. Gender is fluid in this book. Some characters don't get pronouns, which I thought was a hackneyed parlor trick — but realized it was an important clue that was reinforced later in the story. Plus, the author bounced around with gender expectations: at first, I assumed a cheating spouse was a lesbian because it made as much sense as any other gender association.  So many pairs of people at the open house! Traditional, non-traditional, current, past, future. And so many stages of life. What an amazing microcosm. So many surprises! I truly had no idea what was happening much of the time. The structure of Anxious People was unique, blending the past interviews with the current st