Once upon in December … I started reading a multi-volume work by the Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell, but soon realised that the sight of such a huge book, filled with endless letters, was only pushing me away. The idea of diving deep into a small Victorian family with all its principles and dramas was less appealing to me at the moment than usual. I came across Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and remembered that it had been popular some time ago, and that my friend even got herself a copy. I read the description of the book and, making sure that it matches my mood, began reading it.
Without further ado, I’ll say that this is probably one of the most soulful, simple, pleasant, amusingly sad, and just sweet books I’ve read in a while. The book is written in a very straightforward way and tells of painfully familiar feelings, people, experiences, and events. The plot revolves around a failed bank robbery. The narrative is structured like a detective story, but as the plot unfolds and events develop, a whole range of characters emerge: we learn what’s going on in the lives of each person involved in this incident. There are the “loser” police officers, the old grumpy married couple, lonely middle-aged people, and young parents — in short, ordinary people with their usual problems, who live their lives once and try to make as few mistakes as possible, but somehow, with every attempt, they end up making matters even more.
Throughout the reading, I had one main question: who is the narrator? It felt as if the author was playing with the reader’s perception and telling the story in a way we might think. For example, at the very beginning, the characters are described in the way they would appear to people upon first meeting them, with all their stereotypes and prejudices. As the story progresses, however, the descriptions of these characters evolve. We begin to understand that these police officers are not just “losers,” but each one has their own backstory that explains who they are. We learn why some are rude, while others are kind, what happened in the apartment next door, and why there’s no “right” way to live this life.
An important part of the book is its New Year’s Eve atmosphere. The events of a single day, the showing of an apartment and the bank robbery, take place on the eve of the New Year. By the end, I even shed a tear, and that’s a sign that the book achieved its goal – it evoked an emotion.
This is the perfect book to finish the year with, to reflect on what’s important, set goals, and step into the new year with an open heart, ready for new adventures.
