BOOK CLUB: Anxious People

Food in Fiction book club. The delightful combination of my two favorite pastimes - reading and eating (“reating”, if you will!) This would be our second meeting and it did not disappoint! 

We discussed the book Anxious People by Frederik Backman, from Sweden. (I also just learned he is the same age as my husband. That has absolutely no significance on today’s discussion but for some reason I always like to know the age of authors.) 

Anxious People

This is the second work of fiction I’ve read by Mr. Backman, the first being a short story that I found both humorous and on point, so I was somewhat familiar with his writing style and his gift for exploring poignant and sometimes heavy topics with humor. 

Before we get any further, can we talk about his dedication page?! I laughed out loud when I read it. The man is seriously brilliant.

Best dedication page ever!

The book itself opens and ends with the same thought: we are all idiots and therefore occasionally do idiotic things. In this case, an individual in a desperate state fails to rob a bank, flees to the first available hiding spot, inadvertently crashes the open house of an apartment, and holds the prospective buyers hostage. Readers also experience the perspectives of the two police officers - a father and son duo - who work to contain the scene and save the hostages. 

The story spans a period of less than 24 hours, so needless to say there aren’t many “food takes” in this book. That’s not to say, however, there is a shortage of references to food. Cookies, Limes, Coffee, Cappuccino, Smoothies, Wine, and Pizza, to name a few. 

We chose to focus on the pizza - which, without spoiling too much of the plot - becomes a culinary representation of camaraderie and one of the demands made by the bank robber-turned-captor. A new word referenced for me five times on one page was pizza “capricciosa” - which means “capricious” - and is loosely defined as a pizza with everything. (There are lots of recipes out there but most include artichokes and some even hard boiled eggs!) 

So, naturally we had to try for ourselves. And rather than tackling our own recipe we went instead to a build-it-yourself pizzeria. 

Centrally located and superfast, accordng to the sign.

Now, neither of us was adventurous enough to build our own “capricciosa” pizza but I did respectfully consider the artichokes and other vegetables waiting patiently to be chosen. I went instead with a BBQ Chicken Pizza with onions and pineapple. (And yes, pineapple belongs on pizza. Fight me.)

So yummy!

Now, let me tell you, sitting outside with delicious food, great company, and TWO HOURS worth of solid discussion about books is one of my definitions of happiness.  And even though the topics covered in the book were rather weighty, Backman balances each segment with relatable characters (my favorite is young police officer Jack), quippy metaphors (describing children as “quick-witted little monsters”), and sometimes downright uncomfortable situational humor (“the crapping rabbit!”).  Many reading sessions left me feeling rather heavy and thoughtful, but I powered through with the understanding that Backman was ultimately crafting a story of hope. 

As for the title, Anxious People, I’m not sure it’s a perfect title for the book, because I gleaned less about anxiety and more about being willing to understand the desperation and sadness in others, even if that “other” is a bank robber. We ponder each character’s unique situations and their response to universal themes of loss, grief, fear, and love.

The story ends satisfactorily and it was just enough of a happy ending to not leave me a sopping, blithering mess at the end of it. Backman charges his readers to sympathize with each other’s struggles in an effort to make the world a better, more stable place to live. And I heartily agree with him. 

All in all, the Food in Fiction book club rated this a 4.25/5 stars. Definitely worth the read!!! 

My definition of happiness.

PS. As luck would have it, the pizzeria was located just next door to a SweetFrog yogurt shop. And though yogurt wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the book, we indulged with a salute to the “frog” child from the book :) 

Does this sound like a book you might enjoy? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reating!