Sign in with Facebook
emma's Reviews > Anxious People
Anxious People
by
by
emma's review
bookshelves: contemporary, non-ya, recommend, funny, 3-and-a-half-stars, reviewed, unpopular-opinion
Mar 19, 2021
bookshelves: contemporary, non-ya, recommend, funny, 3-and-a-half-stars, reviewed, unpopular-opinion
The thing about this book is that it is cotton candy-level, cavity-threatening, headache-inducing type sweet, and simultaneously very sad and real and filled with the most upsetting things about being alive.
A real whirlwind.
If you are in the right mood for this book (which I was when I started it), then it is a whimsical, amusing, life-affirming journey to becoming an optimist.
But if you are not (which I suddenly shapeshifted into at some point), it is arduous to get through and kind of annoying.
I personally prefer the version of myself that enjoyed this book, but unfortunately that version of myself only stuck around for a day or less and left the more powerful version of me to wade through this for the following 6 days.
Still, I'd like to be an optimist. So...3.5 stars.
But rounded down. I'm not Mary goddamn Poppins.
Bottom line: Depends on whether you're nice or not!
--------------------
currently-reading updates
not sure at this point if i'm even capable of reading without lily
--------------------
tbr review
insert joke about this being about multiple copies of Me
A real whirlwind.
If you are in the right mood for this book (which I was when I started it), then it is a whimsical, amusing, life-affirming journey to becoming an optimist.
But if you are not (which I suddenly shapeshifted into at some point), it is arduous to get through and kind of annoying.
I personally prefer the version of myself that enjoyed this book, but unfortunately that version of myself only stuck around for a day or less and left the more powerful version of me to wade through this for the following 6 days.
Still, I'd like to be an optimist. So...3.5 stars.
But rounded down. I'm not Mary goddamn Poppins.
Bottom line: Depends on whether you're nice or not!
--------------------
currently-reading updates
not sure at this point if i'm even capable of reading without lily
--------------------
tbr review
insert joke about this being about multiple copies of Me
Sign into ŷ to see if any of your friends have read
Anxious People.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
February 15, 2021
– Shelved
March 23, 2021
–
Started Reading
March 29, 2021
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 63 (63 new)
message 1:
by
Jonathan
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Mar 19, 2021 01:33PM
one of Backman's best and right up there with "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry"
reply
|
flag
Jonathan wrote: "one of Backman's best and right up there with "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry""woo!
Isabelle wrote: "omg i love this book!"yayay!
I would have to argue that this book is clones of me 🥲
mya ˳✧༚ wrote: "I would have to argue that this book is clones of me 🥲"compromise: it's both of us
One of his best along with "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry"
Jonathan wrote: "One of his best along with "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry""woo x 2
having a reading buddie is elite.
Aisling wrote: "having a reading buddie is elite."it's a highlight of my life
I adored this book! It's like a combination of all the best signature things in Backman's works.
Angelaonmars wrote: "I adored this book! It's like a combination of all the best signature things in Backman's works."i've been feeling that!
this was not it for me. beartown and ove all the way ❤️
what the fuck i just found out that youre american????? that has genuinely shaken my soul you give off such british vibes
ê wrote: "this was not it for me. beartown and ove all the way ❤️"think this was better for me than ove but can't say i've read beartown!
mai wrote: "what the fuck i just found out that youre american????? that has genuinely shaken my soul you give off such british vibes"i'll be thinking about this for a long time, i can tell
YOUR AMERICAN? NO WAY. YOUR TOO POSH TO BE AMERICAN. - an American
hmm Emma's American.... I thought she writes her reviews while sipping tea and complaining about the weather and politly twerking to WAP 🇬🇧
I had a love hate relationship with this book I ended up rounding up to 4 stars ⭐️ hope you feel better soon.
I feel you - for me, it was too sweet, and when things are tooth-achingly sweet, they also tend to be fairly superficial. I admire the ability to talk about serious topics with a light touch; but it's not the kind of reading I necessarily go for!
Aisling wrote: "YOUR AMERICAN? NO WAY. YOUR TOO POSH TO BE AMERICAN. - an American"i will take this as a compliment!
Omer wrote: "hmm Emma's American.... I thought she writes her reviews while sipping tea and complaining about the weather and politly twerking to WAP 🇬🇧"you're right about a third of it
Fiona wrote: "I had a love hate relationship with this book I ended up rounding up to 4 stars ⭐️ hope you feel better soon."thank you!!
SaraM wrote: "I feel you - for me, it was too sweet, and when things are tooth-achingly sweet, they also tend to be fairly superficial. I admire the ability to talk about serious topics with a light touch; but i..."i agree w you there!
I was not in the right mood and found it incredibly annoying.
Omer wrote: "Emma, I'm always right."relatable
Meghan wrote: "I was not in the right mood and found it incredibly annoying."so valid!
Honestly I feel like this would make an amazing kids book! Pump them with hope and optimism before they grow up and everything goes downhill 😂😂
I was lucky. I had the same two responses you did, but in the opposite order so at the end I was really enjoying it. I had almost given up on it too.
I loved this book more than air, but you've made some good points on why it could be tough to get through. You should give some of his other novels a shot though! Highly recommend "Beartown" if you haven't already read it.
This book was so highly rated by my friends, but I found the first 3/4 of the book so tedious to get through! It felt like adult Dr Suess- silly, repetitive, lacking direction. I couldn’t tell if it was me, because the books I’d read prior to this (Four Winds, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) were just so deep and eloquent, but man.. I switched to audiobook format at 20% read, and even then, I was well over half way before I felt invested in where it was going. I’m glad I finished (because there were some really lovely moments), but this just barely made it off my DNF pile.
'The thing about this book is that it is cotton candy-level, cavity threatening, headache-inducing type sweet and simultaneously very sad and real and filled with the most upsetting things about being alive' Beautifully said. I have been searching for a review just now to help me to understand how I feel about this book now that I have just finished it. I found it too dialogue heavy which made me feel worn out and I had to trawl through the last 30 pages willing to get to the end.
I found mist of the book irritatingly over stated. Cliched characters
c mackway-jones wrote: "I found mist of the book irritatingly over stated. Cliched characters"fair tbh
Tessa wrote: "'The thing about this book is that it is cotton candy-level, cavity threatening, headache-inducing type sweet and simultaneously very sad and real and filled with the most upsetting things about be..."it was tough to get through at points!
Nicolle wrote: "This book was so highly rated by my friends, but I found the first 3/4 of the book so tedious to get through! It felt like adult Dr Suess- silly, repetitive, lacking direction. I couldn’t tell if i..."i'm with you! i don't think it was bad but it was arduous!
Bethany wrote: "I loved this book more than air, but you've made some good points on why it could be tough to get through. You should give some of his other novels a shot though! Highly recommend "Beartown" if you..."i will definitely keep trying him - beartown seems promising especially!!
St wrote: "I was lucky. I had the same two responses you did, but in the opposite order so at the end I was really enjoying it. I had almost given up on it too."look at us go!
Aisha wrote: "Honestly I feel like this would make an amazing kids book! Pump them with hope and optimism before they grow up and everything goes downhill 😂😂"hahahaha
Perfect summation of my thoughts
What puts me off this book is that it's one of good reads top rated so I know it's going to be all positive and life affirming. I do want to feel inspired and optimistic, but my default is cynical. I am intrigued by this though. Great review. Always interesting to read the 3 star reviews
I must not be nice because I DNFed this. 🤣 oh well I always knew it lol
Agreed, almost diabetes-inducing
Sara wrote: "Perfect summation of my thoughts"twins
Amanda wrote: "What puts me off this book is that it's one of good reads top rated so I know it's going to be all positive and life affirming. I do want to feel inspired and optimistic, but my default is cynical...."as a fellow cynical defaulter...yeah
Kylie wrote: "I must not be nice because I DNFed this. 🤣 oh well I always knew it lol"not nice people are more interesting
Gila wrote: "Agreed, almost diabetes-inducing"it's medical
Didn't like it :( but love Ove !
Diabetes inducing sweetness is accurate 😭 I really liked it but it felt overkill with the heart warming-ness
Gabrielle wrote: "Didn't like it :( but love Ove !"ove forever!!!
