logo

47 pages 1 hour read

Fredrik Backman

Anxious People

Fredrik BackmanFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapters 1-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1 Summary

Content Warning: The source text and study guide contain discussions of suicide, substance use disorders, and abuse.

The narrator introduces the central drama of the novel: “A bank robbery. A hostage drama” (1). Although the narrator claims that the novel is about many things, they’re adamant that the real story is about “idiots” and “one single really bad idea” (1). The narrator also introduces the bank robber and subsequent hostage taker as someone who left home with a gun and set off a chain of bad events.

Chapter 2 Summary

The narrator says that a man was standing on a bridge 10 years ago “at the end of his life” (4).

Chapter 3 Summary

The story shifts to present tense. New Year’s Eve is tomorrow in the small town where the hostage drama recently took place. A young police officer named Jack is interviewing one of the former hostages, the real estate agent who was showing the apartment where the hostages were held. He’s not getting anywhere with her because she won’t answer his questions directly.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 47 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools