“It's always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is.”

“A bank robbery. A hostage drama. A stairwell full of police officers on their way to storm an apartment. It was easy to get to this point, much easier than you might think. All it took was one single really bad idea.  This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. So it needs saying from the outset that it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is.” So says Fredrick Backman in his latest.

In a year full of frustration, anxiety, and a good bit of political idiocy, humorous fiction might just be what we all need. A failed bank heist (it’s difficult to rob a cashless bank) leads to a hostage crisis involving eight anxious and slightly broken people. A robber in need of a getaway runs into an apartment open house where the would-be thief gives new meaning to Stockholm Syndrome. What follows is a whimsical story that uses humor to touch on the more sensitive topics of forgiveness, tolerance, hope, and our innate desire for human connection. Isn’t that what we all crave during these turbulent times? In my opinion, A Man Called Ove remains the crowning jewel in Backman’s writing portfolio, but this heartwarming tale lifted my spirits much in the same way as the loveable curmudgeon Ove. If you’re a Backman fan, you will love his latest offering. If you’re not a fan, I think you soon will be.

Posted by Sharee