The Anxious One

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The Anxious Person is one of the two books I discovered on the Xu Manman Psychology Talk WeChat public account. Both books are written by Swedish author Fredrik Backman. I’m a huge fan of his A Man Called Ove (《一个叫欧维的男人决定去死》) and have even written a review of it, so I decided to read The Anxious Person over the Spring Festival—especially since I’ve been feeling pretty anxious myself lately.

Honestly, the first half of the book feels a bit rambling and the plot is a little chaotic; I almost put it down. But once we get to the middle, after the various characters are introduced and the two main threads converge, the story starts to click. Backman’s talent for peeling back layers keeps me hooked until the very end (yes, classic Backman).

When I finished, I was hit with a wave of warmth and healing. Those few hours of reading felt completely worthwhile.

The story opens with a bank robber and quickly involves hostages, police officers, and a cast of other characters. They all share one thing: they’re ordinary people, each wrestling with their own worries—family, love, the birth of a child, loss, career choices, unexpected events, and so on. In a single room, strangers listen to each other, understand, tolerate, and miraculously support one another, ultimately gaining the strength to move forward. This kind of universal love is exactly what each of us, inherently solitary beings, yearn for day and night.

I won’t spoil the plot any further; if you’re curious, go read it. It’s available on WeChat Reading.

P.S. This story would make an excellent stage play or film—I’m already rubbing my hands together in anticipation 😄

Below are a few of my favorite quotes:

• “A person doesn’t have to be happy every single moment.”
• “Some people can accept the fact that they’ll never completely rid themselves of anxiety and learn to live peacefully with it.”
• “Do your best. Even if you know the world will end tomorrow, plant a little apple tree today.”
• “—How do you eat an elephant? —One bite at a time.”
• “The boat that stays in the harbor is the safest, dear, but that’s not why ships are built.”

May everyone be loved.

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2022.02.06
From Zhengzhou

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WeChat public account Confessions of a Product Dog
Sharing product insights, reflections, and reading notes.
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Originally written by Estela Young and published in Chinese on 一只产品汪的自白. Translated and edited for DriftSeas with permission.