As an fan of Fredrik Bachman I was interested in reading this collection of three short stories The Deal of a Life Time, And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer, and Sebastian and the Troll. They did not disappoint. I love the way Fredrik Bachman’s mind works, giving us a glimpse of his musings of life, redemption and death in these collected works. Endearing stories that will make you think about what is truly important.
4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC, but I was a bit disappointed that what was supposed to be The Deal of a Lifetime and Other Stories turned out to be missing the other stories. As for The Deal of a Lifetime, it was an okay read, but nothing exceptional. Despite loving A Man Called Ove, I’m becoming less and less of a fan of Fredrik Backman’s work with every book of his that I read.

I don't even know how to begin rating this short collection! I have found myself very torn on whether I am overrating this book because I adore this author so much that I'm willing to overlook some really rather mediocre stories, or that I'm underrating the book because these pale so much in comparison to his full novel-length books. I suppose it doesn't really matter, because in the end the result is the same either way: a middle of the road 2.5 stars.

The Deal of a Lifetime and Other Stories comprises 3 short stories that are all rather gloomy :( I found the cover of an almost uplifting-looking Christmas tree to be incredibly misleading and very close to being disrespectful grab at the holiday shopping market. I feel so sorry for anyone who grabs this thinking it will make a great Christmas gift for a Backman lover or to introduce someone to his work - the stories within are not a good representation of what to expect from most of his books, and they're definitely not going to make for a fun read on Christmas afternoon.

One of the things I love most about the author's other works is that he slowly builds these intricate lives that weave together in often unexpected ways. The slow reveal of a crusty old man's inner heart, or the gradual strength found by a middle-aged wimpy woman are compelling to read. It's delightful to discover these lives that seem so different from my own are nonetheless made relatable through Backman's keen insights and attention to detail. None of the stories in this volume are long enough for Backman to work his usual magic.

Of the three stories in this collection, I did not care at all for "The Deal of a Lifetime". It just left me very cold. This one plays a bit with the otherworldly, and I had similar problems with it that I had with his novel "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry". For this one I give 1.5 stars.

I liked most "And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer", but it was also the longest of the three tales, and so had the most chance for character development. Although this was certainly not a cheerful story, it fell more to the bittersweet side of things, and was not as gloomy as the other two. For this one I give 3.5 stars.

I had already read "Sebastian and the Troll", and I think I actually liked this more on a re-read. This is definitely one I will keep in mind to recommend to those who are struggling with depression. The insights here might be just the right words for the right person at the right time. The problem is that for everyone else, it's just going to be either weird or really sad. 3 stars for this one.

Overall, I would probably only recommend this book to completionists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a DRC of this book.

Dear Publisher,

I was looking forward to reading the new novella by my all-time favourite author, Fredrik Backman, however this ARC is only for his previously published novella "The Deal of a Lifetime". While that was a great one too, I believe that this is the wrong file. I would love to read and review his latest short story collection if the file is updated!

Sincerely a huge fan,

Jonita