“It’s a frying pan that ruins Lucas’s life.”

This begins The Answer is No, a delightful short story from Fredrick Backman. You don’t have to live with a residents’ Board of Directors or Homeowners Association to recognize misused authority. A frying pan, left outside the apartment recycling room, begins a slow chain of events that bring happy introvert Lucas into the world of apartment life. As the pile of unwanted items grows, so do his interactions with neighbors, city bureaucracy, Facebook groups and the three members of the Board. Lucas’s clever thought process eventually leads to a solution for the pile and a possibly different way to live life. Crisp writing and detailed characterization combine in a short story this is a quick and hilarious read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Fredrick Backman for this SRC.

Synopsis: “The Answer Is No” by Fredrik Backman is a humorous short story that follows the misadventures of introvert Lucas, a frying pan and the absurdity of bureaucracy.

While I own four of Backman’s books, this is my first reading of his — and I loved it. It was a great introduction to his work. I thoroughly enjoyed Backman’s witty writing, sharp observations and quirky characters.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an advanced reader copy of #TheAnswerIsNo.

❝Being smart is the worst thing one can be in modern society. All it ever means is more work.❞

The Answer is No - Fredrik Backman
★★★★☆

Thank you Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

As an introvert myself, i can totally relate to Lucas in this piece about definition of happiness which can be different depends on the person. The gap between them is a problem, it's just a matter of perspective, mindset, and lifestyle. Backman showed that there's no such thing as right or wrong in this topic and you can't just force your ideal to other people most of all if they don't asked for it. It truly bothered me when everybody just force something onto Lucas' face and he had no control to counter it when he actually has right to accept or decline. A nightmare, really.

'The Answer is No' is a witty, infuriating, perfect, eye-opening short read for those who are people pleaser and afraid to draw a line and say 'no' frankly, you'll need this!

The Answer is No was a very quick, funny read about a dysfunctional apartment building and a problematic pile of junk. I'm sure someone smarter than me could do some very interesting literary analysis about society, groups of people in power, bureaucratic inefficiency, and happiness, but I had fun and it was great to read some of Backman's signature style.

I've been wanting to pick up a Fredrik Backman book for AGES and I was actually so excited to see this was included in the kindle first reads this month. If this is a precursory glimpse into his standard writing, I will absolutely be shifting his books up in my TBR this winter.

This was funny, witty, and an interesting little dive into humans and how they, well, human lol. It's short but was packed with humorous moments that actually made me laugh out loud and resonated pretty deep for a short novella.

I rounded up to 5 because I just adored it.

The Answer is No is a new short story from Fredrik Backman.
“Lucas just wants to be left alone but the apartment board (HOA) won’t stop asking about his frying pan and someone keeps taking his Pad Thai and now he’s in charge of the pile that has accumulated outside the apartment. He just wants to stay behind his door and be left alone. How did this happen?”

Even though it’s a short story there are still great people observations from Backman. He rails on the ridiculousness of bureaucracy and how often people ignore a simple solution. And how some people do not want to be left alone and will do anything to connect. I loved the Ove Easter Egg.
This was a November First Read.

3.5 rounded up.

“The Answer is No” follows Lucas, a proud loner, and the story of how a frying pan “ruined his life.”

If this premise sounds intriguing to you, you’re in for a weird, delightful little ride. This is a short and sweet story you can finish in one sitting. It’s about happiness, neighbors, following rules, and breaking rules. It has Backman’s simple, but effective writing style which truly conveys how we’re all humans trying our best.

At the surface, this book reads like an odd fever dream. A lot happens, and it’s not at all grounded in reality in terms of the major plot developments. In fact, it veers very close to slapstick territory most of the time. This wasn’t my favorite Backman, but I can appreciate its fun nature, and it didn’t waste my time. Pick this up if you want something quick and easy in between holiday mayhem, or if you want a heartwarming story that might make you giggle. “The Answer is No” follows Lucas, a proud loner, and the story of how a frying pan “ruined his life.”

If this premise sounds intriguing to you, you’re in for a weird, delightful little ride. This is a short and sweet story you can finish in one sitting. It’s about happiness, neighbors, following rules, and breaking rules. It has Backman’s simple, but effective writing style which truly conveys how we’re all humans trying our best.

At the surface, this book reads like an odd fever dream. A lot happens, and it’s not at all grounded in reality in terms of the major plot developments. In fact, it veers very close to slapstick territory most of the time. This wasn’t my favorite Backman, but I can appreciate its fun nature, and it didn’t waste my time. Pick this up if you want something quick and easy in between holiday mayhem, or if you want a heartwarming story that might make you giggle.

This was wonderful. I love everything I've read by this man and this was no exception. It was very funny, I'm now in a great mood.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing this arc!
4 ⭐️

As a big fan of Fredrik Backman, I knew this book would be amazing. It didn't disappoint. I simply love the way the author brings characters to life. It's impressive how he was able to tell such a sweet story in only 70 pages. I can't wait for whatever comes next. I will definitely devour it.

Goodreads Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a fellow Swede, The Answer Is No by Fredrik Backman hit incredibly close to home. Backman has an uncanny ability to capture the essence of Swedish life—boards, committees, and all the small, bureaucratic "yada yada" that shapes our community. This short, sweet, and funny read made me laugh, reflect, and think deeply about the "piles" we accumulate in life, both literal and metaphorical.

If you haven’t experienced Fredrik Backman’s work yet, you’re truly missing out. His writing is a perfect blend of humor, heart, and sharp societal observation. The Answer Is No may be brief, but it’s packed with insight and charm. Nothing less than 5 stars for this man—always.


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Instagram Review:
📚✨BOOK REVIEW✨📚
The Answer Is No by Fredrik Backman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This short and sweet gem had me laughing and reflecting in equal measure. As a Swede, I couldn’t help but nod along at Backman’s hilarious (and painfully accurate) depiction of our society—the endless boards and bureaucracy, anyone? 😂 But beyond the humor, it made me think deeply about the "piles" we let build up in life.

Fredrik Backman is truly one of a kind. He’s funny, insightful, and always manages to say so much in such a simple way. If you haven’t read anything by him yet, The Answer Is No is the perfect place to start!

📖💭 Do you have a favorite Fredrik Backman book? Or any piles of your own you’ve been meaning to tackle? Let’s chat in the comments! ⬇️

#FredrikBackman #SwedishAuthors #BookReview #5StarRead #TheAnswerIsNo #Bookstagram

You can always count on Fredrik Backman to deliver on the humour and he definitely delivered with The Answer Is No. I'm talking about actual laugh out loud moments. It is a ridiculous story but an ode to introverts. A short and funny read. I loved this book. I got the ARC from Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories. All opinions expressed are mine.

“He works well in groups as long as it’s groups of fewer than two people.”

The Answer is No is a short story about a happy, introverted, man that keeps getting pulled into the chaos of unhappy people.

In a short story, I appreciate how quickly the wit shines through. I was grinning on page 2. That said, the writing escalates so quickly and dramatically that its characters become caricatures and its story a farce. It induced a bit too much anxiety for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for offering this Read Now in exchange for my honest review. This book was published December 1, 2024.

This short story is as ridiculous and it is funny. It starts with a frying pan left outside. Garbage. No one takes ownership and the frying pan grows to a pile. Lucas is appointed President of the Pile Committee. There’s a funny cast of characters: Purple Dress, Green Shirt and the three board members. There’s pad Thai with peanuts and pad Thai without. There’s discussion about how to load dishwashers and inside out pillowcases. There are funny Facebook groups, fake angels and a video game that needs to be played. But ultimately the theme is our search for happiness.

I absolutely love this author! Whether it’s funny rambling sentences as seen here, or his eloquent prose in the Beartown series, I will always read his works.

Follow him on social media for his daily tales of random things. Delightful!

Heartwarming!! Backman knows his niche and does an incredible job at it. At first I was apprehensive it was going to feel too similair to his other books like A Man Called Ove but The Answer is No carves itself out as a great short story.

Lucas just wants to be left alone, but a frying pan sets off a chain of events that turn his life of solitude upside down. The condo board arrives at his door demanding to see his frying pan, insistent on finding the guilty party who abandoned theirs outside. Rather than fix the problem, like Lucas suggested, they were more concerned with holding someone accountable and drag Lucas into their plan to catch the guilty party. As someone who lived in an HOA with residents and board members who would get upset about the most absurd things I can totally relate to the antics of the board. Blackman has some insightful commentary, but the story got a little over the top and too silly for me. I didn’t find it to be the hilarious short story as advertised. I’m sure many Blackman fans will love it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Fredrik Backman has skilfully portrayed the character of Lucas, a selfish and self-absorbed individual who chooses to live his life without responsibility or commitment, which he considers are “two of the easiest ways of ruining any perfectly good day.” He actively avoids interaction with any of his neighbours, particularly the forceful members of the Apartment Board. He prefers a solitary life where he can drink his wine and play video games.

Lucas is not a man to encourage discussions or get involved in debate, but he sometimes discloses wise thoughts. One of these is that some people are more interested in blame and punishment for the troubles they encounter (such as discarded unwanted items) than in solving the problem.

Lucas finds himself making connections with his neighbouring tenants as the story progresses. He does not like himself for behaving socially, which contradicts the standards he has always adopted. His solution to the dilemma of the discarded pile of goods however does involve some interaction with his fellow tenants, his plan being clever and shrewd.

Fredrik Backman has written a delightfully funny and witty short story of a man happy in his solitude. The story is written in the author’s typical droll style, perfectly describing the absurdity of modern life with laughter and joy. The writing is brilliant but not overly sentimental. The characters in the story are suitably quirky and eccentric.

I was fully captivated with the story, which is another gem from this talented author. I would unconditionally recommend the story to all readers who enjoy Fredrik’s clever, witty style.

The Answer is No is a new short story by New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman. It will make you laugh and smile reading about a man who prefers solitude in a world that won't leave him alone. And it's all because of a frying pan.

Lucas prefers nights of video games, wine and pad thai (with peanuts, of course)...alone. But when the apartment board rings his doorbell demanding to see his frying pan, his solitary world spins comically out of control. It is a hilarious absurd domino effect.

Backman's signature witty writing style and development of unforgettable characters is sharp in The Answer is No. It is a good introduction to this author if you've never read his bestseller novels or a nice holiday treat if you're already a fan.

This Amazon Original short story is great for reading-on-the-go. Read while standing in line, waiting in a lobby or quick break from holiday shopping. Better yet, I recommend that you step away from your busy workday, find a quiet hidden spot and read this short story. It will give the break you so need! And if anyone dares to interrupt, the answer is no!

Happy Pub Day, Fredrik Backman! The Answer is No is available now.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

I don't usually read short stories, but of course I had to make an exception for one of my favorite authors. I'm a big fan of Fredrik Backman's writing, so I jumped at the chance to read his newest title The Answer Is No. The premise sounded promising and his humor is usually right up my alley, so I decided to dive straight in as soon as it appeared on my kindle. I'm happy to announce that I ended up having so much fun with this little story! The Answer Is No is pure Backman style with a simple but very effective portrait of a man who is a true introvert at heart... And would very much like to be just left alone. When his neighbors suddenly start to intrude his life, it creates some very absurd and hilarious situations along the way. I was surprised to find some character development along the way, especially for such a short story... But Lucas definitely shows some character growth by the end. The Answer Is No is one of those stories where it is best to just sit back and let the story roll over you without worrying about the credibility of it all. The often over the top events give the story its perfect comedy vibe, and the humor was spot on for me. The best news came at the end, when I discovered that there will be a new Fredrik Backman book coming out in 2025. I simply can't wait!

This was such a fun read! It’s a love letter to introverts and anyone who just needs to escape the world when it gets too people-y. Meet Lucas—a video game enthusiast and dedicated pad Thai lover (extra peanuts, of course!) who’s happily living a quiet life. That is, until he’s forced to interact with his quirky, chaotic neighbors after they discover a mysterious frying pan on the street. Absolute hilarity and mayhem follow, and I enjoyed every moment! I laughed out loud so many times, and I can’t recommend this enough.

The Answer is No is a fun little short story! I gave it 3.5 stars, rounded down. I wish it made just a little more sense, BUT there is a valuable point here. “Absolutely zero people go to therapy because yesterday they were sitting in a comfortable chair, eating a perfect pizza, drinking a good glass of red wine, watching a really funny movie.”- @backmansk

As someone who tries my best to live a simple life agrees that it might not be “textbook” human, it’s just my preference. The world can be crazy at times, and this is a humorous way of looking at it.

Thanks to @netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

#booksonaburger #ARC #netgalley #fredrikbackman #humour #bookstagram