*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

From the author of Beartown and A Man Called Ove, THE ANSWER IS NO is a novella that tackles some of the bigger questions of life with Backman's signature humor. It's absurd, it's thought-provoking, and it's good for a little laugh.

3.5/5 (rounded up)

I know this is a short novel, but I absolutely devoured it as fast as I could. I LOVED it. It's everything a short, comedic novel should be. Our main character, Lucas, lives a life like every introvert has ever dreamed. Alone, food and grocery delivery, plays games, works from home. All alone. It sounds like it would be lonely, but Lucas never has to worry about anyone telling him what to do or what he shouldn't. He can eat what he wants, drink what he wants, do what he wants whenever without the main problem of life. People.

And what happens? It was all too good to be true. A frying pan, the start of a much larger problem, ruins Lucas' perfect existence. And we get to follow along as bureaucracy, garbage, and other people ruin his happy life. And he discovers so much more. This short novel is a thought experiment in how much we need connection with others...or don't. Is it worth it?

It may be short, but The Answer is No is the definition of memorable and iconic. It all starts with a frying pan and a man who loves the word 'no' and just wants some peace and quiet. But peace and quiet is the last thing that Lucas will receive once his apartment building committee takes it upon themselves to determine who threw their frying pan out by the side of the building. The anarchy that follows, the confusion, the convoluted twists and turns, Fredrik Backman knows how to tell a story, even if it is about trash. This is the both the dumbest and funniest book I have ever read, in that everything that happens is so ridiculous and over the top but I can't stop laughing out loud. I will recommend this short story to everyone in need of a good laugh because it is just that good.

Just as good as both the other Backman books i've read and the short story novella compilation I'd read a few years ago (the deal of a lifetime and other stories). I love the way he writes and this was such a story of grief and what it feels like to be an introvert and I liked how Lucas wasn't forced to change who he was, he just was able to bring others together while he got to stay alone as he liked

Friedrik Backman is a great writter, but he has weird sense of humor.

“The Answer is No” is a short story about the absurdities of modern life. Lucas is a cynical introvert that lives alone and doesn’t want to interact with others. All he needs is pad Thai, wine and video games to be happy. Until a frying pan disturbs his happiness.

The series of absurd and silly twists were funny, but also satirical. And the ending keeps you wondering what did you just read.

I received a digital copy of the book from Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’ll read anything Backman writes—even his shopping list—because I’m convinced he could infuse his intelligence and dark sarcasm into that, too! After finishing Winners, I found myself missing his words, his skilled storytelling, and his ability to make me laugh out loud.

This short story is yet another testament to his brilliance! It’s a tale about ordinary, quirky people, loneliness, sharp critiques of bureaucracy, and plenty of laughs. At its heart is Lucas, a man in his early thirties who is allergic to people, content with his life of non-stop video games, Pad Thai with extra peanuts, and a glass of wine. But one frying pan becomes the tipping point that threatens to disrupt his entire existence.

Why, you ask? To find out, you’ll need to dive into this humorous, intelligent, and utterly unique story. Along the way, you’ll meet an unforgettable cast of characters—my favorite being Linda (or, as they call her, “Shut Up Linda”).

In summary: I can’t recommend Backman’s work enough. This short story is a five-star gem filled with peculiar, irritating neighbors and moments that will have you laughing out loud.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing a digital reviewer copy of this amazing novella in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I LOVE Frederik Backmam and this book reminded we why. It is well written, witty and absolutely unforgettable.

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman is a very funny short story about one man trying to live his life without his routine being interrupted and what happens when one day something out of the ordinary occurs. It is a quick read, but very much worth it. The story is very relatable and this is one that I would recommend to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, quick read that truly encapsulates the writing style of Fredrik. A great recommendation for anyone who is looking to get into his books or something to hold over his fans until his next book. I’m a fan of his tone and the way he ties his stories together.

There are very few people who can create mundane characters with such heart lioke Fredrik Backman. These are the ones we often don't pay attention to - the elderly woman next door, the single man living upstairs you only see once a month.

In this short story, we meet Lucas, who has nothing in life to complain about, until a frying pan is left in front of his building and all hell breaks loose. We meet the obligatory funny side characters, some simply named Head one, purple dress, etc. "

"That’s your sweet spot, because everyone wants a neighbor who minds his own business, but if you mind your own business too much the neighbors may be reminded that this is exactly what everyone always says about serial killers: “Him? I remember him as a bit of a loner. Kept to himself"

There are some memorable lines that just stuck with me and are classic Backman:

"Love isn’t powerful enough. But spite? Spite can change the world. Soon the whole street is full of people who for hours and hours voluntarily carry away junk, just to prove that angels don’t exist. No one dares to tell them that this actually sounds very much like something that angels would do."
"You’re fortunate, Lucas. You view loneliness as taking people away. But for most of us, loneliness is just adding more loneliness.”
This was just the sweetest of short stories, and loved how it all wrapped up in the end.

Can't wait for Backman's next book(s), because there is no one quite like him.

This was a laugh out loud sardonic look at one man who lived for his solitude, and the chaos that ensued when his world was invaded by others!

I think that everyone who has lived somewhere that has a governing Board in charge will find this true to character. Poor Lucas’ solitary life is interrupted one day by a knock on his door. The dreaded Board is on the other side and the romp begins. Lucas meets a couple of his unusual neighbors and other assorted people along the way.

Quick, silly read good for some laughs.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book but my opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for this arc.

Lucas wants to be left alone to eat his pizza, drink some red wine, and finish his new video game but someone throws out a frying pan and his plan goes to hell. The Pile starts, the residence board appears on his doorstep, and his neighbors start to talk to him.

While it’s only 68 pages long, I did laugh a lot while reading it and it’s a wonderful microcosm of modern life. We get neighbors, city government, a residence board, and FB groups. Up til now, Lucas has avoided all of this which makes him … maybe not happy but not unhappy either which is much less exhausting than trying to be happy all the time. Sadly he’s soon dragged kicking, sighing, and horrified into a Kafkaesque mess because he makes the mistake of actually trying to solve a problem rather than just laying blame on someone.

The first half or slightly more of the story is truly funny but then it sort of jumps the tracks when the FB angel groups appear. The image of a three-headed hydra board (“Not now, Linda!”) had me in stitches. Lucas is horrified to discover he’s actually beginning to be (gasp!) social as well as being called upon to make decisions. In the end, it seems like maybe he’s found a middle way? I’d give this one a B.

Lucas's solitary, orderly life is turned upside-down when someone leaves a frying pan outside the building's recycling room, and the building board comes a-calling. And things only get stranger from there...

This makes for a whimsical, absurdist read—and by midway through the story, one can't really blame Lucas for wanting to close himself away from his neighbors and the rest of the world. Go into this expecting common sense and you will be sorely disappointed, but...perhaps go in expecting common sense anyway, as that will keep things more interesting.

"Just to be clear: It's not that Lucas hates other people. He just really enjoys being where other people aren't. He works well in groups as long as it's groups of fewer than two people." (loc. 67)

Sometimes people are enough to make a person want to investigate the sort of coma the green-shirt woman has, aren't they?

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for gifting me a digital ARC of this novella by the amazing Fredrik Backman. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Lucas has found the secret to happiness - no people. He's happy just the way he is. But then people start appearing in his life.

Fredrik Backman is the hero for all introverts, and this book will resound soundly with all of them. There is no one who writes with the same relatability, wit, heart and with the best characters to both teach and entertain us. I loved every short page of this book - a must read!!

A Fredrik Backman story to hold me over until My Friends publishes in 2025? Yes, please! This short story was as heartfelt as I expected from Backman, but it was also positively hilarious. I enjoy following Backman on IG and his dry, sarcastic humor makes my day when he posts. This short story was full of THAT side of his personality, but it also had an undercurrent of found family and overcoming loneliness with human connection. I enjoyed the ride for this quick read!

Thank you to Fredrik Backman, Amazon and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This short story packs a punch! I've read a few others books by Backman and his ability to write characters with depth is unmatched! Within a few pages I felt like I knew these characters better than I do after reading full length novels. A true talent!

Backman's humor is no for everyone but I love it! A little dry and to the point which definitely made me giggle out loud at a few points - I'm 100% on team "peanuts on pad thai" iykyk ;)

I look forward to reading more from Backman in the future!

A funny, relatable short story with some valuable life lessons included. I loved the humourous tone of The Answer Is No, and many aspects of Lucas' personality and mindset resonated with me. It draws from real-life experiences that many of us will have had with neighbours and exaggerates these to a new level, while the situations presented allow the characters to learn important lessons about loneliness and the value of taking risks to be happy. Lucas was so relatable that I was engaged with the story from the beginning, and found it to be a fun, heartwarming read - would recommend this to anyone else looking for a quick escape from real life.

I'd say this book is like 60% of my personality.

It is short, but it is both funny and a sort of self-help/motivational book for introverts.
It motivates us introverts to BOTH accept that it's perfectly fine to be as we are (and set boundaries that extroverts might not understand), AND that sometimes we can enjoy people and interactions when we least expect it, so we should push ourselves out of the comfort every now and then. In small doses of course.

I didn't really expect this funny book to be profound, nor to have me shed a tear (the hat/kitten scene, and the "jumping kids").

I'm glad I decided to take this up on a whim, after seeing it on another's feed.

I also adore the cover so much that I'm sad there won't be a printed copy of this. I would be a proud owner of one. But it's just the right length for the story and it would not make sense to water it down just to get a page goal.

I am Lucas. Lucas is me.

The first few pages were already hilarious because I relate with the entirety of Lucas’ introverted, nearly antisocial disposition. And then the moment we got into the frying pan incident, we’re led through even more nonsensical events and meet silly characters that made the story simply hysterical.

Yet in true Backman fashion, this short story carries a profound message. How do you become a happy person? It’s perhaps better to reframe the question: how do you keep yourself from being unhappy? The answer is different for everyone.

"It’s a frying pan that ruins Lucas’s life."

This little short gives you a moment to pause and laugh at the absurd. With living close together in an apartment or condo environment, interactions with neighbors can be silly because of the forced proximity. People that would not normally interact are suddenly thrown together and it can create silly moments.

I just made sure to not take this one seriously and roll with the silly. It was cute and I bet it's a great audio. Quick read and I enjoyed it for small break from the hustle and bustle of holiday stress.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.