First time reading Backman's book and I loved the experience.
This was a wholesome book for me. It talks about the human nature of being a social animal, but only till an extent that's possible. The minutest detail in this book brings a sense of enjoyment while reading. There were instances when I would actually laugh out loud reading about the torture that Lucas had to go through. The nameless characters, especially Linda had me cracking up!
There is something about the ending that is so mesmerizing. I don't wish to spoil it for you, but it's a short read and can be read in less than an hour.

Backman could write a new phone book and I would read it. This story is true to his form—full of heart and insight and wisdom. Loved it

fun short story from backman - has that anxious people style humor i love with a wacky cast of characters

This is a relatively short book for Backman. It is funny and the characters are quirky. Lucas is happy being alone and isolated in his apartment. But when someone leaves a frying pan beside the recycle bin the building management makes a big todo about it. Lucas tries to show the board they are ridiculous.

Lucas is just trying to live his best life, alone and unbothered, when his building board comes to see him about a frying pan left outside. During the investigation that follows, Lucas gets to know some of his neighbors and realizes it’s better to have a community (even if you need a break from them sometimes) than to always be alone. This funny little short story is classic Fredrik Backman, full of both humor and emotion, and I loved it! Lucas and all of the side characters were realistic and funny, and I would have read a whole book about them!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for my copy! ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fredrik Backman delivers a moving exploration of silence and its consequences in The Answer is No. The narrative is both heartbreaking and empowering, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit. Backman’s ability to capture the nuances of emotion resonates deeply with readers. This story is a celebration of courage and a reminder of the power of saying no.

My first ever Backman read, and I understand why he's so beloved! I loved the characters and the way he tells a story even in such a short book. There was a great journey, and it walked the line between humorous and serious. Just overall loved this! I'll definitely be picking up more from Backman in the future!

This was a quick and easy little read. The plot was a little bit ridiculous, but full of humor. I liked the message that introverts don't need to change and that they can find happiness in being alone :)

📱 THE ANSWER IS NO by Fredrik Backman
Genre: contemporary fiction short story
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodreads review: Omg LOVED??
💭: this short story was everythinnngggg. It was similar to a man called ove but a lighter & more exaggerated version. It had classic FB writing and humor with a deeper rooted theme entwined throughout the story but specifically through the character arcs & development. I wish it was a full book but i genuinely think it was a perfect short story. It was LOL funny and also so heartwarming 10/10 rec

As a self-professed introvert myself, I could identify with the character when he just wanted to be left alone. The story is laugh-out-loud funny and it was easy to envision the ridiculous characters with their 'problems'.. This was a delightful story.

This was my first story by Fredrik Backman and he was so hilarious. Though it was short, it made me laugh out so loud while questioning so many things happening around me.
Author has a very different style of approaching the hard truths of the society with the help of humour.
One truth I learnt through this story was to say NO. Gosh it was funny story that warmed my heart.
This makes me go and read more stories by Backman.

Combining quick dialogue, staccato style writing and a sort of silly storyline, I wasn't sure if this novella/short story was going to be for me, The premise seemed so wildly absurd (a lonely man and a mysterious case of an abandoned frying pan?) but since it was penned by beloved Backman, I figured I would give it a go. Overall, it was fairly amusing and ended up containing a bit more depth than I had originally anticipated. I think if you're a fan of Backman you will enjoy this quirky, off-the-wall story.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original for access to the e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lucas is happy because happiness is effortless for him; it’s everything he already has, minus humans.

All he did was to “ 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚, 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆. “

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨. “

But one day, Lucas’s doorbell rings, and nothing good ever happens, and “𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐞. “

The answer is No. It is the perfect read for introverted people like me; it is a powerful read humorously. Almost everything is so relatable.

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀?”

Lucas, our main protagonist, wants to be left alone to play video games and eat pad Thai with peanuts (ugh, I hate peanuts 🥜 ). Yeah, but this is what Lucas loved: that he doesn’t have to make meal choices depending upon other person likes and dislikes

It’s a short read of 67 pages where every page and every part is filled with humor and wittiness.

“𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.”

Fredrik described the human mind and the impact of social media on our lives in a humourous, intelligent, and unique way.

This hilarious short story impacts the dark side (political )of our lives in a very witty way and makes you laugh out loud.

A quietly powerful novella that perfectly captures Fredrik Backman’s signature mix of humor, melancholy, and deep emotional insight. In just a few pages, it delivers a gut-punch of reflection on grief, regret, and the choices we make—or don’t make—when life demands an answer. It’s simple, yet profound, and as all of Backman's works will leave me thinking about it for long after I read it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short piece by Fredrik Backman. I always look forward to Backman's books, and this story surpassed my expectations.

In "The Answer is No," we meet Lucas. Normally content to keep to himself, he notices someone left a frying pan next to the building's recycling room.

When he alerts the building's management authority, he inadvertently tasks himself to find the guilty tenant. Despite himself, he feels boxed in by the increasingly absurd situations the other tenants throw it him.

This goofy short story will lighten your day. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

The writing, the humor and the characters of Backman are present on this short story! Despite being only 68 pages I got attached to Lucas and his challenges. Who doesn't want to stay at home all day and eat pad thai?
In here we can find a different perspective of what it means to be happy 😊

I really enjoy Lucas an his new acquaintances, and special the message behind the frying pan and hill.
I'm glad that I read this story ❤️

Fredrik Backman never disappoints me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

At first, this seems like a funny short story about a man who wants to be left alone and a frying pan, along with his ridiculous neighbors, start to ruin all of that. But what I love most about Backman’s writing is you’ll be reading what you think is a funny short story full of silly characters, and then he hits you with this:

“It’s so silly, but I miss another thing, too, from when the kids were very young. They used to come running and jump into my arms when I came home. Jump into my arms. Have you ever experienced that?”. . . “It’s . . . unbelievable. You never forget how it feels. Sometimes I think that children should be teenagers first, and become small afterwards, because it’s unbearable for parents to get used to the fact that they don’t jump anymore.”

Ugh. His writing is so good and poignant and full of empathy for the human condition and I love reading whatever he decides to write! Such a sweet story!

This was super short and enjoyable (it’s only 60 pages). It’s a good way to start your Fredrik Backman journey!

- the title of the book maybe be "the answer is no", but if you were to ask me if you should read this, "the answer is yes".
- fun, light-hearted, witty short story that really gets you emotionally involved in each character.
- lucas and his colour friends, the ninjas, the not angels and pad thai all gave me a great laugh.

5/5

A great place for people starting with Fredrik Backman, and I enjoyed this one. The book went in a bit of a different direction than I was expecting based on the description but I still recommend this one!