I LOVE Fredrik Backman. His humor, his prose, and his commentary on the human experience. I love his backlist so I had to read his newest novella.

This novella was great, and I laughed so many times for a short novella. He manages to tell a complete story in short order, with wit and a message and all the warm feelings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 12/01/24

Thank you Amazon for this amazing novella!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a young man who thinks he has everything figured out. He is happy as long as he doesn’t have to interact with people. He stays in his apartment and doesn’t bother with the outside world. That is until one day his door bell rings and that changes his life.

I am a huge fan of Backman. He has a unique way of storytelling and he just understands human nature. This is a short story and it has his classic storytelling going on.

I liked the characters and how everything unfolded. It was humorous and just very real.

I do wish it was a bit longer and a bit more developed but otherwise I did enjoy it!

In The Answer Is No, Fredrik Backman once again showcases his singular witty style, creating sharply drawn characters and weaving in relatable antics. This laugh-out-loud novel captures the essence of a man’s struggle to maintain his solitude in a world that persistently refuses to leave him alone. Through humor and poignant moments, Backman brilliantly paints a portrait of solitude and the chaos of unwanted company.

This short story is hilarious, relatable, and has such a deep inspirational message you wonder how it's possible to achieve that in under 70 pages. It just proves that Fredrik Backman can do no wrong.

Fredrik Backman is my absolute favorite author for a reason, and he just keeps confirming his place as number one with each new book.

'Love is not to never fight. Love is always making up.'

This was as quirky and silly as I expected it to be and, as in every book written by Backman, it is that silliness through which he explores such little details from the human nature. It's the silly little things that make us humans human, and he writes about and around them SO well. There's always something I have never thought of before, especially not in a way he explains it. My perspective is always slightly shifted after finishing one of his stories. While his books are guaranteed to make you giggle, they are also guaranteed to make you rethink your own behavior, to dive deep into your own feelings, and to empathize more. This one was a typical Backman story, and I only wish it was longer because I always want to stay a little longer in these bubbles he creates.

Highly recommend, which truly surprises no one! If you want something sweet, profound, and extra short, pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This was so cute and quirky. Loved it.

Great short story!

I loved the combination of deep thoughts , sarcasm, and the dry humor and how it was all connected to a growing pile of garbage.

This novella is both funny and inspiring. The main character Lucas is happy being left alone by the world to enjoy his pad thai and video games. His neighbors however, have other ideas. I found Lucas incredibly relatable and even his neighbors started to grow on me. I've always connected with Backman's writing style and humor, so this was another hit for me. The Answer is No is a perfect one sitting short story!

Thank you Amazon Original Stories for providing me an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A quick fun read! Lucas is a man that enjoys his own company and is content with his video games and delivery Pad Thai until there’s a knock on his door and all of that changes due to a frying pan. A funny and heartwarming story about contentment, friendship, and how a seemingly harmless encounter can change perspectives and lives. Highly recommended this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Shorts for this advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

4 stars - a decent short, implausible but quite enjoyable. Ready for Backman'd next release now. Thanks to Amazon & Net Galley for the ARC

The Answer Is No is a light and silly short story written in Fredrick Backman’s in his usual humorous style. It was perfect stress free break to relax with an easy and fun story.

I adore Fredrik Backman’s writing!!! It just works so well for me.

This follows Lucas, who slightly reminds me of a young Ove if you’re familiar with Backman’s other works. He lives alone and doesn’t particularly like people. He is happiest when not surrounded by other people and likes to be on his own.

Circumstances occur regarding a frying pan, and Lucas ends up having various visitors knocking on his door, much to his annoyance. Some of these parts made me laugh out loud, particularly “Not now, Linda”!

Backman has a remarkable way of writing characters that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand. He makes unlikable characters lovable without the reader even realising there has been a shift. That was also the case with this story.

I found this incredibly wholesome and sweet, and highly recommend it if you’re looking for something to warm your heart.

This was my first time reading Fredrik Backman, and his writing is truly unique. The story delivers straightforward messages wrapped in witty, clever situations. I laughed out loud so many times! This has definitely encouraged me to explore more of his novels.

4.5 Stars
One Liner: Haha… fun!

Luca was happy because he was alone and knew exactly what he wanted. Everything was great until a frying pan ruined it.
The story comes in the third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
Don’t bother with the blurb. The teeny first chapter sets the stage. Go with the flow and see where it takes you.
I wouldn’t call this laugh-out-loud funny, but it was more like a handful of chuckles and smirks along the way kind. Humor is subjective, so how well this story works depends on how much you enjoy this style of humor. It is satirical, dry, ironic, and teasing. Relatable but also exaggerated.
While I do empathize with Lucas a lot, my favorite is Linda. I mean, how can I not like her? She is the only other character named. The rest of the cast goes by identifiers that suit them well.
The pacing is a bit on the slower side, but the tempo doesn’t slack. The writing is intelligent and witty without being OTT.
To summarize, The Answer Is No is something a good portion of readers will possibly relate to an extent. The other kind might be a wee bit annoyed, but… calm down, extroverts. Go find someone else to annoy!
Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Fredrik Backman, known for his deeply layered and emotionally resonant storytelling, does not disappoint with this short story. This piece, like much of Backman's work, masterfully blends humor with serious themes, creating a narrative that is entertaining and thought-provoking.

The story is impeccably written, showcasing Backman's signature style of quirky yet relatable characters. Despite the often absurd and exaggerated situations they find themselves in, I can always find a piece of myself in these characters. This relatability is one of Backman's greatest strengths, making his stories resonate on a personal level.

"The Answer is No" is no exception to this rule. The humor is sharp and well-timed, providing a perfect counterbalance to the more serious undertones of the story. Backman's ability to weave these elements together seamlessly is what makes his writing so compelling.

"The Answer is No" is a delightful read that offers much more than meets the eye. For fans of Backman, this short story is a must-read, and for newcomers, it's a perfect introduction to his unique style.

Lucas is a happy person because he cancelled all human interaction - and yeah I can understand him! The first two or three chapters were funny and relatable. And then weird neighbors started popping up left and right and my blood started to boil.

Neighbor showing up - angry that the WI-FI ( not hers ) isn't working and demanding the password ( while threatening to stay there the whole evening ) HELL NO - I would have said : Listen lady pay for your own damn WiFi - and yeah feel free to stay here - I'm calling the police! Slam Door and bye!

And this is only ONE example of how I would have handled some situations. He actually was a quite dim character and made me so angry!

so I couldn't finish it.

Fredrik Backman's slightly humorous commentary on human relationships and connection.

It's easy to relate to our main character because he wants to be the human equivalent of the number zero - no wins, no failures, just vibes.

Unluckily for him, life chooses to find him through a parade of colorful characters who ask for his opinion, give him responsibilities, and challenge his peace.

If you're a fan of Backman or want to read something light and non-committal, you may resonate with the story of Lucas! Definitely give this a try.

<i>Thank you NetGalley for sharing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Poor Lucas is just a man in his thirties who wants to be left alone to be happy in his apartment, doing what he wants whenever he feels like it. He doesn’t want friends or relationships because people will always expect things of you and is perfectly happy without people in his life. However, his neighbours eventually intrude in his life and even though he tries very hard to ignore them, he can no longer just say No to whatever they want him to do.

This Fredrick Backman short story is full of his trademark offbeat quirky humour, especially when poking fun at petty bureaucracy. It’s delightfully absurd and guaranteed to make you chuckle.

Lucas is a happy man, an introvert who loves to play video games, order out and be left alone, having no one to worry about but himself. When three members of his apartments homeowners association come knocking on his door insisting he show them his frying pan and he asks questions that they hadn't thought of, they put him in charge of their committee and don't really give him a chance to say no.

This short story is full of Backmans usual sense of humor, silly and poignant at the same time. It has an Anxious People feel to it, so if you loved the humor in that one as I did I think you will enjoy this one as well. I enjoyed the portrayal of his neighbors, especially Linda and the lady in the purple dress, and my answer continues to be Yes to anything Backman writes including this short story.

Thank you to Net galley for this e galley in exchange for an honest review.

You will never find me rating anything below five stars for Fredrik Backman. I love the way he writes. It's always such a beautiful look at humanity and all of life's curiosities. I absolutely loved seeing things through Lucas' eyes.