I am always game for a good book by Fredrick Backman. This was no exception. A short novella about a man who just likes to be by himself. But then the Committee comes, and being by himself become a thing of the past for a few days. But it also shows him that some interaction with people is not always bad. After a mysterious frying pan shows up "outside the garbage bin" it is the Committee that puts Lucas in charge of finding out whose it is, because he has good ideas. But then he meets the Lady in the Purple Dress and the Lady in the Green Shirt. They show him a whole new world and how it works. In the end his ideas do work, and maybe the Lade in the Purple Dress had more of a motive than she initially intended. But it all comes back to being yourself.

I enjoyed this quick little read, reminiscent of Anxious People in some ways. Loved the interaction of strangers and how a simple problem becomes everyone's problem for a couple of days.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Original Stories, and of course Mr. Backman for another read that made me giggle.

Classic Fredrik Backman: deep and introspective without being heavy or didactic. A really quick and short read, great place to start if your just getting into his work. Very much enjoyed, big recommend.

Lucas is wholly-content with life the way it is. He lives in his apartment in just the way he likes. His nighttime routine is red wine, pad thai, and video games, without any disturbance or interruption from other people. In fact, he quite enjoys the lack of people in his life--the less interaction, the better. One day, the simple issue of recycling in Lucas' apartment complex upends his solitude and his routine, all in one sweep. To Lucas, it's all downhill from there: until something unexpected happens.

Whether a full novel or a novella (or in this case, something even shorter) few writers today have the ability to imbue a story with the kind of heartstring-tugging, laugh-out-loud humanity in the way that Fredrik Backman can. These pages are teeming with a familiar simplicity that represents everyday life in its most honest form, and in that form, its impossible not feel every scene (and every word) deeply.

"Lucas doesn't really know how to respond to that. He doesn't think much about death. Not much about life either. He has found that the easiest way to be happy is to think about time in about eight-hour increments, and to always have something to look forward to at the end of those hours: pad Thai, video games, wine. Small great things. But then again, Lucas has never loved a cat, so what does he really know about life?"

A perfect story. Happy reading.

A lovely little story from the amazing Fredrik Backman. The main character, Lucas, is a matter-of-fact, rather introverted apartment dweller. He is happy with the predictability of his solitary life. That all changes hilariously when the apartment board approaches him about— wait for it— a discarded frying pan. This is a madcap “Who’s On First?” sort of adventure with a lot of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This book was hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions. This is the second book of Backman's that I have read, and I must admit, he is quickly becoming a favourite author. This is a very short read, but full of life, and humour and a little bit of sadness. A must read.

Fredrik Backman doing Fredrik Backman things. Only he can pull off something like this - the combination of his distinct observant narrative style that is simultaneously sweeping and intimate, his humour, and the plots that range from mildly to wildly ridiculous but also feel so real and human. I'm excited for his first new novel in a few years that's out in the summer.

While I am a big fan of Fredrik Backman, this, in my opinion, isn't his best work. He is so much better when he focuses on the darker themes rather than going for the light-hearted. But I would still recommend the book to anyone looking for a nice reading experience, something light and good-feeling.

Out Now - "The Answer is No" - 5 Thousands Stars

Fredrik Backman can really do no wrong in my eyes, but this quick story (coming in just under and hour of reading time) was the kind of story that other writers probably hate him for being able to write.

I recorded 13 quotes in my Bookly app. I never record quotes, like, EVER. But this time I got 13 out of 60-some pages of story. It's frigging amazing.

Chef's Kiss Mr. Backman. Keep up the great work.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this great story. I was not paid for this honest review. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #fredrikbackman #theanswerisno #netgalley

This was my first book by Fredrik Backman, but definitely won’t be my last. This short story was under 100 pages long, yet still made me laugh and feel connected to the characters in such a short amount of time. Truly phenomenal writing and I cannot wait to see what Fredrik can do with more words and more pages. I can only imagine the emotions he will make me be able to feel in his longer works since he was able to make me feel truly apart of this world in such a short book.

Fredrick Backman is able to take something so small and yet a uniquely human emotion and turn it into the most heartwarming novella out there. We follow Lucas, who is admittely a loner but quite happy about it. Until people in his building decide to start bothering him about everything, we get to join as Lucas' definition of happy expands.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Fredrik Backman always has a way of taking a curmudgeon character and making them lovable while weaving in a life lesson.

Lucas is pulled from his comforting isolation when his apartment board drags him into an investigation into who left a frying pan on the ground outside. It's a quick read with Backman's humor, emotion, and strong voice. I enjoyed it as much as the longer works of his I've read.

A short story that reminded me a bit of “a man called one” . It was an enjoyable read since I really like Backmans writing but not very memorable. Can be a good introduction into Backmans books.

“Because people aren’t supposed to be happy, they’re only supposed to want to be happy because how otherwise are you supposed to be able to sell things to them”

The Answer is No is a short story (68 pages) by Fredrik Backman.

I've read most works by Fredrik Backman, so a 68 page short story ... "I'm in!"

Very satirical. Very Fredrik Backman. But very condensed. What's not to like?

Lucas doesn't socialize much. Likes video games, wine and pad thai ... and not really people. And then there is a knock on his door.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read the advance read copy of The Answer is NO in exchange for an honest review. Written by Fredrik Backman and translated by Elizabeth DeNoma. Approx 68 pages. Released in early December 2024.

Wow! What a book! At first I couldn't figure out what in the world I was reading! Well, actually all the way through I was trying to figure that out! I'm not sure I have ever read a book where so many characters don't have names, only descriptions! Green shirt, purple dress, etc, all become important charactaters that made me laugh out loud several times! Overall, a quick, easy read about humans, life, and how to find happiness! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A Backman short story about a man who has voluntarily and happily cut himself off from other people and how he is then drawn back into the fold by a frying pan.....

This felt like a morality tale, a parable showing the good of being part of a group, rather than alone, equating happiness with others, forgetting that unhappiness is also part of being with others too. Me I remain rather sceptic.

An ARC kindly given by author/publisher via Netgalley.

Backman’s writing seems so simple but it is also so profound. It is thought provoking but also approachable. Heartwarming and heartbreaking. In less than 100 pages, he made me love Lucas, the woman in the green shirt, and the woman in the purple dress and made me feel as if I knew so much more about them than I could possibly learn in such a short story. I laughed out loud at certain parts at the ridiculousness of the characters. But even though there was some silliness, they still held a bit of truth, particular about social media. As always when reading Backman, I loved the entire experience.

Nothing describes human nature better than all the reasons why we shouldn't want to be near other people.

(I loved it, I can't believe this is the first “book” I read by Fredrik Backman)

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Answer is No takes you on the adventure of a few days in the life of Lucas, a life which is usually not adventurous as at. Until a frying pan goes missing.
This is a quick and absurd novella which you should not take too seriously but which surprisingly has some deeper insights on life itself. It has the usual humour we’re used to from Backman‘s other novels as well as quirky characters which manage to charm you in an effortless way. I would lie if I didn‘t find some parts of Lucas relatable.
The perfect book for a quick laugh!

Oh, Fredrik Backman. You have a way with taking something so silly or ordinary and somehow making it deep.

The Answer is No follows Lucas, a 30-something man who lives on his own and loves his life. He does what he wants, most of which is done by himself with little interaction with others around him. After a frying pan shows up on the ground outside his apartment building’s recycling center he gets dragged into the apartment board’s politics, his neighbors, and—strange enough—a cult!

Everything about this story was typical Fredrik Backman—quirky characters, funny scenarios, and lots of unexpected feelings. I love it 🥰