The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

Amazon Original Stories (December 1, 2024)

68 pages

Short Story/Comedy

In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control.

Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone?

Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.

Told in Fredrik Backman’s singular witty style with sharply drawn characters and relatable antics, The Answer Is No is a laugh-out-loud portrait of a man struggling to keep to himself in a world that won’t leave him alone.

REVIEW

Full of antics as a solitary man finds himself in the middle of drama and politics in his apartment complex. A bit of an odd read. A quirky very short read for pleasure.

Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (November 11, 2024)

About the Author

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, The Winners, and Anxious People, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. Fredrik lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Instagram (@Backmansk) or find him on Facebook and X (@Backmanland).