Short Story Review – The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 68 pages
Publisher:‎ Amazon Original Stories
Release Date: September 10, 2024
ASIN: B0D5JLH3RJ
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Kindle First Reads
Rating: 4/5 stars

“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.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone story. I got this on ebook through Kindle First Reads.

Thoughts: This is the first Backman story I have ever read, and I will definitely be reading more. This was an adorable little story. It is about a man Lucas who is happy because he avoids the most disruptive thing in the world, other people. When he mistakenly gets drawn into a conflict over a misplaced frying pan everything goes to crazy town.

This was humorous and funny and heartfelt. I liked Lucas and his routines and his attitudes. I thought it was entertaining to watch all that get turned on its head.

Yes, this was incredibly predictable and a little bit ridiculous as well. However, it was a small-time commitment, had me smiling, and was fun and easy to read.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this. It was entertaining, humorous, thought-provoking, and heart-felt. It is a bit predictable and goofy as well. I would recommend for those looking for a quick humorous, heartfelt read. This was my first Backman read, and I plan to read more after reading this!