Scan barcode
A review by _onemorechapter_
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
“He’s just happy. It wasn’t even particularly difficult. All he did was to remove the one thing that makes almost all people unhappy: other people. Whatever they want, the answer is no.”
“cruelest form of interpersonal terrorism: small talk.”
💭If you’ve ever wished for a cozy evening filled with just the right mix of comfort food, video games, and solitude, then you’ll feel right at home with Lucas, our lovable grump in *The Answer Is No*. Lucas has cracked the code to the perfect night: pad thai (peanuts mandatory), wine, and video games. People? Hard pass. This man is living his best-introverted life. This short story is a delightful romp through the chaotic and hilarious world of apartment living, where all Lucas wants is to be left alone with his pad thai (extra peanuts, of course), video game and a glass of wine.
But, of course, life has other plans! Until one day… dun dun dunnn entered the meddling apartment board, determined to investigate a rogue frying pan left next to the recycling room. What starts as a simple inquiry spirals into an uproarious chain of events that turns Lucas’s quiet existence upside down. Seriously, this is where Backman’s brilliance shines! His knack for crafting vivid, relatable characters had me laughing out loud as I followed Lucas’s antics—he’s the kind of introvert we all secretly cheer for!
💬 “Lucas opens the door with the defeated manner of a sausage that dressed itself up as a carrot to avoid being eaten by a bear, only to be found by a rabbit.”
I mean, can we just take a moment to appreciate that gem? Backman’s witty observations hit home, making me chuckle in recognition. He nails that feeling we all get when the doorbell rings, and you just *know* it’s going to be a whole thing.
The cast of characters is wonderfully quirky, from the enthusiastic Linda (or “Shut Up Linda,” as we lovingly call her) to the other residents who embody the delightful chaos of community living. Backman’s unique voice shines through, making the absurdity of their interactions not only entertaining but also deeply relatable.
This story is a heartwarming ode to introverts everywhere! It celebrates the beauty of solitude while gently poking fun at the extroverted world that sometimes just doesn’t get it. And can we talk about how refreshing it is that Lucas doesn’t completely change to fit in?
With its perfect blend of humor, insight, and genuine heart, *The Answer Is No* is a treasure that’ll leave you laughing, nodding in agreement, and maybe even a little misty-eyed. Backman’s ability to capture the essence of human connection—whether through laughter, annoyance, or those quiet moments of reflection—is unmatched.
So grab your pad Thai and settle in for a delightful read! This story is a reminder that sometimes, the best company is your own, and that's perfectly okay.
𝐏.𝐒 Save this post for your next cozy read, and let’s raise a glass to all the introverts out there finding joy in their own company!
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Humorous Fiction, Short Story
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Absolutely!!
Highly recommend it to fans of dry humor, quirky characters, and anyone who’s ever wanted to say no to society and just eat pad Thai in peace or anyone in need of a light-hearted escape! Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on Lucas’s hilariously chaotic life!
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“More than anything people are supposed to pretend to be happy on the internet so that other people are reminded of how unhappy they themselves are by comparison.”
“Love isn’t powerful enough. But spite? Spite can change the world.”
“Being smart is the worst thing one can be in modern society. All it ever means is more work.”
“This is a very provoking thing to the world. 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?”
“You’re fortunate, Lucas. You view loneliness as taking people away. But for most of us, loneliness is just adding more loneliness.”
“Because the doctors and nurses understand very well that all the modern pills and treatments are surely great, but sometimes what people really need most of all is a prescription for a break.”
“Absolutely zero people go to therapy because yesterday they were sitting in a comfortable chair, eating a perfect pizza, drinking a good glass of red wine, watching a really funny movie. So that’s how Lucas lives, all the time.”
“Don’t look on the internet for someone who is exactly like you. Look for someone who isn’t. Love is not to never fight. Love is always making up.”
“He works well in groups as long as it’s groups of fewer than two people.”
“I’m . . . no expert. But I think most people who want to be happy try to add things to their lives. But really what maybe they should be doing is taking something away.”
“If you ask people what they think, they start thinking, and that’s how wars start.”
“Any middle manager on the planet could of course have told him that this is a terrible decision, because the truth about problems is that the problem itself is never actually the problem. It’s always the people involved who are the problem.”
“Lucas promises he’ll think about it, because it’s the nicest way he can think of to say: I think you should be locked up.”
“a funny thing about rule-loving people is that to them it seems more important to impose punishment than it is to actually solve problems, and a funny thing about rule-breaking people is that they seem to find breaking rules a lot easier to do if someone else has broken them first.”
“I, the angel, ask you to choose one thing each from the pile. For what is now everyone’s trash was once someone’s possession. Carry this thing with you through life as a reminder of the pile within yourselves. Do not collect junk in your hearts. You can make yourself happy if you don’t let others make you unhappy.”
“he will think she’s out of her damn mind, they will drive each other crazy every day for the rest of their lives. Such is love.”
“cruelest form of interpersonal terrorism: small talk.”
💭If you’ve ever wished for a cozy evening filled with just the right mix of comfort food, video games, and solitude, then you’ll feel right at home with Lucas, our lovable grump in *The Answer Is No*. Lucas has cracked the code to the perfect night: pad thai (peanuts mandatory), wine, and video games. People? Hard pass. This man is living his best-introverted life. This short story is a delightful romp through the chaotic and hilarious world of apartment living, where all Lucas wants is to be left alone with his pad thai (extra peanuts, of course), video game and a glass of wine.
But, of course, life has other plans! Until one day… dun dun dunnn entered the meddling apartment board, determined to investigate a rogue frying pan left next to the recycling room. What starts as a simple inquiry spirals into an uproarious chain of events that turns Lucas’s quiet existence upside down. Seriously, this is where Backman’s brilliance shines! His knack for crafting vivid, relatable characters had me laughing out loud as I followed Lucas’s antics—he’s the kind of introvert we all secretly cheer for!
💬 “Lucas opens the door with the defeated manner of a sausage that dressed itself up as a carrot to avoid being eaten by a bear, only to be found by a rabbit.”
I mean, can we just take a moment to appreciate that gem? Backman’s witty observations hit home, making me chuckle in recognition. He nails that feeling we all get when the doorbell rings, and you just *know* it’s going to be a whole thing.
The cast of characters is wonderfully quirky, from the enthusiastic Linda (or “Shut Up Linda,” as we lovingly call her) to the other residents who embody the delightful chaos of community living. Backman’s unique voice shines through, making the absurdity of their interactions not only entertaining but also deeply relatable.
This story is a heartwarming ode to introverts everywhere! It celebrates the beauty of solitude while gently poking fun at the extroverted world that sometimes just doesn’t get it. And can we talk about how refreshing it is that Lucas doesn’t completely change to fit in?
With its perfect blend of humor, insight, and genuine heart, *The Answer Is No* is a treasure that’ll leave you laughing, nodding in agreement, and maybe even a little misty-eyed. Backman’s ability to capture the essence of human connection—whether through laughter, annoyance, or those quiet moments of reflection—is unmatched.
So grab your pad Thai and settle in for a delightful read! This story is a reminder that sometimes, the best company is your own, and that's perfectly okay.
𝐏.𝐒 Save this post for your next cozy read, and let’s raise a glass to all the introverts out there finding joy in their own company!
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Humorous Fiction, Short Story
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Absolutely!!
Highly recommend it to fans of dry humor, quirky characters, and anyone who’s ever wanted to say no to society and just eat pad Thai in peace or anyone in need of a light-hearted escape! Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on Lucas’s hilariously chaotic life!
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“More than anything people are supposed to pretend to be happy on the internet so that other people are reminded of how unhappy they themselves are by comparison.”
“Love isn’t powerful enough. But spite? Spite can change the world.”
“Being smart is the worst thing one can be in modern society. All it ever means is more work.”
“This is a very provoking thing to the world. 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?”
“You’re fortunate, Lucas. You view loneliness as taking people away. But for most of us, loneliness is just adding more loneliness.”
“Because the doctors and nurses understand very well that all the modern pills and treatments are surely great, but sometimes what people really need most of all is a prescription for a break.”
“Absolutely zero people go to therapy because yesterday they were sitting in a comfortable chair, eating a perfect pizza, drinking a good glass of red wine, watching a really funny movie. So that’s how Lucas lives, all the time.”
“Don’t look on the internet for someone who is exactly like you. Look for someone who isn’t. Love is not to never fight. Love is always making up.”
“He works well in groups as long as it’s groups of fewer than two people.”
“I’m . . . no expert. But I think most people who want to be happy try to add things to their lives. But really what maybe they should be doing is taking something away.”
“If you ask people what they think, they start thinking, and that’s how wars start.”
“Any middle manager on the planet could of course have told him that this is a terrible decision, because the truth about problems is that the problem itself is never actually the problem. It’s always the people involved who are the problem.”
“Lucas promises he’ll think about it, because it’s the nicest way he can think of to say: I think you should be locked up.”
“a funny thing about rule-loving people is that to them it seems more important to impose punishment than it is to actually solve problems, and a funny thing about rule-breaking people is that they seem to find breaking rules a lot easier to do if someone else has broken them first.”
“I, the angel, ask you to choose one thing each from the pile. For what is now everyone’s trash was once someone’s possession. Carry this thing with you through life as a reminder of the pile within yourselves. Do not collect junk in your hearts. You can make yourself happy if you don’t let others make you unhappy.”
“he will think she’s out of her damn mind, they will drive each other crazy every day for the rest of their lives. Such is love.”