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.

I’ve enjoyed Backman’s short stories before, so thought I would definitely pick this one up. I don’t know if it was too surreal for me or what, but this one didn’t hit for me. I enjoyed it overall, but there were definitely elements that made it a little hard to get through. Not all of the characters are likeable, including the main character, Lucas, at times. I found the “board” hilarious, but some of the other elements were too over the top in their actions. I know it wasn’t a story meant to be believable, but it just was a bit much for me.

Happy reading!