The Answer Is No

A Short Story

By: Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth DeNoma - translator

Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez

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.

©2024 by Vecka 16 AB (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2024 by Elizabeth DeNoma.

Love Backman, wrong narrator

I love FB. His writing is quirky and his characters are endearingly curmudgeon. The narrator is right for many books, and I like her, but anything by Backman should probably be read by someone who gets his style and doesn’t make the characters sound so shrill and annoying. I blame the director/producer. Too bad but I’ll have to read this with eyes to capture his voice.

Nice!

I enjoyed this short story way more than I expected.
The humor is great, and the story is really heartwarming. It doesn't need much to get us to understand the characters, and it doesn't feel rushed.

At some point, we've all probably been or wanted to be like Lucas—just minding our own business. We usually don't realize how our boundaries or lack thereof, can hurt or block the people who care about us, or invite inconveniences. It's all about finding that balance, plus a little reflection and self-love. Living is hard enough.

That's my take on the story. I totally recommend it, and the audiobook is awesome.

(P.S. The Board Animal is amazing—love Linda!)

Cute

A book written about a frying pan! lol moments! Cute story. Enjoyed listening to it. Thank you!

This author has a very unique and humorous way of looking at people

I really love the humor and the way the story says so much about people

perspective

the change in the each of the characters in the story was believable and endearing

Amazingly witty

Just loved it all: story and the voice interpretations of all the characters. Never a dull moment.

commonsense

In a time where commonsense is missing and social media guides our lives. We would all do well to listen to the wise words of Lucas.

This workd

It is a book of chuckles, laughs, and out loud roaring laughter... Head nodding and thinking :
That's a great way to explain the world today.
It will go straight into my FAVOURITES

The story? GREAT! The delivery... Meh.

Another Fred Backman quirky, funny, irreverent tales that people can identify with. The Answer is No truly highlights some of the oddities that we, as a community, have chosen to place priority to. Great book... and I would recommend reading it to anyone.

The narration, however, was a couple degrees less than ok. I'm not a fan of female narrators to begin with. The slower pace, over enunciation and slurring of letters to sound sultry or soothing... irks my ire. This person has an actually very pleasant speaking voice! But then she tries to do voices... and that's where the wheels come off the cart. Enthusiasm and inflection would have been great... but the voices didn't do her any justice.

Great storyline!

Great story, full of humor and surprises. I know this is one I will definitely recommend and repeat myself!