A friend of mine recommended this book to me recently and, intrigued by the title, I bought the e-book for just £0.20 and loaded it onto my Kindle, ready for my long weekend in Norway. After just a few sentences I was hooked, and finished the whole thing in a matter of days. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book, and fell in love with the innocent and captivating style of writing. Intrigued? Read on…
What’s The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared about?
Set in a small town in Sweden, the book (which, for the sake of brevity I’ll refer to as The 100-Year-Old Man from now on) follows the incredible journey of Allen Karlsson, who climbs out his nursing home window on his 100th birthday to escape what he anticipates will be a rather unpleasant birthday celebration. As his adventure unfolds and becomes more and more absurd, we realise through flashbacks of his earlier years that this particular escapade pales in comparison to the rest of Allan’s colourful life.
Why should I read this book?
I honestly can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t enjoy The 100-Year-Old Man. It’s charmingly written, thought-provoking, sweetly satirical (can that be a thing?) and just downright good fun! Author Jonas Jonasson brings to life historical figures such as President Truman, Mao Tse Tung, General Franco and de Gaulle, and highlights major historical events from a totally fresh perspective, all with a generous sprinkling of humour.
Anything else I should know?
The 100-Year-Old Man was published in Sweden in 2009 and has since been translated into 35 different languages. A film adaptation is in the works too, which should be well worth a watch. The author, Jonas Jonasson, identifies with his main character and describes key changes in his life as moments where he ‘climbed out the window’.
If I like this book, what else might I like?
This book is awesome! I actually laughed out loud while reading it :).