The Hundred-year-old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window Who Disappeared - Softcover

Jonasson, Jonas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1843913879 ISBN 13: 9781843913870

Publisher: Hesperus Press Limited, 2012

Synopsis

It all starts on the one-hundredth birthday of Allan Karlsson. Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, he is waiting for the party he-never-wanted-anyway to begin. The mayor is going to be there. The press is going to be there. But, as it turns out, Allan is not...Slowly but surely Allan climbs out of his bedroom window, into the flowerbed (in his slippers) and makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, we learn something of Allan's earlier life in which - remarkably - he helped to make the atom bomb, became friends with American presidents, Russian tyrants, and Chinese leaders, and was a participant behind the scenes in many key events of the twentieth century. Already a huge bestseller across Europe, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared is a fun, feel-good book for all ages.

About this title

About the Author:

Jonas Jonasson was a journalist for the Expressen newspaper for many years. He became a media consultant and later set up a company producing sports and events for Swedish television before selling it and moving abroad to work on his first novel. He is the author of the internationally bestselling novels The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared and The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden. He lives on the Swedish island Gotland in the Baltic Sea.

Review:

“[A] witty caper. ★★★1/2” (People)

“[A] silly and wonderful novel. [The scenes] will just keep readers amused almost non-stop, and that’s a feat few writers achieve. A great cure for the blues, especially for anyone who might feel bad about growing older.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“The anti Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. . . . Jonasson’s lighthearted novel shows the softer side of Sweden. . . . hilarious.” (Marie Claire)

“Scandi-crime’s signature darkness is here dispelled by Allan Karlsson, the eponymous centenarian, who with unlikely sprightliness hops out of the window of his old people’s home one afternoon. . . . Fast-moving and relentlessly sunny.” (The Guardian)

[A] laugh-out-loud debut. . . . Historical figures like Mao’s third wife, Vice President Truman, and Stalin appear, to great comic effect. Other characters—most notably Albert Einstein’s hapless half-brother—are cleverly spun into the raucous yarn, and all help drive this gentle lampoon of procedurals and thrillers.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Eccentric, unusual and far-fetched in the best possible way.” (The Bookseller)

“This quirky novel is a sly, satirical look back at international relations in the 20th century through the eyes of an old man who has seen it all.” (Library Journal)

“Imaginative, laugh-out-loud . . . a brilliant satire on the foibles of mankind.” (The Telegraph)

About this edition

• Publisher: Hesperus Press Limited
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1843913879
• ISBN 13: 9781843913870
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 395