The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared

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The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson–384 pages

Book Blurb:

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he’s still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn’t interested (and he’d like a bit more control over his vodka consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant). It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle.

My Review: 3.5 stars

This is a quirky, satirical book about pure luck. Our main protagonist, Allan, is as titled: a 100-year-old man who climbs out the window and disappears. His adventures are very Forrest Gump like, except Allan plays a huge role in world politics with world leaders although he abhors politics. Allan lives be this ideal: “Things are what they are, and whatever will be, will be.” And boy oh boy, he does have an excellent handle on stress. He lives a happy life filled with happenstances with Stalin, Truman, Nixon and more. Those meetings and relationships are where the satirical nature of this book is found. After his “disappearance” the cast of characters he collects are a motley crew and so enjoyable to read about. I liked this book however I felt it could’ve been a little shorter. Shocked it hasn’t been made into a movie as of yet, because it read like one!

Quotes I liked:

Revenge is not a good thing, Allan warned him. Revenge is like politics: one thing leads to another until bad has become worse, and worse has become worst.”

– “Allan Emmanuelle Karlsson closed his eyes and felt perfectly convinced that he would now pass away for ever. It had been exciting, the entire journey, but nothing lasts for ever, except possibly general stupidity.”

– “…you’ll see that things will turn out like they do, because that is what usually happens – almost always, in fact.”