The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared: Jonas Jonasson - Softcover

Jonas Jonasson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0349141800 ISBN 13: 9780349141800

Publisher: Abacus, 2015

Synopsis

Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, Allan Karlsson is waiting for a party he doesn't want to begin. His one-hundredth birthday party to be precise. The Mayor will be there. The press will be there. But, as it turns out, Allan will not . . .

Escaping (in his slippers) through his bedroom window, into the flowerbed, Allan 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, Allan's earlier life is revealed. A life in which - remarkably - he played a key role behind the scenes in some of the momentous events of the twentieth century.

Translated by Roy Bradbury.

About this title

Review:

A mordantly funny and loopily freewheeling debut novel about ageing disgracefully (Sunday Times)

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

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. . . . Like Allan, the plot is pleasingly nimble and the book's endearing charm offers a happy alternative to the more familiar Nordic noir (Guardian)

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

[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))

[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 (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)

Book Description:

The international bestselling sensation.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abacus
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0349141800
• ISBN 13: 9780349141800
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400