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A review by gautamgopalk
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A very funny fictional novel by Swedish journalist and writer Jonas Jonasson, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared is a best seller that was published in Swedish in 2009 and later published in English in 2012. The beginning of the book which is literally in the title is an old man who wants to run away from the old age home he is at on his hundredth birthday. This serves as a launch pad for a fantastically imaginative tale with many laugh-out-loud moments.
The narration cuts between two timelines with one focusing on the life of the protagonist from his birth to the current day, and the other focusing on the present day in which our hero with a staunch determination is on the run from his hundredth birthday party at the old age home. The storytelling weaves many key historical moments from the past century into a hilarious comedy. The popularity of this work led to a sequel and a film adaptation being released in 2013.
This is a lighthearted book where the characters are repeatedly faced with comical situations to the point of absurdity. While delightful to read, it would have been a better experience if it had been slightly shorter. The only caveat that the interested reader should be aware of is that there are many geopolitical references which can come in the way of enjoying this work if they don't know or particularly care about historical events on the global stage.
The narration cuts between two timelines with one focusing on the life of the protagonist from his birth to the current day, and the other focusing on the present day in which our hero with a staunch determination is on the run from his hundredth birthday party at the old age home. The storytelling weaves many key historical moments from the past century into a hilarious comedy. The popularity of this work led to a sequel and a film adaptation being released in 2013.
This is a lighthearted book where the characters are repeatedly faced with comical situations to the point of absurdity. While delightful to read, it would have been a better experience if it had been slightly shorter. The only caveat that the interested reader should be aware of is that there are many geopolitical references which can come in the way of enjoying this work if they don't know or particularly care about historical events on the global stage.