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The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

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The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

By: Jonas Jonasson
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
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Summary

 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 100th birthday party. Escaping through his bedroom window, into the flowerbed, Allan makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several deaths, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent but very human police. As his escapades unfold, Allan's earlier life is revealed, and we discover that he played a key role behind the scenes in some of the momentous events of the 20th century.

This ‘imaginative, laugh-out-loud bestseller’ (Daily Telegraph) has sold more than two million printed copies.

©2009 Jonas Jonasson (P)2012 Strathmore Publishing Ltd Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Fiction Funny Feel-Good Thought-Provoking Witty Comedy

Editor reviews

Jonas Jonasson’s charming novel The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared tells the story of Allan Karlsson, who has just turned 100 and is desperate to escape his own birthday party. On the run from the old people’s home in his slippers, Allan soon is swept into an adventure involving a suitcase stuffed with money, murder victims, villains and police. As the narrative unfolds, we discover more of Allan’s Forrest Gump-like background, having worked on the Manhattan Project, befriended heads of state and had a hand in many of the momentous events of the twentieth century. This delightful audiobook is narrated by Peter Kenny and available for download from Audible.
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Critic reviews

“Like Forrest Gump, Allan is an innocent with the knack of being in the right place at the right time. He has had a hand in everything from the Russian revolution to Reagan's Star Wars. Like Allan, the plot is pleasingly nimble and the book's endearing charm offers a happy alternative to the more familiar Nordic noir.” ( The Guardian)
"a mordantly funny and loopily freewheeling debut novel about ageing ¬disgracefully, [full of] infectious humour and crackpot energy. The author has ... an acute ear for dialogue and a brilliant eye for the absurd." ( Sunday Times)
“Peter Kenny...reads with the straightness [the book's] dry humour requires ... I guarantee there will be a smile on your face when you hear it.” (Christina Hardyment, The Times)
All stars
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Normally preferring non-fiction, I was intrigued by the title of this book and decided to give it a go.
It didn't disappoint, Alan's story is read perfectly by the narrator and the collection of friends he collects along the way are life affirming, charming and at times laugh out loud funny.
I can't recommend this audio book highly enough.

Brilliant

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A brilliant book. I wouldn't want to give anything away as every page you turn will have you laughing and in a state of disbelief. So if you want to go on an adventure with a 100 year old Swedish man who has had an unusual, funny and amazing life then this is the book for you. I dare you not to love it.

You go on a journey that you don't want to stop

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We listened to this book on a long car journey in February en-route to a family pow wow on care for an elderly relative, so when it began with a man in a care home, our hearts sank. But, within just a few minutes, we were smiling and even laughing out loud at the exploits of Allan and his expanding group of friends. Yes, the story was implausable in places, but it was told with such gentle humour that if you are prepared to suspend reality and 'go with the flow', I'm sure you wiill enjoy it. Any book that can make you smile in the circumstances that we heard it has to have five stars in my mind.

One to make you smile

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This book is fabulous and from the first page I was captured. The stories within the main story are so clever and entwine together to make a brilliant book. The narration is also excellent and I am sure I will listen to it again and again.

One of the best books

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This book has a wonderful story with comedy turns and unexpected twists. The story makes you feel very close to the 100-year old man and the more you discover about his unbelievable life the more he grows on you. The story is split into 2 definite narratives of the 100 year old's life and what he got up to after leaving the old peoples home. Both blend into one another beautifully with the ending bringing both stories perfectly together.

Despite being a great story I found the way it was written to be difficult to become accustomed too. Perhaps listening to this on the back of the final two parts of the Stieg Larsson trilogy didn't help but I found it to be written very much in the style of a children's book. This was obviously the intention but it did not match my preference.
I did stick it out and did get used to the style after time but think this was mainly due to wanting to know what happened next in the 100 year old mans life.

The narration was very well done. All was clear, different character were identifiable and the general tone in which the book was read matched perfectly to it's character.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book but also provide a little heads up on the writing style, as it may not be to every-ones taste. If you are still having doubts, listen to the sample and make your own judgement.

Interesting Story but.....

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