Staying at home this Reading Week? Take an imaginary trip around the world instead.
Jonas Jonasson’s novel The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared allows you to travel to places like Sweden, Russia, China, the Himalayas or even North Korea without leaving the comfort of your favourite reading chair.
Tired of his dull, repetitive life in his retirement home, 100-year-old Allan Karlsson escapes out of the window. Bringing only his favourite pair of slippers, Karlsson doesn’t have much of a plan. The only goals he has in mind are to escape from the mayor’s nosy reporters and have one last hearty drink of clear schnapps before he finally kicks the bucket.
The 100-Year-Old Man is also filled with a myriad of lively ing characters, including an Indian elephant that has somehow ended up in Sweden. The fictional characters are not always as amusing as the ones based on historical figures, but they are still quite entertaining in their own right. Some of the characters, however, suffer from a lack of originality: several fall into predictable tropes, such as the “dumb criminal” or the “corrupt leader.” But realism was never the focus of this novel, and the zany plot line makes up for these shortcomings.
Karlsson heads to a nearby train station to avoid the ensuing search party. It’s here that he realizes the weight of his present situation. No stranger to breaking the law, he steals a suitcase in the hopes of finding a decent pair of shoes. But what he discovers inside is far more useful and much, much more dangerous.
Karlsson soon finds himself on the run from both the police and a gang of angry criminals. Along the way, he crosses paths with many famous figures, from three American presidents to Mao Tse-Tung and Stalin. He influences several historical events — often unwittingly and unintentionally — in the style of Forrest Gump. Based on recorded fact but often bordering on the absurd, Karlsson’s ridiculous antics provide a humorous take on world politics.
Readers seem to agree: the novel was an instant best seller in Sweden, and has since sold four million copies worldwide. It was also recently made into a movie, which, at the time of writing, has only been released in Sweden, but a North American release is reported to be in the works.
Despite being translated from Swedish, the novel’s prose is clear and crisp. The simple language combined with the humorous storyline makes for a light and easy read. It’s not always quite laugh-out-loud funny, but the gentle humour woven throughout the novel is sure to keep you smiling as you turn the pages.
For an adventure filled with explosives, murder and vodka (sometimes all at the same time), check out The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. It’s a decade-spanning trip around the world — all the fun of drinking and traveling without the air fares or hangovers.
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