Book #3: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of his Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

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

Just like the author, Jonas Jonasson, said about the title, I bought this book because its unique title. One full sentence that lead into such a great story. Simple but clear.

I know I would not find romantic stories but I didn't expect I would find this kind of story. Amazing, funny, imaginative, a bit brutal, and smart.

This book told a story of a  100-year-old man named Allan Karlsson. He 'escaped' from his care home by climbing out of his window. He walked away without any specific direction. Then, he ended up stole a suitcase from a criminal gang and his present adventure started there. Meanwhile, Jonasson invited us to look deeper at this old man's interesting and marvelous past life experiences.

If you know Forrest Gump, maybe you would recognize the similarities. A man on the right time and right place doing things he wanted to do without him being aware that he made such a huge contribution on human history. However, Allan story was darker than Forrest Gump: destroying buildings, making atomic bomb, or even killing people. He met
Stalin, Winston Churchill, Mao Tse Tung, and other important people. He traveled around the world (worked as a CIA agent in Soviet Union, sent to destroy bridges in China, and met Kim Il Sung in North Korea) and involved in many important events in the world events. However, Allan did not seem really excited about those meetings and events he experienced because what he cared of was fine meal and alcohol. Once, he became prisoner in Gulag, Soviet Union. One thing that made him want to escape was not his willing to have freedom, but his willing to drink alcohol!

Despite the dark setting of the story, Jonasson wrote this tale in such a funny way. Even though the story told about people hit by a truck, killed by elephant, or exploded by a suicide bomb, I didn't feel sorry for those who died. I am not a sadistic person, of course, but the expression I got from the characters emotion was: it is okay. So, I felt okay as well even though I read people died in the story. Whatever is meant to happen, will happen. Allan's mother taught him those words when he was a kid. Maybe that's why, on his life story, if Allan saw people die, he didn't grieve too long. People died, that happened, okay, let it go, let's move on.

One word for this book: fresh! From 1 to 10, I will this book score of 9.  I also want to congratulate Jonasson. I was really amazed that someone could imagine this kind of impressive imagination: re-create history and narrate it from unique point of view.

Now it's time to hunt the movie! No need any good-looking guy. I definitely want to see a movie with 100 years old Allan as the main character :D