Review: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Happy Easter! He is risen! My life is insane, but I had a very happy Easter, and here we are on one of the best Fridays of the year...because it's a meat Friday because it's in the octave of Easter. XD

In any case. I'm beginning to be convinced that much of the best modern literature is coming out of Scandinavia and is actually translated into English, not originally in English. For instance: Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr...Norwegian. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman...Swedish. And now this book, also Swedish. And also excellent! 

This was the one that most people voted for a review of in last month's quite successful book review poll, so in other words, you asked, and I'm delivering. :) (If the book you voted for didn't win, I will probably address the second most popular in my wrap-up.) 

This book was also recommended to me originally by one of my aunts, whose taste in literature I trust implicitly (she being the one who originally recommended The Thief to me.) After finishing my review, I don't feel like it sums up the book all the way, since the book resists summation very vigorously, but I hope there's at least enough to make you want to read it!

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he’s still in good health. A big celebration is in the works for his 100th birthday, but Allan really isn’t interested (and he’d like a bit more control over his alcohol consumption), so he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey. It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: he has not only witnessed some of the most important events of the 20th century, but actually played a key role in them. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.

Worldbuilding/Writing Style
The worldbuilding was more or less modern-day Sweden, with some pre-modern Europe mixed in (from Allan's adventures before being 100 years old, you know), so I can't really speak to the accuracy, but it seemed accurate! 

But the writing style, my word. It's really hard to describe, but shall we say understated, ironic, slightly satirical, subtle. I think that if anyone else had written this book, it would have become over the top, almost slapstick, and a comedy, rather than a borderline satire. That's how well the writing fit the story to convey the writer's aims. It was most impressive.

The whole thing is meant to make one see how absurd certain types of writing--especially the media and police drama--are, but it's also so much more than that. It's really hard to describe, and I am going to do a horrible job in this review, but I will do my best.

Plot
The plot was more or less divided into two time periods, Allan's previous life, and the modern day with all of the crazy adventures that apparently happen when a 100-year-old absconds from a nursing home. It did an excellent job making the point that old people were not always old people, and even the ones who seem like a pain in the neck were once people who had lives beyond being in a single room most of the time, at least, if not interesting lives. Allan certainly had an interesting life, and I found I didn't mind the switching between the two different time periods, which is saying a lot, because I usually hate that in a book. 

Even beyond organization of the plot, it was well-crafted, with inordinate amounts of situational humor. It made me laugh out loud multiple times, which is not typical for most books. The last book I laughed that much at was Frederica, I think, and that was at least a year ago.

Characters

Well, the whole book centers around Allan, of course. He's the kind of person who I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like in real life, but I enjoy hearing about his (mis)adventures as a younger man. And by "misadventures", I mean "things that should go wrong, and seem to, but maybe don't in the end?" he has a weird confidence in everything turning out, with him having a job and a glass of vodka. And for some reason, the world often seems to comply with his expectations. Hmm...how do I get the world to do that for me? XD (Maybe by lowering my bar to just a job and a glass of vodka? Because my expectations for the world are a lot higher than that, I think.)

But there's also Julius and Benny and Gunilla...and Sonya. We cannot possibly forget Sonya, who just happens to be an elephant. And all of the incidental characters who Allan meets along his journeys, all of whom are important, even if it doesn't seem like it (to a ridiculous degree). They're all fantastic and hilarious and unique, and deftly rendered, even if in a few strokes. It's slightly galling how well the man writes, honestly. 

Romance

Not *really* any. Or at least, not any that's central to the plot. :)

Content

Okay, there is a little more content than I'd like, mostly in the "vulgarity" section. There are several bits that are, to my mind, a little crude, including an explanation of why Allan's slippers are called "pee slippers", and a couple of other things. Also, some violence, a certain amount of innuendo, and some swearing.

Overall Rating
I'm on the fence about 3.5 or 4 stars...but I think I'll go with 4! 

Have you read any books translated from a Scandinavian language? What's the last book you laughed out loud at?