• The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

  • By: Jonas Jonasson
  • Narrated by: Steven Crossley
  • Length: 12 hrs
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (13,684 ratings)

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The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

By: Jonas Jonasson
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
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Publisher's summary

A larger-than-life old man with a fondness for vodka goes on an unexpected adventure in this whimsical novel — perfect for fans of Forrest Gump and A Man Called Ove.

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—and tomorrow is his hundredth birthday. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn’t interested, and he’d like a bit more control over his vodka consumption. So he decides to escape.

He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant.

Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared has charmed millions of people around the world.

©2009 Jonas Jonasson (P)2012 AudioGO

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What listeners say about The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7,884
  • 4 Stars
    3,410
  • 3 Stars
    1,555
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Performance
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    7,195
  • 4 Stars
    2,925
  • 3 Stars
    1,469
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    317

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lost interest about halfway through.

Really wanted to like this, but like Allan politics does not hold my attention and most of his fantastical adventures revolved around politics. Noticed my attention waning around chapter 13. Finished it, but didn't enjoy listening for very long at a time.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A fun feel good book

If you could sum up The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared in three words, what would they be?

Happy, fun, imaginative

Which character – as performed by Steven Crossley – was your favorite?

All of the characters were really great, there was minimal confusion about which was which, and there were a lot of characters, so Crossley did a nice job keeping it sorted.

Any additional comments?

I started this book directly after finishing "Water for Elephants" so it was a perfect transition, and really what I needed. This book made me happy, it was full of laugh out loud moments, and if all failed, I could count on Allan to blow something up.

This is a book about a great adventure and a great man, and if you need something to make you smile, I strongly recommend this, especially if you've recently finished a sad book, like I had.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • KP
  • 12-11-15

Don't Bother with This Book.!

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has to be the most boring book I’ve ever listened to. If not, it’s a top contender. I almost quit listening, but I kept it up for my book club. I thought it sounded like a bad premise when I heard about it. Usually when someone says a book is supposed to be really funny, I am really suspicious. This book consists of various pratfalls, and a plot right out of The Three Stooges.

It is a biting satire in the picaresque (think Don Quixote) vein, I suppose, since the old man goes to many places around the world, meets many world leaders who turn out to be buffoons or drunks, and has many unbelievable adventures with them. There were a few funny lines, but not enough to save this silly, overlong plot and its unlikeable characters from being, basically, unreadable.

In the end, I think the author wanted us to feel that the old man was some sort of hero for not succumbing to the tedium and lethargy of the old folks home. Ok, I get it, but I didn’t feel he was heroic in any way, partly because he was so unbelievable and also because most of his actions were notably NOT heroic and NOT virtuous at all.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gut busting funny!!

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window & Disappeared – Jonas Jonasson: Oh my! Such a whole lot of absurdity that kept me laughing until my belly hurt. Again, not my usual type book, but I don’t think I’ve enjoyed myself so much in quite a long time. Jonasson is quite the storyteller, and I think I’d like another one or two of his missives. Not too soon, though. It will be a while before my belly stops aching. 5 stars.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Charming, silly, a great adventure

My only compliant is that the reader could have used the accent of the characters: Swedish. I kept forgetting that the characters weren't British, which is a shame. And rather stupid on my part.

Allan is, as the title says, 100 years old and decides that he doesn't want to spend his birthday cooped up in a nursing home (understandibly) and decides to go AWOL.

Along the way he manages to accumulate a man that happens to be killed twice (as if once was enough), make friends with an elephant, a man that is so educated he is "almost" a vet, doctor, literary expert (who knows what else), and several leaders of the free (and not-so-free) world. And, yes, the bastard brother of a very famous physicist (guess who!)

If you enjoyed this book, I would recommend Forrest Gump by Winston Groom.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Highly enjoyable and entertaining

Was a joy to listen to.
Very funny and a clever read with a twist on history as we know it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Amusing Romp Through the Past Hundred Years

This is a book that people tend to love or hate. I enjoyed it for its understated humor and many historical references. I read it as a casual, amusing tale, and definitely saw the similarity with Forrest Gump mentioned in several reviews. It was fun. Nothing profound, simply a light commentary on much of the last hundred years of world history wrapped into an engaging adventure.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly delightful

What a thoroughly delightful book. It was funny, quirky and totally far-fetched and I enjoyed every minute of it. In reading some of the other reviews it has been compared to Forrest Gump and that almost made me pass on the book. I am so glad I didn't. It didn't give me a Forrest Gump feel at all.

This was on my list as a potential choice for my book club pick and I think it would be a wonderful read for any book club. Heck, I just want everyone to read it and enjoy it as much as I did.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

The premise is cute, but the book failed to deliver. Too long and too preposterous.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Delightful story with gratuitous profanity

Would you try another book from Jonas Jonasson and/or Steven Crossley?

I wish this writer would not have fallen into the trap of "profanity makes your book better."
This is a delightful story, cleverly written but the F-bombs and profanity ruined it for me. I finally had to turn it off. TOO BAD!

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