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

A funny, funny (in a dry humor, tongue-in-cheek, sort of way) book that is fascinating! Full of surprises and unexpected events. I am enjoying it sooo much! And the narrator is perfect! I listen to it on my audible.com app on my iPhone and laugh out loud a lot. I imagine, that when I am driving and the phone sits on the dash playing away, and I guffaw for several seconds, other drivers must get a bit alarmed, since there appears to be no obvious reason for my behavior. Take a listen to it and you will understand! Highly recommended!

Sounds almost as if he is narrating something about which he has personal knowledge. Like he, himself, had witnessed the events!

If I had the uninterrupted time I would. As it was, this afternoon, for instance, my dog tore apart several things in the other room while I listened to the book, rapt, and oblivious to the noises from the other end of the house! The book REALLY engages me!!!

If you know someone with a dry sense of humor or who likes quirky stories, this is the book for them! What a wonderful gift it would make for the holiday season! Thoroughly entertaining! I could imagine a group sitting and listening...and laughing and laughing! Why, they might even want to pause the reading and discuss parts of the story, considering how much history is brought up in it! A book that would be of interest and understandable equally for Europeans and Americans, which is not all that common among books.

I listened to this book on a lark - not knowing what to expect. The premise is unusual: a centenarian (Allan) "escapes" from a nursing home and goes on a wild adventure. While this adventure is unfolding, a parallel story is told about Allan's past. And what a past it is! Without spoiling the fun and inventive story telling, let's just say that Allan got around in his youth, met most of the major international players of his day, and was indirectly involved in some of the world's most pivotal geo-political-military events as well.

But back to the main story. Allan is quite the rascal and he meets up with a cast of other rascals. Along the way, they engage in remarkable acts of criminal conduct (with a wink and a nod) with little concern for the morality of their conduct. Told in a light hearted and playful manner, this book is not meant to be taken too seriously. As my "headline" notes, it is fun, inventive, and (at times) silly.

To the extent that there is a downside, there were many times when I was struck by how preposterous the story was. But I quickly concluded that I was missing the point. Despite this concern, this is a very well written and narrated story. If you are looking for something fun, this is the book for you.

Three words: Entertaining, Amusing, Historical. Sort of a Forest Gump meets History of the World!

Similar to Forest Gump in that there are fictional effects of the protagonist on true historical events.

Steven Crossley's excellent narration enables the listener to envision the happenings and the individuality of the characters.

Yes. Of course the length of the book prohibited me from listening all in one sitting.

Recommended to me by a friend. I, in turn, recommended it to many of mine.

How far can a story go when the protagonist starts off at 100? The answer is everywhere and anywhere. With a shifting time line, Jonasson weaves an incredible story about a remarkable man, Alan Carlson, an explosives expert with a calm temperament. Alan gets himself into more binds than Houdini, and like the great magician, wiggles his way out.

The story is not only funny, but gives the reader a lesson in Twentieth Century history. Jonasson manages to combine "Forrest Gump" with "Zelig" and comes up with an unforgettable character whose exploits manage to effect world history.

I could not give a fifth star for story only because Carlson found himself in way too many predicaments.

It's the first so It's at the very top!

Sonjia the elephant's debut in the book..

No but I enjoyed this one.

Yes

yes. It was humorous, witty, and educational.

The character of Allen.

The foriegn-ness. Enough to put you at least close to Sweden.

Yes

Fun, lighthearted, educational

I learned something new and enjoyed doing it.

His accent and expression of emotion helped build the characters in my mind.

Alan, obviously. You see him go through so much and you can't help but love the way he interacts with people. I found myself giggling every time there was a conversation between him and someone else.

Enjoyable and delightful. Made me smile and laugh out loud...frequently. I am looking forward to the next book by Jonasson.

This story totally deserves the international bestseller title. With infectious characters and delightful dark humor Jonasson has brought a very unique telling of some of modern history’s darkest moments to the table. Karlsson’s a protagonist you can really stand behind, his ever-constant jovial perspective on life seeps into your head as you read - reading just a chapter easily turned a few of my own sour moods around! Through lies, deceit, and unbelievable outcomes of some of the stickiest situations imagined it’s odd that friendship, however short-lived on occasion, abounds in this story. Its appearance brought this hilarious tale, down-to-earth and let the best of human nature shine.

I don’t think I’d have enjoyed this book as much as I did if it weren’t for my digesting it in an audio form. The narrator did a marvelous job and the story unfolded so perfectly, it just felt like a story that needed to be read aloud. Highly entertaining and laugh-out loud funny.

Well constructed flight of fancy. Well read. Had I lived his life I too would have climbed out of my window, stepped on the pansies and walked away.