The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson may be a mouthful of a title but the book itself is far easier to digest. Opening with the moment Allan Karlsson decides to take his old bones away from the old people’s home in which he resides, the book takes the reader on an adventure, both in the present day and in the past.
As the book progresses, the reader is taken in two directions, though you never feel torn between the two. Firstly, there is the adventure Allan is having as a result of his brave escape attempt – one that involves criminals, theft and the introduction of some brilliant new characters. Secondly, and arguably more importantly, there is the adventure of Allan Karlsson’s life to date. Allan just so happens to have been not just present but involved with many of the key historical events from the twentieth century, whether it be the rise of Franco in Spain or the building of the atomic bomb. The story is written with such a dry, matter-of-fact humour that even when Allan is embroiled in some of our darkest historical events, there is humour to be found.
This book is a rarity in that the urge to get to the final page and find out what happens is not really there. That said, this is not due to boredom or disinterest in the novel itself. There are so many stories within the book it is as though you are reading a gorgeous collection of short stories – into which you can easily dip in and out. The characters Allan meets along the way (some fictional, some not) are beautifully written but it is Allan Karlsson himself that carries the whole story. He is a fascinating character, unaffected by lust or politics, brutally honest and endearing despite his self-serving nature. Quite simply, Allan goes where life takes him.
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is a delight but don’t feel the need to rush through it. Take your time and savour every page of this incredible story. It is immensely fun, enjoyable, action-packed and totally adorable. You might even learn something too!
For the Swedish-language remake THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO DISAPPEARED (Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann), one of Sweden’s best-loved comedians, Robert Gustafsson, takes on the role of Allan and approaches it with the same deadpan delivery found in the book. The tone is set early on and by showing Allan’s backstory, his indifference to the theft and death that follows him becomes quirky rather than cruel, much like in the book.
The soundtrack too provides a constant reminder that this is all meant to be very tongue in cheek and not to be taken seriously. The bad guys are never particularly menacing, the good guys never particularly concerned by anything and the police officer on the hunt for the missing man never particularly on the ball.
The major difference between book and film is the sheer depth of the story. Unsurprisingly, much of Allan’s story has been cut out of the film, though many of the major historical events remain. The real issue here is that, with an adaptation like this, much of the enjoyment in Allan’s story comes from not having any idea what is about to happen. There are so many twists, so many surprises, that if you’ve already read the book there isn’t much about the film left to shock you as it really is so close to the book. In this instance, seeing the film first could actually be the way to go.
The film has a very specific humour and one unlike much of Hollywood comedy so it won’t be for everyone. That said, if you go with an open mind you are sure to find plenty to smile about.
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