Book Review - The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared

When I saw this book, The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared and read the premise behind it, I knew I had to give it a read.

A reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an explosives expert with a fondness for vodka) decides it’s not too late to start over...

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 in one day, he turns 100. 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.

 It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. 

I really enjoyed the story of Allan's adventure after escaping from the nursing home. The book also tells the story of Allan's life, some of it was fun, while some of it was too farfetched for me or boring. Allan is a person who is not mentally challenged like Forrest Gump but you soon discover that he also is what one might call "not all there".


The one main problem I found in the book is that the author felt he had to provide a long back story to every character in the book, whether it was a main or minor character. Some of the back stories were as long or longer than the characters part in the book. Much of that I started skimming over.

In the description above, I cut out some of the spoilers. There are some very enjoyable surprises that I don't wish to ruin.

The book is a fun ride. When reading it, you'll find out about halfway, when to read and when to skim.