The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - 4 stars

[Barbara M]

**also Bingo**

There are many reviews that describe this story so I'll try to keep the description short. Allan Karlsson starts out on a very unexpected adventure, at least you'd think it was unexpected, when he steps out of the window of the Old Folks Home. He is still in his house slippers but he isn't going to stay there so that everyone could make a big deal of his 100th birthday.

The story goes on describing both his current adventure and so many other adventures during his many years are unveiled over the period of the story. These adventures are compared to the story of Forrest Gump but in Gump's case, he wasn't very intelligent just in the right place at the right time and it Allan's case he is actually quite smart but not obvious about it. In fact, he doesn't dwell on deep ideas at all, he just goes with the flow and ends up doing amazing things, meeting amazing people much like Gump. We are constantly told that Allan very much dislikes politics but actually every adventure seems to involve politics but not in any one country or any one ideology!

The characters in the story are funny but not slapstick, just naturally odd and therefore humorous. There actions are also somewhat cinematic as described and they had me giggling. However, sometimes it just got to be too much, a few times I was ready for the story to end but then I'd get caught up again! I guess, like Allan, I don't care to dwell on politics for too long.