Tuesday 19 March 2013

The Hundred-year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared 
Allan is 100 years old, and has recently moved into elderly persons' residential care.  At the residential home they are planning his birthday party, with cake, staff, the press and Allan is not interested.  So, wearing his bedroom slippers he climbs out of his ground floor room, onto the flower bed and hoofs it! Whilst waiting for a bus to anywhere at all at the local bus station, he's approached by a young man who needs to use the toilet, and who asks him if he will just look after his suitcase for a while?  Of course he agrees, it's only polite to do so - and when his bus arrives, the lad is still in the toilet, so ....better take it on the bus with him, so that it's safe.  It's only later when he finds on opening it that it is full of millions of money!!

Yes, it's a quirky read, and yes, it will help a little if you are aware of world changing politics during the 20th Century and the characters involved - although it will not spoil the story if you are not!  It is simplistic in style but don't let that fool you either, because how Allan's 100 years knits up with history is a fantastic tale, and the story of the suitcase, the money, his new friends, the police and the elephant  is not so bad either!  I liked it.

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