The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared

Recently I wrote about reading Jonas Jonasson’s second book, The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden, before realising that I’d never actually written about his first book. This was one of the books that got me back into reading after having babies a while back.

The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared is basically a Swedish ‘Forrest Gump’. It is a great tale of a hundred year old man who doesn’t want to celebrate his hundredth birthday party at the rest home that has recently become home. So instead he climbs out of the window and disappears, escaping gang members and befriending a con artist and other odd characters.

While he is on the run the story retells his life story and his many experiences being in the right place at the right time, aiding international leaders and celebrities.

The book is a great education in 20th century history and a really uplifting story. There is a reason that it is a great international bestseller!