The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
13 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by GailRogan from Craigavon, Co. Armagh United Kingdom on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, Allan Karlsson is waiting for a party he doesn't want to begin. His one-hundredth birthday party to be precise. The Mayor will be there. The press will be there. But as it turns out, Allan will not.
Escaping (in his slippers through his bedroom window, into the flowerbed, Allan makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent polic. As his escapades unfold, Allan's earlier life is revealed. A life in which - remarkably - he played a key role behind the scenes in some of the momentuous events of the twentieth century.
Escaping (in his slippers through his bedroom window, into the flowerbed, Allan makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent polic. As his escapades unfold, Allan's earlier life is revealed. A life in which - remarkably - he played a key role behind the scenes in some of the momentuous events of the twentieth century.
Journal Entry 2 by GailRogan at Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Monday, December 31, 2012
Released 11 yrs ago (1/2/2013 UTC) at Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Releasing for the 2012 Roundabout.
Journal Entry 3 by Tubereader at Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Friday, January 11, 2013
The book has arrived safely! I was so looking forward to reading this one, what a great surprise!
Journal Entry 4 by Tubereader at Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Friday, January 18, 2013
This was a book that I wanted to read for a while and it has lived up to my expectations. Although I haven't found it as fun / hilarious I thought I would, it is a great story (or mix of stories I would rather say!). The imagination of the writer and how he manages to combine all the big moments in the twentieth century into Allan's life is just amazing.
Thanks a lot for sharing, GailRogan. The book will continue its travels soon!
Thanks a lot for sharing, GailRogan. The book will continue its travels soon!
The book has been posted to Fifna to continue its travels as part of the favourite book of 2012 roundabout.
Happy reading!
Happy reading!
Arrived safely, thanks Tubereader! I have been wanting to read this book, so I'm looking forward to it.
I was really looking forward to this book, but at the same time I was a little worried it might just be a rehash of Forrest Gump - but it isn't. What a character Allan is. Its not so much that he seeks adventure, but all sorts of things just happen to him, but he also manages to manipulate many of the situations to his own advantage, or at least to get him out of a tight spot. And so changes the course of history. What a life! I felt sad when they stuck him in the home, and I can imagine he didn't want to celebrate his 100th in that place.
It's a great story (and I loved the elephant - death by elephant, who'd have thought it), thank you for sharing, GailRogan, it was a good choice for the roundabout! Off now to wrap it up and post to marsala.
It's a great story (and I loved the elephant - death by elephant, who'd have thought it), thank you for sharing, GailRogan, it was a good choice for the roundabout! Off now to wrap it up and post to marsala.
Released 11 yrs ago (2/14/2013 UTC) at Ravenstein, Noord-Brabant Netherlands
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On its way to marsala!
Journal Entry 9 by marsala at - Ergens in de provincie, Noord-Brabant Netherlands on Friday, February 15, 2013
And it arrived safely.
I, too, have been wanting to read this book, it's on my wishlist! Can't wait to get stuck in.
And finished it. I thought it was an hilarious story, weird plot twists around every corner and just when you thought you'd seen (read) it all, something unexpected turns up yet again. Very entertaining book! The only comment I can think of is that it was a bit too long for my liking, towards the end it felt like I knew the trick.
I, too, have been wanting to read this book, it's on my wishlist! Can't wait to get stuck in.
And finished it. I thought it was an hilarious story, weird plot twists around every corner and just when you thought you'd seen (read) it all, something unexpected turns up yet again. Very entertaining book! The only comment I can think of is that it was a bit too long for my liking, towards the end it felt like I knew the trick.
Journal Entry 10 by marsala at Favourite Book Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Released 11 yrs ago (3/5/2013 UTC) at Favourite Book Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On it's way to grovalskii.
Yeah! This is one of those books that I've seen on other peoples' bookshelves but never got around to getting it for myself. Now I get to read it. :-)
This was an exceptionally good book! There was a lot of humor and good story telling, plus a nice summary of world events, even if in the unlikely form of the main character meeting all of the important world leaders.
Thank you GailRogan for introducing me to this author!
Thank you GailRogan for introducing me to this author!
going off to the next reader. Enjoy!
I have seen this book in a lot of book shops and had wanted to read it for some time. I am therefore looking forward to reading it and have actually already started. Thanks for sharing.
The book was a good read and I liked the idea of just climbing out of the window and start a new life. Unfortunately, the stories in the past were a little too far-fetched for me. I liked the way the crime story dissolved itself with the two bodies appearing at two totally different locations. The book will travel again today.
The book is off to the next reader.
Arrived today, thanks. This is my June book
The book is a bit repetitive (how many times you need to tell that he is one hundred years old), nevertheless I enjoyed the style. Let's see how it ends!
Going to post it to the next reader along with the other book from the roundabout.
Going to post it to the next reader along with the other book from the roundabout.
Travelling to the next reader.
Safely picked up this morning from the post office, thanks for sharing! I too have heard nice things about this book, and I'm glad I now have the opportunity to meet it. I probably didn't have it on my wishlist already due to its title's length :)
I've had a lot of fun with this brilliantly executed book. The unbelievable ways in which the main character influenced 20th century history show a good imagination and quirky historical notions on behalf of the author. Yet so many ironies to all those great characters lie in beneath. This looks like a book written for pure pleasure, a literary experiment at its finest.
Soon to be posted to Merolia.
Soon to be posted to Merolia.
Posted this morning to Merolia. Happy reading!
Arrived safely today!
I finished this book weeks ago but what with my job, what with the holidays I neglected making a new journal. I'm really sorry for the delay!
Well, I definitely enjoyed the book, I liked both the story and the characters very much. Personally I found the stories of the past and present equally enjoyable and wasn't bothered at all with the shifts in the narration, instead I thought they were almost perfectly balanced. The one characteristic of this story that stands out so much is its outrageous style of humor and cynicism, which I found highly entertaining even though it felt a bit too much for my taste. However it did make me wonder about how lightly this kind of story and writing style involved some of the most well known political figures of the twentieth century. Then again, perhaps this is indeed the best way to deal with the outrageousness of politics in general...
Thank you very much Gailrogan for sharing the book. I understand why it became such a best seller. The same happend with its Greek translation, which is among the first in display in all large bookshops here. The three remaining participants of the roundabout have already read it, so I will be sending them just the BCID for their comments.
Well, I definitely enjoyed the book, I liked both the story and the characters very much. Personally I found the stories of the past and present equally enjoyable and wasn't bothered at all with the shifts in the narration, instead I thought they were almost perfectly balanced. The one characteristic of this story that stands out so much is its outrageous style of humor and cynicism, which I found highly entertaining even though it felt a bit too much for my taste. However it did make me wonder about how lightly this kind of story and writing style involved some of the most well known political figures of the twentieth century. Then again, perhaps this is indeed the best way to deal with the outrageousness of politics in general...
Thank you very much Gailrogan for sharing the book. I understand why it became such a best seller. The same happend with its Greek translation, which is among the first in display in all large bookshops here. The three remaining participants of the roundabout have already read it, so I will be sending them just the BCID for their comments.
As Merolia said I already read it and it was my favourite too.
I first read it in French by way of a bookring, bought a copy for my daughter to enjoy and again bought a copy in english for the roundabout then discovered you had the same idea.
All that to say I think it's a brilliant piece of work.
I first read it in French by way of a bookring, bought a copy for my daughter to enjoy and again bought a copy in english for the roundabout then discovered you had the same idea.
All that to say I think it's a brilliant piece of work.
Journal Entry 26 by 
earthcaroleanne
at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, January 9, 2014
earthcaroleanne at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, January 9, 2014
I read this before going to Sweden for the Convention. I found it a fun, quirky book and really enjoyed it. I thought a few of the sections about his history could have been a bit shorter because I wanted to get back to the story of his current travels but these were all tied together nicely in the explanation for the police. Death by elephant was my favourite bit too, fifna.
I loved this book; probably one of my favourite books of 2013 so far. It was really quirky, funny and heart-warming. The far-fetchedness of some aspects of the story merely added to its appeal.
The book completed this roundabout with great success, since we all enjoyed it so. Thanks again GailRogan! Now it seems ready for more travelling and new readers. I saw it in tsjara's wishlist and decided to send it off to the Netherlands. Happy readings!
What a well-traveled book! :D
Thank you very much Merolia for sending me this wishlist book, along with the lovely goodies (Belgian chocolate - yum!, beautiful bookmark, notebook and card)! So kind of you! ^_^ Looking forward to read this, as I have heard a lot of good things about it.
Thank you very much Merolia for sending me this wishlist book, along with the lovely goodies (Belgian chocolate - yum!, beautiful bookmark, notebook and card)! So kind of you! ^_^ Looking forward to read this, as I have heard a lot of good things about it.
