A long sustained joke that I didn’t get

• Published: 2009
• Completed: 03/05/2024
• Pages: 384

“The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared” by Jonas Jonasson, is a comedic novel that weaves together major historical events of the 20th century, through the adventures of the titular and central character, Allan Karlsson.

The novel starts with Allan escaping from his nursing home in order to avoid his 100th birthday party. Without any apparent plans, he then becomes involved in a heist, accumulating colourful accomplices along the way. This story is additionally interspersed with flashbacks to Allan’s past, where he worked as an explosives expert for various historical and significant political figures. In doing so, Allan’s contributes to the creation of the atomic bomb, its spread throughout the world, and finally to the end of the Cold War and nuclear disarmament.

Jonasson’s sarcastic and deadpan retelling of this history is a major component of the novel’s humour. It was however, something mostly lost on me – I just couldn’t help but wonder how I would feel if I had been responsible for the death of literally hundreds and thousands of people.

It is not surprising then – so as to preserve Allan’s likability – that he is presented as a mostly blank character, just following his short-sighted and explosive whims. Throughout his life, he continually reiterates his aversion to politics and religion – he only does what is required to preserve himself and find opportunities to drink clear alcoholic spirits.

However, even if his motivations are apolitical, I couldn’t really absolve him of being complicit in history’s grave atrocities. Indeed, our ability to find this novel funny requires us to forget the misery of the many individuals who bear the consequences of Allan’s flippant actions.

I appreciate this is a very wilfully negative and contrary interpretation of the novel. Jonasson’s no doubt only intends his novel to be a light hearted adventure about chance meetings and the resulting friendship. Trying hard not to be a killjoy, I can appreciate this aspect in the later heist parts of Jonasson’s novel.

In these parts, the novel felt very much like a children’s story for adults. The plot is whimsical, with pieces that fit both predictably and improbably together. It was just unfortunate, that the other parts felt like a very long sustained joke that I was too dumb didn’t get.

Quotes

“Sometimes, of course, even a blind hen will find a grain of corn on the ground” P127

“– You should beware of priests, my son. And people who don’t drink vodka. Worst of all are priests who don’t drink vodka.” P130

“But he did agree with his father that reliable people didn’t drink fruit juice.” P130

“–Interesting, said Allan, and meant the opposite.” P136

“But now the situation was such that, said Yury — who found it hard to say exactly what he meant — the situation was such that, said Yury — and opened the refrigerator to find a fortifying beer even though it wasn’t even twelve noon yet — the situation was such that Marshal Beria had very recently failed with this strategy.” P210

Questions and Thoughts

Syrupy bread (p67)

Josephine Baker (p68)

Restaurant ideas: Mexican, Spanish, Chinese, Tibet, Himalaya, British India, Korean, American

Pretty sure watermelon is a fruit (p142)

Author’s habit of repeating dialogue immediately after an identical description of it is annoying. E.g., “Solve the problem, comrade Stalin said to Marshal Beria. Or to be clearer: Solve the problem!” P211

Second half resembling Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughter House 5”

Bali airport landing was a funny highlight

Finished this book on May 3, a day after Allan’s 100th birthday

Typography

Interesting cultural difference in punctuation of speech? Preceded by em dashes

New Words

• Declaimed
• Yxhult
• Akvavit
• Reveille
• Tracer ammunition
• Salvo
• Howitzer
• Gendarmes
• Dacha
• Mythomaniac

Ratings

• Hayley: 6
• Kaye: –
• Liz: 9
• Sarah:
• Sally: 6
• Thành: 5

Restaurant

Parwana