Description

THE GLOBAL BESTSELLER

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 police. 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 momentous events of the twentieth century.

Translated by Roy Bradbury.

Publisher Review

A mordantly funny and loopily freewheeling debut novel about ageing disgracefully * Sunday Times * Imaginative, laugh-out-loud . . . a brilliant satire on the foibles of mankind * Telegraph * Scandi-crime's signature darkness is here dispelled by Allan Karlsson, the eponymous centenarian, who with unlikely sprightliness hops out of the window of his old people's home one afternoon. . . . Fast-moving and relentlessly sunny. . . . Like Allan, the plot is pleasingly nimble and the book's endearing charm offers a happy alternative to the more familiar Nordic noir * Guardian * The anti Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. . . . Jonasson's lighthearted novel shows the softer side of Sweden. . . . hilarious * Marie Claire * [A] silly and wonderful novel. [The scenes] will just keep readers amused almost non-stop, and that's a feat few writers achieve. A great cure for the blues, especially for anyone who might feel bad about growing older * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * [A] laugh-out-loud debut. . . . Historical figures like Mao's third wife, Vice President Truman, and Stalin appear, to great comic effect. Other characters-most notably Albert Einstein's hapless half-brother - are cleverly spun into the raucous yarn, and all help drive this gentle lampoon of procedurals and thrillers * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * Eccentric, unusual and far-fetched in the best possible way * Bookseller * This quirky novel is a sly, satirical look back at international relations in the 20th century through the eyes of an old man who has seen it all * Library Journal *