Reviews with content warning for Animal death - The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

A thoroughly enjoyable and highly unpredictable book.

The book tells the story of Allan, going between the present from his one hundredth birthday, to the past. It follows him through the years, where he's inserted into a variety of fraught political situations with an entirely unbothered attitude. Meanwhile, in the present day, the reader follows him through another adventure filled with twists and turns of it's own. You reach a point where you say 'sure, this might as well happen' in the best way.

I found the cast of characters thoroughly enjoyable and each had distinct personalities. I enjoyed the way they intertwined and interacted with the absurdity of the story. Despite several atrocities, you still find yourself rooting for them, with the occasional aside to discover the backstory of another person that doesn't feel out if place.

The book takes a little while to find its stride, but once the main plot hook comes in it was an instant sell for me. I truly didn't know what to expect next and it was always exciting to find out. There are difficult topics dealt with throughout the story, but they're all handled with Allan's sense of bemused attachment. Although the story is light-hearted, be prepared for those darker topics to come up.

I think the enjoyment of the book also greatly depends on what's expected from it. I loved the absurdity and silliness the book provided, and didn't care about it's disregard for realism. However I can understand this might be a sticking point for others. Similarly, although I'm not particularly well-versed on politics or history, I didn't have trouble following the narrative, though I'm sure I must've missed the occasional joke.

Overall, this book is just an incredibly fun time. Coming to the end where the two narratives join back up in time and seeing it all come together felt like a fitting ending.

Content Warnings

nikexistiertnik's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

my relationship with this book is kinda complicated.
i DID have a lot of fun with it and i definitel enjoyed the writing style and the premise, but i also really needed my month-long break from it, because it was a LOT, especially with all the deaths and the excessive mention of alcohol.

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claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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empathephant's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book was a crazy good time. I want to reread it immediately, which is a sign of a good book for me. Instead I'll probably read the sequel and also brush up on my 20th century history class, which has somehow become 6,984 times as compelling...

I laughed aloud often, which is rare for me while reading, but also thought deeply about the way history had been presented to me in school, politics, conflict, and what matters most in life.

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