A review by withlivjones
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

funny lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

I decided to reread this book so that I remembered the plot before tackling the Accidental Further Adventures. Jonasson’s writing is blunt and witty, which turns what could have been a very tragic book about a man surviving countless wars and political crises and outliving his friends and peers into a funny, matter of fact book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’d describe it as similar to Terry Pratchett’s writing but for people who aren’t big on fantasy. The characters are all very compelling, and I really like the fact that very few of them are particularly likeable, as their (many) flaws make even the most outlandish ones seem very realistic. Jonasson doesn’t make Allan a hero, or even a particularly virtuous person, but instead he’s an average man who has a habit of ‘just happening to be there’, and this for me makes his story more enjoyable than if he were a more active protagonist. At times the blunt narration makes the dialogue a bit dense and difficult to get through, but the story moves so quickly that it’s difficult to get bored with it. 
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