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

Se alle

The anti <i>Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</i>. . . . 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

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.

Les mer
An international bestselling sensation.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780349141800
Publisert
2015-07-09
Utgiver
Little, Brown Book Group; Abacus
Vekt
310 gr
Høyde
130 mm
Bredde
199 mm
Dybde
27 mm
Aldersnivå
00, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
400

Forfatter
Oversetter

Om bidragsyterne

Jonas Jonasson was a journalist for the Expressen newspaper for many years. He became a media consultant and later on set up a company producing sports and events for Swedish television. He sold his company and moved abroad to work on his first novel. Jonasson now lives on the Swedish island Gotland in the Baltic Sea.