Originally Published: September 9, 2009

By: Jonas Jonasson

A tale of past and present adventures, Jonas Jonasson’s novel reminds us the senior citizens lived full lives before getting to their current age.

About to turn 100 years old, Allan Karlsson decides he’s unhappy with his life in a nursing home and climbs out the window to give him some excitement. He ends up boarding a bus with a drug dealer’s money, and soon is being chased down by both the police and criminals.

This story is tons of fun with a majority of it taking place in flashbacks of Allan’s life. There are run-ins with Harry S. Truman, Stalin and Winston Churchill. But at the same time, the present story takes many surprising turns.

Portions can be dull, but it just proves that even the most exciting lives have dull moments.

Final say: A life full of experiences. ★★★☆☆