Hannah's Revew: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

 

by: Jonas Jonasson, Rod Bradbury (translator)

(This book is a bit of a "hot" item.  As often happens when otherwise obscure titles gain rapid popularity, this novel is available at Costco right now.)

My review won't be as detailed nor as thoughtful as Sue's, but in my defense, this book is not as thoughtful as The Sense of An Ending seems to be (though it likely is more detailed!).  The title pretty much summarizes the premise of the novel. On the morning of his 100th birthday, Allan Karllson decides to sneak out the window rather than celebrate with the nurses and residents of his old-age home (even the prospect of shaking hands with the mayor isn't enough to keep him in his room). After he makes good his escape, he ends up as the focus of an intense national manhunt. The escapades he becomes part of are ridiculous and entertaining, as you would expect when the story includes a suitcase full of millions of dollars of drug money, an elephant, an explosives expert, an unlikely romance, American presidents, North Korea, a priest in Iran, a career student, two corpses, and a happy ending. 

As the story unfolds, the reader is also drawn into the old man's history, in which he, by fate or circumstance, is intimately involved in almost every significant historical event of the 20th century.  Most of the episodes will be clearly recognizable, but if you are like me, you might feel compelled to do a bit of research to separate fact from fiction, since some of figures and situations might be less familiar.

As I stated earlier, the result is a story that is both ridiculous and entertaining. But the book reads a little long, and so the humour and farce take on a somewhat tedious note. By the end, I was more bored by each turn of events that engaged by the resolution of the plot.

Overall, a decent vacation read, but not a book that you will be telling all your friends and family is a "must-read."

Sue's Review of "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes

When I was looking for a book to discuss at our next meeting (with Arthur and George by the same author on my mind as a possible option), Hannah suggested this book. It’s a short novel, and a good book club pick because it’s one of those provocative books that people tend either to love or hate. I put it on hold, and didn’t get it on time for our last meeting, but that’s not why I didn’t pick it. I just wasn’t sure I could pick a book that was apparently about “sex-hungry” young men without reading it first!

I finally picked it up this week and read it very quickly because it’s due today. I wasn’t surprised that I really enjoyed reading this book, because I remembered appreciating Julian Barnes’ writing style when I read Arthur and George more than five years ago. His sense of humour is apparent, and although I have never been an adolescent boy or an old man, I found that he described Tony’s life events in a way that rang true. I am not sure all the characters were equally credible – I’m thinking of Veronica, his first serious girlfriend, who is a main character in the book – but somehow it still worked, at least for me.

I don’t usually appreciate stories that focus excessively on sex or infidelity, or characters whose lives seem to revolve solely around these elements. Reflecting on this book, I think that it’s fair to say that Tony’s story does revolve around his obsession with sex (or the lack thereof!) and would be nothing without this element. I found, however, that his frequent thoughtful reflections on time and memory redeem this book and make it a worthwhile read. Early on in the book, in the final history lesson of the year, Tony’s teacher attempts to sum up centuries of history by asking his students to define history. Tony’s response is “History is the lies of the victors,” to which the teacher responds, “... as long as you remember that it is also the self-delusions of the defeated.” This comes up again in the book as the older Tony realizes the limitations of his own memories while grappling with his friend’s suicide, his frustrating relationship with Veronica, and his sometimes-meaningless life as a divorced older man.

If I had chosen this book, I am sure we would have had a great discussion about how the story evolved and ultimately ended, and about many other things too! Even though Arthur and George is quite a bit longer, and maybe less controversial, I hope you’ll appreciate Barnes’ writing and the story he tells. Here’s a quote from the back of the book that confirms what I remember about it: “A wonderful combination of playfulness, pathos and wisdom, Arthur and George is a powerful novel about the fateful differences between what we think we know and what we can prove.”

Arthur & George

Sue's pick for the August meeting:

The Day the Falls Stood Still

Rachel's pick (plus a Skype session with the author!)

The next book ...

Our next meeting has been moved to Tuesday, August 27... I realize that's a busy week for teachers, but it's not as busy as the following week when school starts! Anyway, we will be discussing "Arthur and George" by Julian Barnes. I'll post discussion questions and a reminder of the date in mid-August.