Biittner's Book Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window & Disappeared

I'm a little late on this one but I did want to post a quick review of our April book "The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson. The back of the book indicates that this story is very similar to Forrest Gump and in many ways it is - it follows the life of an eccentric fellow who over the course of his 100 years had very odd and close personal encounters with famous (political) figures. Both Forrest and Alan, the 100 year old man, stumble into these encounters innocently ignorant of the consequences; both seem to care little about the world around them other than those people and events directly affecting them at that specific moment in time. Alan isn't quite as lovable as Forrest though. Honestly Alan, although the main character, is far from the most interesting character in the book. The friends he makes after he climbs out the window, including a dog and an elephant, are really what keep you reading. I constantly found myself asking "who will he meet next ?" and "how will they get out of the situation they've created?". Without giving anything away, Alan and his friends do get into some ridiculous situations and I found myself rushing through the "Alan in the Past" chapters to get back to the present. Overall it is an enjoyable book - it is a light-hearted read that doesn't take itself too serious. I'd recommend it.