The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
یک داستان عالی و جذاب و دوست داشتنی. اصلاً هر کتابی که موضوعش غیر از عشق بین دو نفر باشه رو دوست دارم. شخصیت آلن کارلسن بی نظریه به خصوص اون قسمت هایی که بین کمنیست ها زندگیش رو می گذروند. من بخش های مربوط به زمان گذشته این کتاب رو بیشتر از زمان حالش دوست داشتم و هر وقت به قسمت حالش می رسیدم دوست داشتم زودتر تمام بشه تا به گذشته هیجان انگیز آلن کارلسن برگردم :) I purchased Jonas Jonasson’s book because I had heard it was good, because it had a captivating title and enticing but simple cover sketch, and because it was a modest length and therefore likely to be read cover to cover, even if it didn’t live up to the promise of my rigorous analysis. Sometimes - as on Disneyland’s pitch black Space Mountain roller coaster ride - not knowing what to expect enhances the ride, and Jonasson delivers a rollicking series of twists, turns and sharp corners spread out over 100 years (no surprise there) and a vast geography (to say more might spoil some of the surprise).Unsurprisingly, the book begins with the hundred-year-old man climbing out his window, after which a series of unlikely events quickly transpire to hook the reader. Characters are introduced via their chance meeting with the hundred-year-old man, and their quirky backgrounds are explained with just enough detail to bring them to life, but with a humour and brevity that keeps the focus on the unfolding story. The protagonist is 100, after all, and one had better not dawdle when time might be short. As with the best oral storytellers, Jonasson's main aim is to hold the audience's attention via the storyline. The book's dedication sums up his goal well. “No one was better at captivating an audience than Grandpa, when he sat on his favourite bench telling stories, leaning on his walking stick and chewing tobacco. ‘But Grandpa … Is that really true?’ we grandchildren would ask, wide-eyed. ‘Those who only says what is the truth, they’re not worth listening to,’ Grandpa replied.”Jonasson learned much at his grandpa’s knee, and he introduces a second set of characters – well-known historical figures – in the hundred-year-old man's backstory. For them of course no introduction or background is needed, but they add an element of the fantastical and introduce a second plot-line that careens its way from 100 years ago into the present day and the 100-year-old man’s decision to climb out the window.Just as characters are humorously drawn but serve primarily to advance the plot, fine details about the setting are spare, mostly adding humour rather than rich detail. For example, an aside about Iranian-British relations in the mid-twentieth century tells readers, “Oil provided fantastic wealth to both England and Iran. Mainly England, if truth be told, but that was only fair because Iran's sole contribution to the project was cheap labor – and of course the oil itself."The book is an unusual blend of styles: with the humorous plot twists of a John Irving novel; a blend of fact and fiction as written by James Clavell or Ken Follett; the irreverence of Woody Allen; and a central character whose life resembles cinema’s Forest Gump, so grab a seat on the bench beside Jonasson as he tells a tale well worth listening to.
What do You think about The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared (2009)?
المئوي الذي قفز من النافذة ولم يعدمئوي استثنائي، لم تستسغه فكرة الاحتفال بعيده المائه، فهبط من النافذة،،كونه بلغ المائة عام، فلا يُتوقع انه خاض خلال العشرة عقود الماضية عشرات المغامرات الكفيلة بجعله اي شيئ الا ان يكون حياً يُرزق.هبط من النافذة متجهاً الى محطة القطار تاركاً مركز العناية بالمسنين باكمله في خضم الاستعدادات لعيد ميلاد لن يكون، سرق حقيبة طامعاً ان يجد فيها حذاءً مريحاً او قميصاً يقيه برد السويد، فحصل على خمسين مليوناً، ليصبح مطلوباً لعصابة اضافة الى قرية كاملة تبحث عن مئوي فُقد في عيد ميلاده.لن تظن ان شخصاً عبث بمصير القرن العشرين ك"الن كارلسون"، فمن الصين لكوريا للاتحاد السوفييتي لايران، شخص عبث مع ستالين وسهر مع ترومان وانقذ زوجة ماو تسي يونغ، شخصية بقدر عفويتها لم تفشل، واتاها الحظ على طول الطريق، تجبرك على الضحك، لم تصحب في حياتها الا الحمقى، صنعت حروباً وانهت اخرى، لا يضمر ولاءً لأحد،،،رواية ممتعة بحقّ
—Jay
The premise of this book was a fantastic one, and I was extremely excited to dive into this story. Even enjoyed it at the outset. However, you quickly become bogged down by what I think are too many alternating story lines and back history. The writing was solid and there were some genuinely funny lines. And not just giggle worthy, but actual laugh out loud moments. However, the constant pull of the reader in many different directions for seemingly no reason at all distracted me. I thought about giving up halfway through, but decided to stick out to the end. And I wish I hadn't because the ending was the biggest disappointment of all. The book was not the worst I have ever read, but it left a lot to be desired. A prime example, in my opinion, of a book that could have been made much, MUCH better by cutting some of the excess and pointless plot. I would have given it a lower rating, but the writing was strong, the descriptions eloquent, and as stated previously some genuinely humorous moments.
—Rosemary
Enjoyable, entertaining, but ridiculous. Inspector Clouseau meets Forest Gump.
—nanachan
