If you’re going away on holiday any time soon and fancy a book that provides pure escapism, then this wild adventure is definitely worth reading.

This is the story of a hundred-year-old man who escapes from his retirement home on a quest for adventure in the final chapter of his life. After stealing a suitcase which is full of drug money, the protagonist, Allen Karlsson, embarks on a comical journey all the while being followed by a criminal gang determined to reclaim their ill-gotten wealth. Along his journey Allen befriends a host of characters who attempt to keep him away from the police who are determined to find him.

We learn a great deal about Allen’s early life thanks to regular flashback chapters. We discover his meetings with some of the most famous people of the 20th century. It transpires that Allen was the one who figured out how to get the atom bomb to work properly. He also had dinner with Chairman Mao and met President Truman and General Franco. He was also a political prisoner held in the Russian gulags and he crossed the Himalayas by camel. This is a wild adventure.

There are several laugh out loud moments in this book, the chapter when Allen meets Stalin is as funny a piece of writing as you could ever wish to read. The outrageous nature of the book is easy to follow, there aren’t many overlapping storylines or complex characters.

The book became a bestseller in Europe and was well received when it went on sale in the United States. The big screen followed, but like most book adaptations made into film it failed to live up to expectations.

Heart-warming and a thoroughly satisfying read, I’d recommend this book if you’re after a bit of pure escapism.