The man in question is Allan Karlsson who
decides at the start of the novel to avoid his centenary celebrations by
climbing out of his care home window and heading for the bus station. This
starts an unlikely, even bizarre, sequence of largely criminal events during which
he acquires a large suitcase of cash and an entourage of fellow oddballs.
In pursuit is DCI Goran Aronsson with the
unenviable task of forming a hypothesis from the senseless clues left in
Karlsson’s wake. Is the old man a kidnap victim or leader of a ruthless
criminal gang?
As the centenarian’s unfolding adventure is
related, so too is his past. This reveals a disproportionate number of Forest
Gump-like interventions in world events throughout the twentieth century.
So it is fun, wacky or silly depending on
your sense of humour. I found the current day story more engaging than the back
history, which soon lost its capacity to surprise and provided only patchy
humour and clunky satire.
The writing style (at least in translation
from the Swedish) is very conversational, producing a one-dimensional narrative
that tells the story but takes no pleasure in the telling.
I got through to the end without really
caring whether DCI Aronsson brings the gang to book or how Karlsson would be
involved in freeing Nelson Mandela, bringing down the Berlin wall or capturing
Bin Laden (surprisingly none of these).
As a mild diversion, not needing much
concentration, it would do the job passing time on a long haul flight or a daily
commute.
No comments:
Post a Comment