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Quick answer: If you loved The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, try The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man, The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, A Man Called Ove, Forrest Gump, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Rosie Project. Each one is a quirky, warm comedy with an unlikely hero, absurd adventures and big heart.
Jonas Jonasson's 2009 Swedish bestseller follows Allan Karlsson, who climbs out of his nursing home window on his hundredth birthday rather than attend his party. He accidentally steals a suitcase of gang money and sets off on a chaotic chase. Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal his absurd life, in which he met world leaders and stumbled into major events of the 20th century. Readers love its humor. These books share its quirky heroes and comic adventures.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Mood | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man | Jonas Jonasson | Comic | readers who want the sequel |
| The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden | Jonas Jonasson | Comic | readers who want another Jonasson |
| A Man Called Ove | Fredrik Backman | Heartwarming | readers who like grumpy old men |
| Forrest Gump | Winston Groom | Comic | readers who like history through an accidental hero |
| The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry | Rachel Joyce | Gentle | readers who like old men on journeys |
| The Rosie Project | Graeme Simsion | Comic | readers who like quirky narrators |
| The Thursday Murder Club | Richard Osman | Cozy | readers who like adventurous retirees |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Heartwarming | readers who like awkward heroes |
| Anxious People | Fredrik Backman | Comic | readers who like absurd crime |
| Good Omens | Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman | Comic | readers who like absurd chaos |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | Comic | readers who like absurd adventures |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Satire | readers who like absurd history |
| Britt-Marie Was Here | Fredrik Backman | Heartwarming | readers who like late starts |
| The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry | Gabrielle Zevin | Gentle | readers who like grumpy heroes |
| Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt | Heartwarming | readers who like unlikely friendships |
1. The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man by Jonas Jonasson
Allan's adventures continue at 101.
Best for: readers who want the sequel.
2. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson
A South African girl gets entangled with a nuclear bomb.
Best for: readers who want another Jonasson.
3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
A grumpy widower is drawn into his neighbors' lives.
Best for: readers who like grumpy old men.
4. Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
A man stumbles through history.
Best for: readers who like history through an accidental hero.
5. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
A retiree walks across England.
Best for: readers who like old men on journeys.
6. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
A professor designs a wife survey.
Best for: readers who like quirky narrators.
7. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Four retirees investigate murder.
Best for: readers who like adventurous retirees.
8. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A lonely woman learns to connect.
Best for: readers who like awkward heroes.
9. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
A bank robber takes hostages at an open house.
Best for: readers who like absurd crime.
10. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
An apocalypse comedy.
Best for: readers who like absurd chaos.
11. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
An ordinary man escapes Earth.
Best for: readers who like absurd adventures.
12. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
A pilot is trapped by absurd rules.
Best for: readers who like absurd history.
13. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
A fussy woman coaches a football team.
Best for: readers who like late starts.
14. The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
A bookseller's life changes.
Best for: readers who like grumpy heroes.
15. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
A widow befriends an octopus.
Best for: readers who like unlikely friendships.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For more Jonasson, try The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden. If you loved Allan's ride through history, Forrest Gump is the obvious companion. For warm stories about older people, A Man Called Ove and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry are favorites. Anxious People offers absurd crime with heart.
Related: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: Summary and Key Takeaways · The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Hundred-Year-Old Man about?
A centenarian escapes his nursing home and stumbles into an adventure, while flashbacks reveal his wild life.
Is there a sequel?
Yes. The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man, published in 2018.
Is there a movie?
Yes. A Swedish film was released in 2013.
Who is Jonas Jonasson?
A Swedish journalist and author.
Is it funny?
Yes. It is full of absurd humor.
Is it like Forrest Gump?
Yes. Both follow a hero who stumbles through history.
What should I read next?
A Man Called Ove.