Sitting Quietly In His Room In An Old People's Home, Allan Karlsson Is Waiting For A Party He Doesn't Want To Begin. His One-hundredth Birthday Party To Be Precise. The Mayor Will Be There. The Press Will Be There. But, As It Turns Out, Allan Will Not . . . Escaping (in His Slippers) Through His Bedroom Window, Into The Flowerbed, Allan Makes His Getaway. And So Begins His Picaresque And Unlikely Journey Involving Criminals, Several Murders, A Suitcase Full Of Cash, And Incompetent Police. As His Escapades Unfold, Allan's Earlier Life Is Revealed. A Life In Which - Remarkably - He Played A Key Role Behind The Scenes In Some Of The Momentous Events Of The Twentieth Century. Translated By Roy Bradbury.