The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden: A Novel

Lots of twists and turns, brilliant, humorous story!

In a novel so wild and imaginative that it screams out to be made into a film, Swedish author Jonas Jonasson expands this "farce" beyond the customary domestic focus and uses the whole world as his stage. Drawing his characters from South Africa, Israel, China, and Sweden, with a couple of Americans also earning passing swipes, he focuses on cultural and racial issues; world affairs, including the modern political history of several countries; and the accidents of history which have the power to change the world. The craziness starts with the novel's over-the-top opening line, quoted here as this review's title. For the next four hundred pages, the bold absurdity continues, spreading outward until it eventually absorbs the kings, presidents, and prime ministers of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.Main character Nombeko Mayeki, a thirteen-year-old orphan, has been a latrine worker in Soweto, South Africa's largest shantytown, for half her life, educating herself on the job by counting the barrels she totes, then gradually making the counting exercises harder until she can multiply huge sums in her head. She is as verbal as she is mathematical - and so astute as to motivations of those around her that she progresses quickly, both on the job and in her education, proving to be far more clever than the people who teach her. Her eventual escape for Pretoria ends quickly when she is injured. A judge sentences her to work for the man who injured her - at Pelindaba, a nuclear research facility north of Johannesburg which is working to build an atomic bomb.Alternating with the story of Nombeko is the story of Ingmar Qvist, a Swede whose life's mission is to shake the hand of Swedish King Gustav V. In following the king, however, he becomes so intrusive that the king hits him with his cane, turning him instantly into a social democrat devoted to ending the monarchy.Within this framework, the author creates a vibrant farce involving the loyalties and relationships among people, countries, and political points of view. As South Africa changes, and the government begins to fear what might happen if Nelson Mandela's supporters were to acquire the six atomic bombs which the country has already developed, the novel becomes more complex. The Chinese and Israelis are also anxious to obtain these bombs. When Nombeko eventually moves to Sweden, lugging along an unknown seventh bomb with her, the free-for-all becomes a reality. The two plot lines converge as Nombeko (and her bomb) move into a condemned factory building in Gnesta, the very building where Ingmar Qvist's two politically motivated sons also live.More complex and character driven than many other farces, the novel is also longer than most, stretching the limits of the genre. Jonasson straddles the line admirably, matching his plot to real events acted out by real people in South Africa, Sweden, China, and Israel. Picaresque, with a plot which wanders around following the life of Nombeko from the age of thirteen to forty-seven, the novel wastes no time in making its points about personal and political responsibility, or as the author says, "If God does exist, he must have a good sense of humor."

This is a wonderfully imaginative story full of historical references to times I lived through in my youth. It starts out in apartheid, South Africa and winds up pretty much in the present day in China. A great read.

I looked forward to getting this novel because I read his first one, "The 100 Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared" and loved it. At first I loved the plot. Jonasson has fascinating characters that are develop and improbable, complex situations that make you start asking - well maybe it could happen that way. It is a South African native (Nombeko) meets up in Sweden with two brothers (Holger One and Holger Two), one of whom officially does not exist. She also has an atom bomb that is not suppose to exist. They are (sort of) chased by Israel agents. At first the book had wonderful biting political and social humor, so satirical that I laughed out loud. The comment on the Bush-Gore election was priceless and there were equally funny comments on Mandela, the King of Sweden and the Prime Minister. Jonasson manages to make one wonder "could someone be this stupid?" If Jonasson had stayed in this vein of writing, I would have loved the book.However, after Nombeko establishes a relationship with Holger Two, the plot settles down to a dull whisper and the resolution of the conflict got absolutely deadly dull for me. I found myself flipping pages not to find out what happened next, but to end the story. The "chase" by the Israel agents seemed an after thought and just seemed to dangle at the end(at least for one of them). For instance he spends way too many pages giving the background for the King of Sweden and the Prime Minister. He also resolves final issues with the characters with overly idealistic solutions.I flipped through at least 50+ pages that seemed pointless. The only redeeming part was the characterization of Holger One's girl friend, Celestine, who hates everything and anything on both sides of an issue and does not know why, nor does she ever make sense. She is an absolutely hilarious character and is a perfect exaggeration of people we all meet. There are a few spots in the last part that are good, even funny, but not many. I am disappointed with all but the first half of the book. The book is being given away.

Entretenido y para pasar un buen rato.

I can't praise the book enough for its sheer ingenuity, wild humour, loud laughter from me, riveting twists and turns and almost true historical aberrations. What a super blend of insanely funny adventures Nombeko, the genius heroine, is thrust into.

Ein typischer Jonasson, komisch bis zum Umfallen, mit blühender Phantasie und bestens geschrieben. Dieser Stil, in trockener Sachlichkeit die unmöglichsten Dinge zu beschreiben, wurde viel kopiert und bislang noch von niemandem erreicht. Jonasson bleibt der Meister seines Fachs.

the story flows so intense and the humor is wonderful, but the most incredible is how the author criticises the society

Well written, entertaining and well thought out story.Have read several times.