The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules

This book from the FVRL collection was chosen to compliment the 2019/2020 season at the ACT arts centre. This book was featured on a list that complimented a breadth of materials to enhance your theatrical experiences.

I thought 'The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules' started a bit slow but then it hit wonderful hilarity. Unfortunately, after a good fun run in the middle of the book, The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules wound down and the ending was a little flat.

I must not have paid attention to the cover blurb about the author, Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg who appears to be the Swedish version of Leslie Meier and Joanne Fluke. While I enjoyed 'The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules' I will NOT be reading the other 16 or so "The Little Old Lady" books. I stopped reading Leslie Meier and Joanne Fluke, too.

4.5 stars for a fun read with a serious sub-text (the way we treat the elderly) and because at the moment I am enamored of Swedish authors.

Different premise, makes me think I need to be saving more money for retirement. Amusing and clever but somewhat redundant.

This is the first book in a series which should be read before continuing with the second book, "The Little Old Lady who Broke all the Rules". The Swedish author has an interesting premise that old people are invisible in public. She uses that idea to show how a group of old age pensioners, fed up with life in a retirement home, turn to crime - robbing an art gallery of a painting - with hopes of being caught so that they can live in a Swedish prison which they view as being a better place to live - better food, daily exercise, and no behavior enhancement drugs. The ensuing plot provides amusing details of the planning, the preparations, the stealing of the painting, and the outcome. Of course, because of their age, the guards and the police don't suspect these old age pensioners of being the criminals. The author embeds descriptions that are stereotypical of old people's deteriorating physical and mental abilities which turn out to be funny because they are the cause of the group's success in stealing the painting as well as their failure in being able to hold onto the proceeds. What is most outrageous in the books in this series is that the old people are so successful in their crimes against the government (as they see it) because security and police officers don't think old people could be behind the thefts. The pensioners have good intentions of using the proceeds of their crime to improve the lives of the elderly in old age homes, but that plan too goes awry. An enjoyable read.

was attracted by the title and wanted to read the book. It was ok for the first half, but then it became rather tedious and unrealistic. Few good details about how things turned out with the plans of the old folks and depicting police to be incompetent and seniors outsmarting true criminals. Just a bit too far fetched with no real humor. Poor writing/ translations as well.

Having enjoyed several other Swedish novels I had high hopes, but ultimately abandoned this book. Just couldn't care to follow the capers.

Old people are capable. This is the unifying statement of the League of Pensioners.

79 yr old Martha Andersson has a plan. The retirement home she and four friends (Anna-Greta, Christina, Brains & Rake) live in has changed ownership and the place has gone downhill to the point where prisoners are better treated and taken care of. This gives Martha an idea and the League of Pensioners is formed with the goal to perpetrate a crime big enough that they can live out their days in the luxury of the prison she saw a documentary about.

The adventures they get into is a fast paced race through thefts and robbery and a stint in prison.

This was both a sad story - how poorly old people are taken care of and ignored and written off, and one of great adventure, determination and getting on with what needs to be done to have a wonderful life. 5/5

Cute, but felt like it lacked an ending. The writing style didn't really draw me in, and it felt like the author was introducing the cops as new characters within the last 75 pages of the book. Too bad for an amusing concept.

A fun read!

This quote from a Canadian reviewer sums it up:
"A funny, smart and heartwarming look at aging disgracefully".

Maybe it was just the translation, but this reads like something a ten-year-old might write, both in terms of the actual plot and the writing style.

It is a comical fun read for the summer. However, It kind of hits close to home as we get older and are all being pushed towards living in long term care/old folks homes in the near future. I think that there could be a enlightening hidden message here.

Tedious.

If you're looking for a literary masterpiece, then this book is not for you. It is a cute read about a group of elderly people living in a home where the rules and privileges are getting more restricted by the day. So they embark on the crazy idea that prison would be preferable, and do their best to ensure they get incarcerated.

I found this book a very easy read - lighthearted and quite comical. Very enjoyable.

Another book on crazy off the board oldies. The situations are not very funny, the characters not well enough developed, and the capers are made easy because they are old and the author wanted them to succeed because who would believe that the old folks could revolt? May I remind the author that not all oldies need to be treated as senile, crazy, or reversed babies. I know, I know, it's only a book. Still, I didn't laugh much reading this one. Too long, too dull.

A quick, very funny read about a malcontented group of elderly people breaking out of their nursing home to commit crimes. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A light hearted romp about elderly people misbehaving in a senior’s home. Cute but light weight.

This a is very badly written book, perhaps lost in translation. Also a very simple, silly story...did not work for me.

I found this book easy to read and quite comical and entertaining.

tries too hard to be funny. I gave up after 15 pages - not my style.

While there are similarities with The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Ran Away, it lacks the quirky writing style of Jonas Jonasson. It is an enjoyable read nonetheless. A light-hearted tale about the tragic treatment of the elderly in a society of cost-cutting.

Not finished. Was a kind-of knock-off of The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window which I loved. This one was boring.

I really enjoyed the book and found myself cheering for the senior robbers. A great book for someone who enjoys suspense without sex, swearing and horror.