Italian Shoes

A novel by
Henning Mankell
Translated by Laurie Thompson
Vintage Books, 2010

A perfect antidote to all the sleazy mysteries I’ve been reading lately. I’ll cover those in my next post.

This book is not a mystery but rather a somber and reflective book about a man who had been isolated all his life, and how he comes to grips with changes that affect his hermit-like existence on a remote Swedish island. The language is elegant, poetic at times. Mankell’s story centers on Frederick, a failed doctor, as he contemplates his life and limited future. One thing that bugged me a little was that Frederick dwells on his aging—and he is younger than I am! I guess I’ll just have to get used to that bitter truth in the books I read from now on. I enjoyed it, in a melancholy sort of way. 

The book has a very Ingmar Bergman-esque feel, it was optioned for a film that would have starred Judy Dench and Anthony Hopkins but has yet to start production.