Les Chaussures Italiennes (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
As anyone who knows me will be aware I am a huge Henning Mankell fan and I am pretty sure that this was the last book of his that I hadn't read. This is not a Kurt Wallander story but a standalone dramatic novel with a heavy emphasis on aging, death,grief and taking responsibility (or not) for one's actions. Mankell drills deep into these concepts, and while that means the going can be heavy, the writing is superb. It's about a 60-something guy whose has chosen isolation as his reaction to a catastrophic mistake he made as a surgeon. He has dealt with his isolation stoically but then a woman he abandoned decades earlier appears to visit, and ultimately to make him aware that he has a daughter. Harriet, his ex flame is suffering from terminal cancer, and there's another compounding issue as he decides to get in touch with the woman whose arm he mistakenly amputated which caused his demise from his profession. So, a plot that relies heavily on these conflicting relationships and emotions. This Mankell at his best. Nordic noir? No. Focused on life end challenges, regrets, omissions, and third acts. The writing is smooth though monotonal. The characters sometimes erupt in unexpected and uncharacteristic ways based on the development of the story. The minor character of the postman seems to have the most depth than the old man protagonist. There was redemption at the end, but only so far and no more. I couldn't tell if it was because everything depends on other characters-which is how the story develops and the protagonist continues to wait and wait- or if the protagonist is just waiting for his heart to stop working.
What do You think about Les Chaussures Italiennes (2006)?
The story seemed contrived, as if the author was trying too hard to make multiple events believable.
—karenmg29
Very different experience to reading a Wallander but really enjoyed this.
—irina
For whatever reason this did not hold my attention
—raine
