Black comedy of the depressed? The hero is a once practicing surgeon into his twelfth year on the family island with only his old dog and cat for company, and the daily delivery of the postman for human contact. He is self-penitent because of a professional "catastrophe" and self-flagellates with the daily ice water baths. He logs the weather, feeds the pets. What's to change? It's rather comical when, against his will, he is visited by a figure who lands on the ice near his cabin, perhaps a Dickensian Spirit of Christmas Past? Is it a dream? No, it is his first true love, left in the lurch, long long ago, come back to haunt him.And so, the adventure begins, as our hero is pulled as if he is a tooth being extracted by a psychic dentist, away from his island, into his past, his present and his future. Highly cinematic, there are many comic characters, and comic moments with histrionics, climax, and anti-climax. You wonder if its real, and you believe its real, but you can't believe it is real. This might be a redemption story. I am not sure. Nor do I have any idea of the meaning of all the shoes or the comic anthill that seems to survive a lot of action in grandmothers old cabin. Its a dream-like story that gets a little too Hollywood death scene melodramatic towards the end. But I found it compelling enough to read all the way through and to end on a note of, "Hmm, great movie, great scenery, great characters, but what was that all about?" Worthwhile. Swedish author Henning Mankell is known for his Kurt Wallander mystery series, books I intend to check out even though I am not a huge fan of the genre. The writing, at times sparse, at times lyrical, always wonderful, pushed this novel from a 4 to a 5 star for me. The very first quote drew me in..."When the shoe fits, you don't think about the foot..." Chuang Chou. The character development is subtle and spot on as you are drawn into the main character's life and come to understand the choices he has made.I had to find out what the title had to do with a surgeon who chose self-exile on a desolate, northern Swedish island following his amputation of the wrong arm from a patient. I'll leave you with a quote, "You sometimes get the feeling that trees are whispering, flowers murmering, berry bushes humming unknown melodies, and that the wild roses in the crevices behind Grandma's apple tree are playing beautiful tunes on invisible instruments." Heavy sigh!
What do You think about Sapatos Italianos (2006)?
excellent story and told in that dark style that is so reflected by this author.
—nano
