Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell. It provides a thorough exploration of the book’s plot, characters and main themes, including the power of memory, the importance of forgiveness and the impact of ageing and death, both on those experiencing them and the people around them. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 26-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Henning Mankell
• Presentation of Italian Shoes
• Summary of Italian Shoes
• Character study
  • The narrator
  • Ture Jansson
  • Harriet Hörnfeldt
  • Louise
  • Agnes
• Analysis of Italian Shoes
  • A vision of the human condition
  • The importance of the past
  • Symbolic writing

About Italian Shoes

Italian Shoes, which was first published in 2006, tells the story of the narrator Fredrik’s reckoning with his past. Following what he refers to only as “the accident”, he has retreated to a remote island, where he lives with his cat and dog. His world is turned upside down by the arrival of Harriet, his only love, who he left without a word thirty years earlier. Thanks to Harriet’s arrival and the dramatic news she brings with her, he is finally able to stop running from the past and face up to the previous events in his life.

About Henning Mankell

Henning Mankell was a Swedish author who is best known for his detective novels featuring Inspector Kurt Wallander, which have been adapted for television in Sweden and Britain. He also wrote books for children and a number of plays and television screenplays. He was a socially committed author and activist, and his work deals with a number of contemporary issues, including violence, racism and AIDS. Mankell died in 2015.