Started on 29th August
Finished on 6th September
Short Summary:
Kurt Wallander becomes older, and deals with an investigation that comes close to home.
Personal Reflection and Review:
I had bought this book during a holiday, because I like Henning Mankell and the Kurt Wallander(KW) series, and also because it was going for 5 bucks. I have read 2 other KW books, starting with the first book, and another one that was mid way through the series. “A Troubled Man” is the last KW book, and I didn’t know it until I hit the end. I guessed it, Henning Mankell always leaves you with enough clues for you to sense something, until revealing it in plain sight.
Without spoilers, the story of Kurt Wallander becomes a lot more like a family book. How Kurt deals with his family, deals with himself. His ex-wife, his daughter, and his grandchild are key segments where I feel almost the same to Ian Rankin’s Watch Man. The older spy or police officer, dealing with age catching up.
I find myself in a place of relating to them, not for myself, but because of my family too. My grandparents are aging, and so are my parents, and these books are reminders for me. People who were once superheroes, will eventually get older and not be that super anymore. It’s not because they don’t want to, but it’s just how life goes, all of us heading towards the same end of death.
My family is Christian. Each one of us has taken our own path to decide that we want to embrace the Christian faith as our own, not out of obligation. It gives me peace to know that there is a place for me at the other end, but it also encourages me to be nice, to love and to care.
The fictional characters have their quirks as they age, so do my parents. I see how the story gives ideas of how their families relate to them, and “Does anyone care?” becomes a big question. It’s never asked outright, but I will care for my parents, my grandparents. Not only because I will see them in the future, but because that’s what Christian love is about. Not whether someone asks for a helping hand, but being that helping hand before it is even asked. Perhaps, more specifically, being the helping hand for someone who might not appreciate it. My parents appreciate it, but the characters in the story don’t, in case you were wondering.
Recommendation
Read it! I love mysteries, the whole suspense and surprise just gets me going.
This is part of my book review series, based on a push from my fiancee to read the unread books on my bookshelf. Read more here.
