I have read all of Henning Mankell's books in the Kurt Wallander series, some of which I have reviewed in this Community.
Despite having read the last of his books (or at least the one I thought was the last) shortly before the death of the Swedish writer, who spent most of his life between his native country and Mozambique (Africa) where he was highly respected and became general director of the national theatre in Maputo, the capital of the African country, I found myself with a real surprise when I consulted his bibliography, something I do from time to time when I try to write a summary of any author's work.
And the surprise was that his latest work was not The Restless Man but The Hand, also known as Bones in the Garden.
Probably because in Italy, the country where he lived until then, it was published four years after The Troubled Man, although chronologically it was earlier. Mysteries of the publishing world.
Apart from this inconsequential part of my commentary, which may be of interest to very few people, I will now review The Troubled Man, the novel that theoretically closes the cycle of investigations by Inspector Kurt Wallander.
He leído todos los libros de Henning Mankell relativos a la serie del comisario Kurt Wallander, de algunos de los cuáles he hecho la reseña literaria en esta Comunidad.
A pesar de haber leído el último de su libros (o al menos el que yo creia fuera el último) poco tiempo antes de la muerte del escritor sueco que gran parte de su vida la pasó entre su país natal y Mozambique (Africa) donde era muy respetado y llegó a ser director general del teatro nacional en Maputo la capital del país africano, me encontré con una verdadera sorpresa al consultar su bibliografía, algo que hago de continuo de vez en cuando cuando trato de escribir el resumen sobre la obra de cualquier autor.
Y la sorpresa fue que su última obra no era El Hombre Inquieto sino La Mano, conocida también como Huesos en el Jardín.
Probablemente porque en Italia, el país en el que vivía hasta ese momento, fue publicada cuatro años más tarde de El Hombre Inquieto, aunque cronológicamente iba antes. Misterios del mundo editorial.
Aparte de esta parte intrascendente de mi comentario que puede interesar a muy pocas personas paso a reseñar el libro El Hombre Inquieto de Henning Mankell, la novela que teóricamente cierra el ciclo de investigaciones a cargo del comisario Kurt Wallander.
Kurt Wallander has reached the end of his days and has what he has always wanted: a farm on the outskirts of Ystaad in the company of his faithful canine friend Jussi - the dog's name is a tribute to the famous Swedish lyric tenor of whom Kurt is a fervent admirer and whose music he always listens to for relaxation.
He is nearing retirement and retirement from the police, but he is still working hard as ever.
On the other hand, he is a grandfather since Linda, his daughter, who after having pursued different professions has finally joined the police, has given him a grandson.
He has a daily struggle with diabetes (he has to take insulin injections every day) due to his poor diet and his tendency to become obese over the years, and he is truly terrified that he might end his days like his father, who has Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's is slowly beginning to creep in and become more and more frequent. On one occasion, while investigating a brutal assault on a couple of elderly people, he forgets his gun in a restaurant where he has been for dinner and - with his memories alone - has ended up in a coma.
Linda has gone to pick him up so that he won't drive in that condition, but the police open a file on him.
His son-in-law works for a company that does stock trading (Wallander is not convinced that this is an honest job) and Linda seems to follow in her father's footsteps in terms of competence and professional dedication in the police.
Kurt's son-in-law's father - Hankan von Enke - is a former lieutenant commander who talks little about his past except that he has had a few jobs supervising the construction of submarines and destroyers.
However, this apparent tranquillity has its dark sides. When Hankan's wife Louise asks him about his past he answers evasively, little and nothing. And just as he knows everything about Kurt and his family, Wallander and his people know very little about him.
Until the trial against him is over, Wallander is suspended from his duties - in the end he decides to retire in agreement with his superiors to cancel the sanction - as he declares that he has no recollection of what happened.
In the meantime, an event comes to disturb the family peace. Captain Hankan von Enke, father of his son-in-law, disappears.
The final denouement as in all Mankell's works is surprising because the restless men are two and not one.
Kurt Wallander is restless because the arrival of old age forces him to fight against old ghosts in which diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and the struggle against his parents - already deceased - who would have wanted their son to be a painter like him, with a rebellious daughter who in the end decides to join the police force and with a divorce behind him.
The other restless man is Hankan von Enke who - unlike Wallander, who has always accepted and shown his excesses - has kept all his secrets well hidden.
Until, as with everything else in life, they come to light. ....
The important thing about the plot that follows is - apart from the mystery that Mankell handles so calmly and so well - the considerations and emphasis on the situation of Swedish society and politics, an aspect always latent in his novels, the apparent neutrality of Sweden in the Second World War, its commitment to Russia and sovereignty in the Baltic Sea, including the assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme, something that at the time seemed truly incredible that it could happen in Swedish society, a society that loves peace, tranquillity and the absence of conflict.
Perhaps not everything is as it seems as Wallander claims below and Swedish society has managed over the years to cover itself with an appearance that is not the real, true one.
Kurt Wallander ha llegado al final de sus días y tiene lo que siempre ha deseado: una granja en las afueras de Ystaad en compañia de su fiel amigo canino Jussi -el nombre del perro es un homenaje al famoso tenor lírico sueco del cual Kurt es un ferviente admirador y cuya música escucha siempre para relajarse-.
Está cercano a la jubilación y a su retiro de la policía, sin embargo sigue trabajando duro como siempre.
Por otro lado es abuelo ya que Linda, su hija, que después de haber provocado distintas profesiones finalmente ha entrado en la policía, le ha dado un nieto.
Mantiene una lucha diaria con la diabetes (debe inyectarse insulina diariamente) producto de su mala alimentación y su tendencia a la obesidad con el pasar de los años y siente verdadero terror al pensar que puede terminar sus dias como su padre afecto de Alzheimer.
Un Alzheimer que comienza de a poco a insinuarse y a manfiestarse cada vez más a menudo. En una ocasión mientras investiga una brutal agresión a un par de ancianos olvida su pistola en un restaurante donde ha ido a cenar y -solo con sus recuerdos- ha terminado por ubriacarse.
Linda ha ido a recogerlo para que no guiara en esas condiciones pero la policía le abre un expediente.
Su yerno trabaja en una empresa que hace trading accionario (Wallander no está muy convencido que sea un trabajo honesta) y Linda parece seguir los pasos del padre en cuanto a capacidad y dedicación profesional en la policía.
El padre del yerno de Kurt -Hankan von Enke- es un antiguo capitán de corbeta que habla poco de su pasado salvo que ha tenido algunos trabajos supervisando la construcción de algunos submarinos y destructores.
No obstante esa aparentemente tranquilidad tiene sus lados oscuros. Cuando Louise la esposa de Hankan le pregunta por su pasado responde con evasivas, poco y nada. Y así como él sabe todo de Kurt y su familia, Wallander y los suyos saben muy poco de él..
Hasta que se termine el proceso en su contra Wallander es suspendido en sus funciones -al final decidirá retirarse de común acuerdo con sus superiores para anular la sanción- ya que declara de no recordar nada de lo sucedido.
Mientras tanto un hecho viene a alterar la paz familiar. Desaparece el capitán Hankan von Enke, padre de su yerno.
El desenlace final como en todas las obras de Mankell es sorprendente porque los hombres inquietos son dos y no uno.
Kurt Wallander está inquieto porque el arribo d ela vejez lo obliga a luchar contra viejos fantasmas en los que se mezcla la diabetes, el Alzheimer y la lucha contra su padres -ya fallecido- que hubiera querido que su hijo fuera pintor como él, con una hija rebelde que al final decide de entrar en la policía y con un divorcio a sus espaldas.
El otro hombre inquieto es Hankan von Enke quien-a diferencia de Wallander que siempre ha aceptado y mostrado sus excesos- ha tenido todos sus segretos bien ocultos.
Hasta que como sucede con cada cosa en la vida vienen a la luz....
Lo importante d el trama que se desarrolla a continuación son -aparte del misterio que con tanta calma y tan bien maneja Mankell- las consideraciones y énfasis en la situación de la sociedad y la política suecas un aspecto siempre latente en sus novelas, la aparente neutralidad de Suecia en la Segunda Guerra Mundial Mundial, su compromiso con Rusia y la soberanía en el Mar Báltico, llegando incluso al asesinato del primer ministro Olof Palme, algo que en su momento parecía verdaderamente increíble que ocurriera como en la sociedad sueca, amante de la paz, la tranquilidad y la ausencia de conflictos.
Tal vez no todo es como parece como lo afirma Wallander a continuación y la sociedad sueca ha logrado a través de los años de cubrirse con una apariencia que no es la real, la verdadera.
Perhaps the best book in the series devoted to Kurt Wallander and, without a doubt, the most human of them all.
The dosage of the plot regarding the problems of old age in any person - not just a policeman - and the constant suspense of a good detective novel are perfect and blend admirably.
Tal vez el mejor libro de la serie dedicada a Kurt Wallander y, sin lugar a dudas, el más humano de todos.
La dosificación de la trama en lo respecta a los problemas derivados por la vejez en cualquier persona -no solo policía- y el suspenso constante de una buena novela policial son perfectos y se amalgaman en forma admirable.
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