Mankell, Henning. After the Fire. New York : Vintage 2017. Print.
My house burned down on an autumn night almost a year ago. It was a Sunday.
Description:
Henning Mankell writes more than the captivating thrillers with Swedish Inspector Kurt Wallenger. He can also create brooding novels with off-beat characters who experience unusual situations. One piece of evidence is my latest read: After the Fire.
As the opening sentence (a compelling beauty, right?) sets the scene, the narrator, Fredrik Welin, has lost his family cabin and everything he owns except for the pajamas and overcoat he was wearing when he fled the fire. Only the bright light of the burning ceiling woke him up and allowed him to escape.
But investigation showed that the fire was an arson and Welin is under suspicion that he is the person responsible. And then a second house is burned down, but Welin is still regarded as a possible arson suspect.
The novel recounts, through Welin thoughts and words, information about himself as a retired surgeon now living a solitary life in the family cabin on an isolated island in northern Sweden. He has his own routines, including a morning plunge into the lake by his cabin, even during winter when he has to chip away a hole in the ice.
We read about his wandering, estranged daughter who has only had sporadic communication with him for years, but who has arrived on the island after hearing about the fire to inspect the damage and share news of her own life.
Welin talks about interactions with the community in which he lives and the ordinary, if somewhat quirky townspeople he encounters. There is the former postman Jansson who
seems to know and share every rumor and was generally assumed to read all mail
before delivering it. A local newspaper reporter arrives to write a
story about the fire and captures Welin's attention. Then there
is the unknown person who visits Welin's campsite and leaves it in
pristine order after departure.
While this may sound like a simple story, in the hands of a master like Mankell, there are mysteries all around. Some are only hinted at, seen out of the corner of Welin's eye and which he cannot determine whether they are just an ordinary situations or possibly hold a key to the happenings in the community. Learning about these people and happenings are quietly unfolded in this engrossing novel. It puts you right in the midst of the cold isolation of a small town experiencing two (and maybe more in the future?) arson cases.
So plunk down in a cosy chair and sink yourself into the isolated world of northern Sweden with all its subtle goings-on. A very nice way to spend some time.
[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:]
Mankell, Henning. The Pyramid
Five short stories about the back story of Swedish Investigator Kurt Wallander, how he came onto the police force and early cases, all sprinkled with details of his early personal life.. (Previously reviewed here.)
Happy reading.
Fred
[P.S. Click here to browse over 500 more book recommendations by subject or title and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader.]
