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I found myself deeply moved by "Italian Shoes". This is about a man who's unconsciously allowed his life to pass by and to have lost all opportunity at connection. He reflects on nothing. All blame is for others or explained and excused. His world is purely physical; walk; feed a pet, record the weather in a diary, repeat.I would call it a "man-story"- the proto-man from Mars. It's a story about a man with such arrested development that his EQ is negative."You've never been a good person", she said. "You've always shrugged off your responsibilities". Fredrik Welin is a 66 year old former surgeon, now living almost as a hermit in a house inherited from his grandparents on a remote island. He is as emotionally remote as he is physically. He couldn't express his feelings even if he had any. He's created a routine of blithe diary entries, minimal care for an old dog and cat sprinkled with empty, superficial chatter with the mail man. It's a path of least resistance for a man who doesn't make choices or decisions but rather apathetically floats into a rudderless existence; aloof, spare, empty, unchallenged, detached and spiritless.Then one day his past comes back with a visitor at his doorstep. He's reminded of prior misdeeds. He's not a criminal per se but a man that just didn't care and if that's had consequences than it's for others not Fredrik. All his success at suppressing his thoughts and compartmentalizing events, now fails him. He is slowly, agonizingly, coming to terms with the cost of missed opportunities. He is gripped with regret and knows his simplistic routines have ended but what comes next may not be up to him."I didn't want to be the man that had to jump down into freezing cold water everyday, in order to confirm he was still alive" Fredrik thought. Repeatedly he acknowledges the pain and regret of the dead soul he's created inside himself.Fredrik's humanity will only return through an ugly and circuitous path. His past means dealing with people, taking an interest in others and expressing real empathy. With so many bad habits built up over the years it's not clear that he's going to succeed. I found myself easily turning the pages and wanting to know where this was going. Mankell's writing is spare but so spot on. I underlined no less that 15 phrases that struck me as so clear that I wanted to go back and re-read them.The story has characters that are chillingly real to me. Fredrik's self imposed exile is so much more emotional than physical. Anyone can shut down while still going through the motions of a work and life. Fredrik's circumstances in that sense are no different or less likely than anyone else. Mankell could have chosen easier endings on at least two occasions and chose not to bringing some honesty to the ultimate conclusion.I am not sure if it will have the same impact on other readers. For me it was a beautiful story, wonderfully told with a potent reminder that your life choices are your own.