Quicksand, by Henning Mankell

Author: Henning Mankell. Review by Nick Tyldesley

Henning Mankell, author of the Wallander books, wrote this series of short reflections before his death from lung cancer. It is subtitled ‘What it means to be a human being’. He explores what makes humans happy, what we mean by the joy of living, and how to keep positive given a life-shortening diagnosis.

Mankell was not religious but respected those who derived consolation from faith. What kept him going, he says, is ‘anticipation of new uplifting experiences. Of times when nobody robs me of the pleasure of creating things myself or enjoying what others have created’. Comfort comes from having a breathing space when his tumours are temporarily reduced. His most joyful experience happened in Mozambique when he produced a local version of Lysistrata. It was performed to offer people hope during a period of civil war. On the last night he was able to announce the war had ended.

One major theme running through these reflections is the changed concept of time, now that the author’s world has been turned upside down. He becomes more concerned with looking back rather than forwards. There is a fascination with ice-age archaeology, neolithic cave paintings and a worry about the consequences of burying nuclear waste. There are references to past dreams: ‘God is time and human beings have been given the means to measure it, to be frightened by it and to sanctify.’ Mankell believes in serendipity.

Dropped into the reflections are accounts of chemotherapy. But these are not introspective or depressing, just very matter-of-fact. A sick girl with a brain tumour comes into his room; she is seen as a courier sent by death, but the message is unclear. This mixture of imagination, the ordinariness of life and unanswered questions is typical.

This is not a book just for those battling their own illnesses. There are some universal messages about how we get on with life: ‘Facing up to cancer is a battle conducted on many fronts. The important thing is not to waste too much strength fighting against one’s own illusions. I need all my strength in order to increase my power of resistance in confronting the enemy which has invaded me.’ Suffusing the book is a vision: ‘What type of society do you want to help create? That is the question that has come to dominate my whole life.’

Mankell shares the view that ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players’ but doesn’t explore the significance of faith in supporting us in a crisis. He does address the feelings of apprehension when someone is given a terminal diagnosis. This is the value of these reflections: they are a sounding board for our own reactions. The quicksand of cancer needs nimble negotiation if we are to avoid being sucked into despair.

There is deep philosophy in these pages. Scandi Noir doesn’t always have to be gloomy.

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