HENNING MANKELL,
SIDETRACKED, 1995
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HENNING
MANKELL, 1948
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Author and playwright
Born in Stockholm, moved north to Sveg, no
mother around
Justice system influence
 Father a court judge, investigator, lived
above the courts
At 16, worked as a sailor around the world
1968 – Wrote first play while a stagehand
1972 – First novel, The Stone Blaster
 Worker’s Union Movement
1984 – Becomes head of a theatre, works as a
producer
1990 – Return to publishing books
Awareness of racism through the crime genre
1995 – Sidetracked
 Wallander born out of the phone book
Left-wing political activist
Runs Teatro Avenida in Mozambique
Own publishing house
Married to Eva BergmanBorn in Stockholm in
1948
AIDS activist, social justice activist, work for
Africa
Continued success in film, literature, and
theatre
Setting of Sidetracked
MANKELL’S WALLANDER
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“The idea of Wallander was born out of a desire to write about the
increasing racism in Sweden in the 1980s. Racism for me is a
crime and therefore it seemed natural that I wrote a crime novel.
…When I write, I always try to reflect the reality we live in. A
reality that is becoming rougher and more violent. This violence
and its impact on people around it is what I try to reflect in
Wallander. But reality always surpasses the poem.”
“(Wallander) is very dedicated to his work but
can still doubt and worry whether he is doing
the right thing or not. And he is sometimes
longing to be somewhere else, far away from
the all the misery.”
“A good crime story is not only about a crime
that is to be solved. It should be a psychological
examination of the culture it reflects.”
From henningmankell.com
KURT WALLANDER MYSTERIES
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Mördare utan ansikte (1991; English translation: Faceless
Killers,1997)
Hundarna i Riga (1992; English translation: The Dogs of Riga,
2001)
Den vita lejoninnan (1993; English translation: The White
Lioness, 1998)
Mannen som log (1994; English translation: The Man who
Smiled, 2005)
Villospår (1995; English translation: Sidetracked, 1999)
Den femte kvinnan (1996; English translation: The Fifth
Woman, 2000)
Steget efter (1997; English translation: One Step Behind, 2002)
Brandvägg (1998; English translation: Firewall, 2002)
Pyramiden (1999; short stories; English translation: The
Pyramid, 2008)
Den orolige mannen (2009; English translation The Troubled
man, 2011)
SUMMARY
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Pedro Santana
 With his wife who dies
 Names his daughter Dolores Maria Santana
Girl in the Rape Field
 Wallander is called to go out and check a disturbance at a farm
 Girl has been standing in his Rape field all day
 Wallander goes out to the girl and she lights herself on fire
 Coroner gives other examples: a seven year old girl who tried to blow herself up, and a
four year old boy who tried to put out his own eyes because he was so afraid of his
father.
Murder #1 Gustaf Wetterstedt
 Former Minister of Justice
 Killed by a blow from an axe to his back which severed his spinal cord, scalped
 Wallander finds out from a friend and former journalist, that Wetterstedt was
involved in illegal activity such as art thefts and prostitution
 The girl in the rape field was discovered to be Dolores Maria Santana
Hoover
 Killer’s name is Stefan
 New identity based on Hoover, the head of the FBI, and Geronimo, the American
Indian.
 Before he kills he transforms himself by cutting and painting his face.
 He plans whom he is going to murder based off his sister’s diary, which he calls a
sacred book.
 His sister is hospitalized, and he is killing and sacrificing the scalps to try and make
her better.
 After his transformation he went to the top of the hill by his next victim’s house, and
SUMMARY
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Murder #2 Arne Carlman
 An art dealer owning many galleries all over Sweden
 Killed from an axe wound to the front of his head, scalped
 Was killed during a party at his home
 Wallander tries to establish a link between Wetterstedt and Carlman through art
Hoover
 Decides that the next victim will be his father, and prepares himself for murder.
 He says that it will be the greatest sacrifice for his sister yet
 Attacks, scalps his father before he kills him
Murder #3 Björn Fredman
 A common criminal
 Was found in a pit by a train station
 Had his eyes burned out with HCl, and was killed by a blow from an axe to the head
 He was scalped before he was murdered - The most brutal murder yet
 Wallander interviews some of the man’s family. He was struck by how wary the older
son’s eyes were.
 The family told him that the daughter, Louise, was very sensitive and was away.
Later he finds out that she has been in a psychiatric hospital for three years
 Wallander tries to link this man to the other two murdered men but cannot
 Wallander realizes later that day that he has lost the keys to his flat
Hoover
 Prepares himself, and kills another man
SUMMARY
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Murder #4 Åke Liljgren
 A rich white collar criminal
 Killed by an axe wound to the head, scalped, dragged downstairs, head put in an oven
 Wallander discovers that Liljgren was involved with drugs and trafficking girls. He
figured out that Liljgren had supplied girls to Wetterstedt and possibly to Carlman
 Wallander still could not find a link among all of the murdered men
 Wallander interviews the Fredman family again to find out more information on
Louise. He asks to visit her and for a picture, and Stefan freaks out
 Wallander finds out that Liljgren had a right hand man named Hans Logård
 Louise Fredman disappears from the psychiatric hospital
 Wallander and Sjosten break into Logård’s house and find girls from the Dominican
Republic locked in a room.
 Logård comes home and starts shooting at Wallander and Sjosten, and then takes off
 Wallander figures out that the killer is Stefan Fredman, and he confirms it with finger
prints
Hoover
 Breaks into Wallander’s flat, with the keys he stole from his pocket, to try and kill him.
He overhears a conversation between Wallander and Svedberg about Logård, and
decides that he should kill Logård too
 Both Hoover and Logård coincidentally show up at Wetterstadt’s villa, with the idea of
using it as a hide out
 Hoover discovers Logård and makes him call Wallander to get him to come to the villa
Murder #5 Hans Logård
 After Wallander arrives Hoover tries to kill him, after already having killed Logård
 Hoover’s attempt fails, and he tries to escape with his sister on his moped
 Wallander follows, Hoover crashes the moped, and his sister dies
THE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM
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Kurt Wallander: Lead Investigator and main character
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Strained family relations
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Contemplative, Intuitive, Insightful
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Disillusionment and self-doubt
Ann-Brit Höglund: only female officer
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Guided by Wallander
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Sven Nyberg: Forensic Technician
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Svedberg
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Martinsson
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Hansson
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Mats Elkhorn: Psychologist
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Criminal profiling
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Inspector Sten Forsfält: Malmö
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Waldemar Sjösten: Criminal Detective, Helsingborg
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Relation with Wallander
THE VICTIMS
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Dolores María Santana
 From Dominican Republic
 Committed suicide
Gustaf Wetterstedt, Ystad
 Former Minister of Justice, living
a double life
 “To tell the truth disguised as a lie
or a lie dressed up as the truth.”
(p. 14)
 “if only you knew who I am and
what I think of you.” (p. 15)
 Perverted pleasures
 Spine severed, Scalped
Arne Carlman,Ystad
 Art dealer, criminal past
 Connections with Wetterstedt
 Head split open, scalped
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Björn Fredman, Malmö/Ystad
 Abusive, violent, drunk, criminal past
 Connection to previous victims?
 Hydrochloric acid drip, scalped while alive,
head split in two
 Most violent death, first body moved
Åke Liljegren, Hälsingborg
 “The Auditor” and eminence grise
 Drug trafficking, “wild parties”
 Killed in bathroom, scalped, burned in
oven
Hans Logård
 Aka Erik Sturesson, Sture Eriksson
 Right-hand man, criminal record
 Involvement in prostitution ring
Louise Fredman, sister of Hoover
 Died in motorcycle crash
 Psychiatric patient, “dead”
 Diary
THE MURDERER
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Stefan Fredman: Hoover, Geronimo
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“A well-built boy of about 14 entered. He had an open,
friendly face, but his eyes were wary…
He seemed mature for his age, perhaps because he’d had
to fill the void left by his father.” (p. 220, 221)
New Identity, Psychopath
The sacred book
Trophy offerings, retribution and salvation
THEMES
Native Americans
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Stefan transforms into Geronimo prior to his murders (form of courage)
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“He had listened to Geronimo’s heart beating inside his chest” (188).
They are searching for a lone warrior
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“The man they were looking for was a lone warrior moving along an invincible
path” (306)
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Stefan Scalps his victims
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Stefan puts on war paint prior to his murders
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Stefan uses an axe to kill his victims
Summer
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Takes place during the Midsummer Holiday in Sweden
Large celebration in Sweden with many parties
 Viewed as a magical holiday with rituals looking toward the future
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Many people are on vacation or planning to go on vacation
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Wallander’s has a vacation planned with Baiba
Beautiful weather contrasts the violent murders
Minimal Staff available during the summer months to investigate the
murders
THEMES
Family
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Wallander sees himself as a bad parent, but relationship with Linda seems strong.
Wallander’s relationship with his father became distant once he became a cop. But when
his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease they became closer
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“Even though his relationship with his father was strained, colored by guilt, he felt a great
sorrow”(134)
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Parent-child relationship changes over time. Children become the parents.
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Wallander and his sister have a strained relationship
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Stefan kills his father to save his sister. Stefan kills specific people so his sister will leave
the psychiatric hospital. Justice for his sister.
Transformation
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People transforming into animals: Dolores is described as looking like a frightened animal
before she kills herself. Bjorn Fredman becomes an animal when he dies.
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“His father had undergone the transformation he had planned for him. He was an animal” (192)
Stefan transforms into Hoover: a combination of J. Edgar Hoover and Geronimo.Police say
the killer lives two lives. When he kills he transforms into someone different.
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Stefan wants to bring sister back - prior to entering the psychiatric institution
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Wallander is under the age of 50. But acts older. Been through a lot in his time.
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People change with age: Wallander speaks of how he worries more as he grows older.
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Hugo Sandin complains to Wallander about growing old.
THEMES
Sweden Today
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Wallander continues to complain about the way Sweden is today
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“Now Society seemed to collapse around him, as if the political system was about to tip
over…Young people took their own lives…Houses were hiding places rather than cozy
homes…And the police stood by helpless, waiting for the time when their jails would be
guarded by men in other uniforms, men from private security companies” (226)
Precincts closing.
Wallander describes Sweden as having a spiritual poverty that was eroding the
welfare state.
Spread of violence to Sweden, the countryside. A fascination with
violence. Wallander does not understand why people read about violence while on
vacation.
Media
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Wallander has a trying relationship with the media
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He has an outburst at one press conference
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Police do not want to give the media much information
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At the same time they want the media to help spread information to have people call
in information about the murders.
Erik Wiberg notifies the police of Fredman’s murder scene because of the stories he
read in the newspapers
Swedes like to read about the violent crimes
THEMES
Women in the Police Department / Role of Women
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Ann-Britt is Wallander’s go-to person in the department
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Wallander mentors Ann-Britt
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Some detectives do not respect her
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Slow accept of having a female police chief
Guilt
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Wallander feels guilty for each murder
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Wallander feels guilty for being sidetracked
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Feels guilty when he is not thinking of the case
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“He felt guilty because he had not read them the night before” (257)
Sidetracked
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Sees the murderer as a male who is at least 30 years old. Kills older
man. Kills with force.
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Continues to investigate Dolores’ death
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World Cup: everyone is watching and talking about the game
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Clues continue to take the investigation in many different directions
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“The feeling that they had been sidetracked was still with him.
SIDETRACKED
The purpose of the prologue – setting the stage –
 Wallander as the protagonist
 The Criminal
 5 victims
 Political commentaries
 Prostitution and girl-trade
 Being a divorced father
 Swedish Society
 Insanity
 Revenge
 Morals / Ethics / Sympathy?
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QUESTIONS
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The purpose of the prologue –
setting the stage –
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Wallander as the protagonist
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The Criminal and the 5 victims
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Political commentaries / Media
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Prostitution and girl-trade
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Being a divorced father
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Swedish Society
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Insanity
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Revenge
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Morals / Ethics / Sympathy?
What is the significance of Dolores María
Santana’s suicide? Why did she do it? Why
did she choose to burn herself?
How do you view the mass media in relation
to criminal investigations? Do the media
help investigators or cause panic amongst
the population when reporting on a crime?
Was Stefan justified in committing the
crimes? Is it ever okay to kill someone?
What was your reaction to the violence
described in the book?
What do you think it means for Stefan to
remove his father’s eyes when he kills him?
What is the significance of the scalping?
How do you interpret the escalation of
violence through the series of murders?
How is the style of writing and content
different in Sidetracked compared to our
previous books?