"Society had grown cruel. People who felt they were unwanted or unwelcome in their own country, reacted with aggression. There was no such thing as meaningless violence. Every violent act had a meaning for the person who committed it. Only when you dared accept this truth could you hope to turn society in another direction."
— Henning Mankell (Die fünfte Frau)

"The skerry was resting in the sea. It was like being in a cradle, or on a deathbed, he thought. All the voices hidden in the cliff were whispering. Even rocks have memories, as do waves and breakers. And down below, in the darkness where fish swam along invisible and silent channels, there were also memories."
— Henning Mankell (Depths: A Novel)

"Life is a flimsy branch over an abyss."
— Henning Mankell (Italian Shoes: A Novel)

"To grow up is to wonder about things; to be grown up is to slowly forget the things you wondered about as a child."
— Henning Mankell (When the Snow Fell)