Book Review by Linda Casper
Title: Finding Mr Goldman (A parable)
Author: David Rhodes
Publisher: SPCK Publishing
In true parable fashion, Rhodes doesn’t waste a word in this novel which leads the reader through a series of vignettes whose outcomes are unpredictable.
If you like a new slant on a story, you will enjoy this book which is refreshingly different. Although the story deals with death, the content is not dark, nor does it focus on the grief of the survivors. The book begins at a brisk pace on page one which is maintained throughout.
Although the main character, Mr Goldman, is a despicable person, looking back at his life is intriguing and we begrudgingly begin to understand how he developed into the man he became and makes the reader want to know more. In contrast, his unlikely companion, Sheppard, seems a bland character yet he causes Mr Goldman to examine his conscience and consider alternatives to the views he held all his life.
Without giving away the plot, along the journey on which the late Mr Goldman sets off to save his soul, there are many adventures and a range of contemporary, global problems are encountered which also causes the reader to ponder and to reflect on their own behaviour.
The book contains some deep prose, for example:
We humans are born with the greatest gifts imaginable – self-awareness and intelligence. We try to control our own lives and the world around us. But there is also a shadow: some call it a curse. It is the knowledge that, one day, we will die – and life, in all its richness, will be obliterated. It is the fear that, finally, no matter who we are, we will cease to be. Death walks beside us every step of the way, mocking our hopes and dreams.
This book held my attention from start to finish as I couldn’t second guess where it would go next. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who appreciates excellent writing, remarkable stories with credible characters.
