Finding Mr Goldman

by David Rhodes

Finding Mr Goldman tells of the epic battle of good and evil played out in the life and sudden death of a wicked man.
Had he known the hour of his death, the wealthy Harry Goldman might have arranged his day differently. Instead he finds himself plunged into a nightmare in which his life of violence and ruthless greed is laid bare before him.
Accompanied by a disreputable looking but likeable tramp, who bears a striking resemblance to Jesus, Goldman sets out on a quest to save his soul. But confronted by the shattering reality of hell, he realises all is lost. It is only then that he discovers the redeeming love of God . . .

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2015

About the author

As a young man, David Rhodes worked in fields, hospitals, and factories across Iowa. After receiving an MFA in Writing from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1971, he published three acclaimed novels: The Last Fair Deal Going Down (1972), The Easter House (1974), and Rock Island Line (1975). In 1976, a motorcycle accident left him partially paralyzed. In 2008, Rhodes returned to the literary scene with Driftless, a novel that was hailed as "the best work of fiction to come out of the Midwest in many years" (Alan Cheuse). Following the publication of Driftless, Rhodes was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010, to support the writing of Jewelweed, his newest novel. He lives with his wife, Edna, in Wisconsin.

“Rhodes proves that there is still vigorous life in the dark Gothic roots of great American novels.”

—Peter W. Jordan, The Tennessean

Reviews

[K.B. Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended as being better than The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Both books follow a character beyond death with a look back over a life from a different perspective. I loved TFPYMIH. I read it a long time ago and although I can't remember the details I do remember the tears and the emotional response it elicited. Finding Mr Goldman irritated me at first. Mr Goldman was presented as being almost cartoonishly evil at the beginning and at times the prose felt like preachy and/or political rants. I didn't feel emotionally involved with the story but it was thought-provoking and kept me reading. I did enjoy it in the end, am glad I read it and would love to discuss it with other readers.