Customer Reviews

The Good Man: A Novel

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Korean-American author Edward Jae-Suk Lee presents a stunning debut novel, The Good Man. It is the story of a soldier, a good man, who has done terrible things. Haunted by his participation in the No Gun Ri massacre during the Korean War, in which American troops slaughtered civilians while fleeing south, his guilt surfaces when a reporter seeks him out and he attempts suicide, only to survive as a partial amnesiac. Seeking solace in the ranch where he grew up, he retreats to the only place he can remember, a sheep ranch in southwest Montana. There he reunites with a Korean peasant woman that came to America with him after the war, though he cannot remember their love. Bit by bit, the pieces of his life come back, and he must gradually uncover his history and seek salvation from his own crimes. A compelling-to-the-last-page chronicle of the struggle to atone.

I don't normally like war-related books, but I found this to be a really interesting, beautifully written story. Parts of the narrative are overwritten, but overall, the prose is outstanding--especially the imagery of the Montana landscape. I liked the contrast of Asian culture against the background of the traditional American West. The characters are compelling, notably the war-damaged main character and also the teenage daughter of the Korean refugee he brought back from the war. It's not a one-sitting kind of book, but it's still a great story.

I think the author really wanted to write about important and troubling events, but I don't think these were the right characters or story for the task. I didn't find the characters to be likable or compelling, and I was waiting for the inevitable revelation, but when it came, it just didn't pack much of a punch. Jae-Suk Lee has some talent as a writer, but I think a simpler subject would have been a much better way to express that talent.