There's been a bombing in a small Midwestern university - a charismatic and well-loved mathematician has been killed. His next-door office neighbor, 70-something Korean immigrant math colleague Professor Lee is shocked by the act, which sets off an often unpleasant conscience-searching exercise. Lee becomes "a person of interest" in the subsequent FBI investigation -- hence, the title of the book. The plot revolves around Lee's seemingly inappropriate behavior in the wake of the tragedy, which casts suspicion on him with the police and his colleagues. As his everyday life starts to unravel, we get a replay of his messy two marriages/divorces, and his odd relationships with past colleagues. The story plays out like an old film noir plot, centered on Lee's confusion and emotional disintegration. A Person of Interest is an engaging and well-written piece, both in the way it handles the plot (search for the bomber) and the character of Lee.
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/books/review/Prose-t.html?_r=0
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/books/review/Prose-t.html?_r=0
