Lazarus Man by Richard Price
11/12/24; 352 pages
Macmillan/Farrar,
Straus and Giroux
Lazarus Man by Richard Price is a highly recommended literary novel and in-depth character study. It follows four characters who are impacted by the collapse of a five-story tenement in East Harlem, 2008, where six tenants were killed and many are missing.
Anthony Carter is a 42-year-old unemployed teacher and recovering from a substance-use disorder. After being buried under rubble for 36 hours, his miraculous survival transforms him into a man with a message and a symbol of hope. Felix Pearl is a young freelance photographer who documents life on the street and the aftermath of the explosion. Royal Davis is the owner of a failing Harlem funeral home who uses the disaster to try and increase business. Mary Roe is a veteran NYPD detective with a complicated home life. She is in charge of finding the missing and becomes obsessed with finding one of them, Christopher Diaz.
The well-written literary narrative follows these four characters and others residents creating a portrait of them along with their East Harlem neighborhood amidst the disaster of the collapsed building. All the fully-realized characters are permanently impacted by the disaster in some way and yet they find ways to cope, survive and thrive through the difficulties. The narrative frequently shifts through the multiple viewpoint.
Lazarus Man is heavy on the exploration and development of the characters while being light in an overarching plot that pulls all the pieces together. It does capture the activity and experiences of the characters in the urban community and brings the setting to life as they deal with a disaster.
I loved the in-depth character development but wanted a stronger plot. Thanks to Macmillan for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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