Books: “Lazarus Man” by Richard Price
It takes a certain gift to write what I call New York-style. And Richard Price has it. l’ve been reading his novels—“Ladies Man” and “Clockers” since the 1970s. You’ve probably seen his movies —“Sea of Love” “or The Color of Money,” the latter which he cowrote with Martin Scorsese in 1986. Or maybe TV shows like “The Wire.”
So it’s no surprise that his grittty, in-your-face -style dialogue is the best thing about his new novel “Lazarus Man.” The story is set in Harlem 2008 where a five-floor apartment building has collapsed. It brings together four hard-boiled New Yorkers who’ve been impacted by it.
Mind you, these New Yorkers are not the i-bankers or attorneys one is used to seeing on the Upper East Side. Anthony is an unemployed ex-cocaine addict who is a bit dazed, having been rescued after 48 hours buried in the rubble of the building. (Hence the title “Lazarus Man.”) Felix is a budding photographer who shoots stills and videos for whoever pays him. Royal is a funeral director who hands out business cards to the victims’ families. Finally, Mary is a neighborhood cop who scours leads ups and down the Eastern Seaboard for a building tenant who is unaccounted for.
Each of these characters seems to have a chip on their shoulder or is troubled by some kind of family drama. Because Anthony was buried in the explosion and later hailed by the news media as a survivor, he discovers he has a talent for giving motivational speeches at funerals. All very entertaining, but the switching back and forth of POVs gets hard to follow and you’re never quite sure where this novel is going.
But maybe that’s the point Price is trying to make. Life isn’t so easily ticked and tied. So why should a book be? In short, “Lazarus Man” has all the makings of an A-minus New York movie you might see on Netflix. I suggest waiting for that.
Like this review? Follow me at “What Does Aug Think?” at acsntn.substack.com. Thank you!