November 30, 2024
Lazarus Man by Richard Price
When a five story apartment building in Harlem collapses, there are a lot of questions: how did this happen? Why did it happen? Who is missing? How will this affect the survivors? And mainly, how did a man survive being buried in the rubble for two days, yet escape with minimal injuries, and how will it change his life?
Price writes literary fiction and I have read some of his previous books such as Clockers and Lush Life. Based on reviews, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy his latest book, since some readers complained about the slowness of the story and the POVs of multiple characters. A lot of readers seemed to be expecting suspense or an action story, but that's not what Price writes. Once I started reading, I read over half the book in a single day (it's really remarkable how much you can read during the commercials while watching an NFL game). Characters are imperfect, thoughtful, and well-developed. Will appeal to readers of literary fiction, especially Colson Whitehead's Harlem novels or James McBride's fiction.
Brownstones in Harlem
