I think I expected more of a cops and robbers story since I really only know of Price from The Wire. I found that I could connect to Mary and Anthony's stories but not the others. Maybe because I was reading on a Kindle, I thought the short breaks in the narrative were often jarring. It could be that that was part of the point of the novel and the mixing of the characters, but I was confused from time to time. That may be on me and not reading patiently enough.

One of the true masters of the American literary form is back after nearly a decade away. Price is considered a crime writer, but is close to Don DeLillo then Michael Connelly, and this is a slice of American urban life, with no real crime in it. It follows a building explosion and how that effects the lives of the survivors and observers. Price's real super power is to create characters which are unlike anyone you have heard from before. They aren't tropes, they are completely formed unique people in situations that haven't been written about a thousand times. There are multiple POV characters in this book, and not a single one of them feels inspired or derivative. I read a lot of crime novels and thrillers and even the most entertaining of them are variations on a theme, Price doesn’t do that, There is something really special about a writer who can drop you into a place you haven't been with people you haven't met.

An apartment building collapses in Harlem, leaving few survivors. This book takes you on a journey through the aftermath told through the voices of people in the neighborhood. I love how it all came together in the end. I will be seeking out more books by Price.

A catastrophe happened in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York, and we follow people affected by it through the moments before it happened and after it happened.

This is my first book by Richard Price and while I was preparing for something great, this book.. almost (!) delivered.
3.5 stars from me. Even though I love reading multiple POV's, this one was a little hard to follow. Although I can honestly say that the writing was beautiful and suspenseful with a great twist in the end. This book is a great character study.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC.

Lazarus Man by Richard Price

Many stories woven into one, this tale’s main focus is on one man who survives a building collapse, our Lazarus man. All the other stories swirl around him in one way or another. All the characters are interesting on their own and help carry the story in 2008 Harlem, NYC.

I had a real problem keeping track of whose relationship was up-being described-as there was no defining where one story stopped and another started. This is a strange tactic in paragraphing I am seeing more and more in literature, and I am not a fan.

Mary, a cop and Felix, a street photographer were my favorite characters among the many. As in real life, everyone has a story to tell and their personalities spoke to me. Mr. Price wove a good narrative,which includes a surprise for the reader at the end. I will rate it four stars.

Set in Harlem, New York in 2008, to me, this novel picks up where earlier Price novels I’d read left off. I’d read Clockers, Samaritan, and Lush Life quite a few years back, and I recall how the dialogue really grabbed me and hauled me through the stories. I can’t recall plots or characters – the last time I picked up one of his books was well over ten years ago – but the impact of his writing still lingers. Here, he introduces us to a group of characters from the neighbourhood, all struggling to some extent but each intent on getting on with their lives, with continuing the fight in the hope of finding something better. A little way in, we meet the Lazarus Man himself, a man dragged out of the remains of a fallen building thirty-six hours after its sudden collapse.

Mary Roe is a Community Outreach cop. She’s good with people, probing but calm. But she’s struggling with a disintegrated marriage and the need to re-arrange her disordered home life. She’s quickly on the scene after the collapse of the building and is given a list of people to account for, people who may or may not have been in the building at the time. She swiftly ticks them off, but one man remains unaccounted for – he’s to become an obsession for her, she won’t rest until she identifies whether he died in the rubble or remains alive and active.

Royal Lyons is an undertaker, struggling to make ends meet. He comes from a family of funeral homeowners going back generations. But he’s on his uppers, his own facility falling to pieces around him. He’s grabbing pick-up jobs where he can – often in the middle of the night – but he knows he can’t survive this way much longer.

Felix Pearl is a young man hoping to make his way as a photographer. On the night of the building collapse he’s on the street capturing scenes as the chaos of the moment plays out. He’s to be a more peripheral figure in this story, but he’ll play a significant role nonetheless.

Then there’s the Lazarus Man himself, Anthony Walker. A lost soul who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But perhaps this moment, this disaster and his miraculous survival is to be a turning point. It seems he now has a message to give, a message of hope. And it appears that people want to hear it.

The narrative switches regularly, following the progress of one character to then focus on another. Sometimes, we get a single paragraph. Other times we’re granted a little more. It’s somewhat disconcerting, mildly confusing. But soon, the pattern begins to make sense, as each separate path makes its way toward a point where their interactions will begin.

The tone of the novel is generally melancholy, but there’s humour here too and drama, lots of drama. There’s a good deal of sadness, but there’s also renewal and hope. When I read a Richard Price novel, I always seem to come away with learning. It pushes me to introspection that is sometimes painful but which I ultimately find to be rewarding. He shows his readers a slice of life that may be very different from their own but from which parallels can be drawn, perhaps conclusions extracted and always enjoyment and satisfaction gained. I loved this tale, and I believe many others will, too.

Review is on my Goodreads page. Excellent book. Crackling dialogue. Knowledge of Harlem 2008 is brilliant

I didn't realize author Richard Price was a writer for The Wire when I was approved to read this book on NetGalley. Even though I loved that tv show, I had a hard time getting into Lazarus Man for at least the first half of the book due to the vast number of characters and the fairly slow-paced 'slice of life' plot/ literary style.

I would call this book an "ensemble" novel, which is made up of 4 primary characters, each of whom is connected to many friends, family and lovers, several of whom play pretty main roles. The community of Harlem is a big 5th character, as well. These are the 4 main characters:

Anthony Carter—whose miraculous survival, after being buried for days beneath tons of brick and stone, transforms him into a man with a message and a passionate sense of mission.

Felix Pearl—a young transplant to the city, whose photography and film work that day provokes in this previously unformed soul a sharp sense of personal destiny.

Royal Davis—owner of a failing Harlem funeral home, whose desperate trolling of the scene for potential “customers” triggers a quest to find another path in life.

And Mary Roe—a veteran city detective who, driven in part by her own family’s brutal history, becomes obsessed with finding Christopher Diaz, one of the building’s missing.

The story uses the collapse of a 5-story building as a catalyst for connecting the players, and the story spans a short period of time - maybe a week or two.

What I loved about the book was Price's dialog for each character. There is such love and nuance in the words that you can feel those relationships pop off the page. Each person's motivations and aspirations are gently revealed and it is beautiful to see the human development occur over a short time.

That said, I still found it very hard to follow with all the characters, and I found myself getting confused on which person had which history until I was half way through it, but maybe I am not good at large ensemble books. 4-stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux publishing, for the advanced reader copy of this 11/12/24 release novel.

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.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I have read many of Richard Price’s books and have always enjoyed them. I was happy to see that his latest was approved for me on Netgalley. Thank you for the ARC copy of “Lazarus Man”. Mr Price has not disappointed with his latest work. Exceptional characters that seem so real that you feel that you know them. I really enjoyed this book.

LAZARUS MAN, the latest offering by novelist and screenwriter Richard Price, follows four likable characters whose lives intersect in a period of rebirth for them all. Not just the one obvious Lazarus, but bits of resurrection for them all.

Despite the gruesome setting, the collapse of tenement building in Harlem in 2008, and despite their own personal demons, the characters, willy-nilly, as serendipitous and arbitrary as life itself, discover the joys of self-respect, self-reliance and service to others.

This book was hard to rate because readers looking for a more developed plot line will be disappointed. But the writing, the penetrating descriptions, especially Felix’s way with a camera, and the nonjudgmental peek into this moment of time and place demanded a five star rating.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Farrar, Strauss and Giroux for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘Tomorrow, he hoped, would be a game changer.’

Harlem, New York, 2008. Four very different people are brought together. Mary Roe is a police officer. She is separated from her husband, and they share custody of their child. Royal Davis runs a now failing funeral parlour which has been in his family for generations. Felix Pearl has moved to New York, but finds he is as lonely here as he was with his family. Anthony Carter, a mixed-race man, is unemployed, lonely and depressed.

So, what brings these four people together? They are drawn together after a residential building on Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem collapses, killing several people. Mary is tasked with tracking down people who may be missing. Felix lives in an apartment building across the road from the collapsed building. Royal sees an opportunity for business, and Anthony is pulled out of the ruins of the collapsed building and becomes known as the Lazarus Man.

Mr Price captures the confusion and destruction after the building collapses. The concern for those missing, the ash and dust coating the surroundings, the sound of sirens. And then the seeming miracle: Anthony Carter found alive. Each of the four main characters finds new purpose. Mary makes it her personal mission to find a missing man; Felix finds that his photography skills are in demand; Royal looks for redemption while Anthony is inspired with new mission and purpose.

There’s a twist in the tale which adds another perspective to what a rich tale about the strength of human spirit is when faced with adversity, catastrophe, loss and grief.

I found this novel challenging because although I could follow the individual strands involving each character, I found it difficult to piece the story together. And then I realised that I was looking for a coherence that wasn’t perhaps either necessary or achievable. This is the first of Mr Price’s novels I have read. I’ve added others to my reading list.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I'm probably more familiar with Richard Price's TV work than his novels, but I love a good New York novel and was excited to read Lazarus Man. I was expecting more of a crime novel but I'd describe this a character piece, or really several characters, focusing on the after effect of a Harlem building collapse in 2008.

This premise allows for a deep dive into the neighborhood and several of the residents. Felix, a budding photographer; Royal, the owner of a failing funeral home; Mary, a community affairs police officer; and Anthony, who was discovered in the rubble of the collapse. These are all pretty regular, every day people, but over the course of the book we learn more about them and their individual circumstances.

By the end you're rooting for them all in this slice of life, peak into their lives book.

Disappointing!

I’ve been a big fan of Richard Price having read and loved the following of his books over the years… Clockers, Freedomland, Samaritan and Lush Life.

Similar to these books, Lazarus Man succeeds in: (1) being filled with extremely well-developed, complex, real-world characters, and (2) masterfully captures the sounds, sights and smells of their respective NYC neighborhoods in such a way that you feel you are right there alongside the book’s characters.

Unlike these books, however, Lazarus didn’t succeed very much for me because it lacked a strong, cohesive plot that maintained my interest from start to finish. Instead, rather than the types of dramatic plots i enjoyed in Price’s other books, in Lazarus Man Price chose to tell his story by using a series of intertwining portraits of how the collapse of a five-story tenement in East Harlem, New York in 2018 permanently impacts the lives of a number of its characters. For me, this approach was a disappointment and seriously kept me from wanting to read it at a fast pace to find out what happens next.

2 1/2 Stars rounded up to 3 Stars.

#Lazarus Man. #Net Galley

***Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this upcoming book***
This is my first encounter with the author and I found out about him while browsing NetGalley for interesting books that were on the horizon. This one jumped out at me because the author spent time writing on HBO's The Wire, which is one of if not THE greatest television show ever made.

I wanted to like this one more and was really enjoying it at parts, but the whole product seems a bit half baked. The characters are mostly memorable and feel like real life people, the dialogue sings and comes off authentic...it's the story, character motivations and ultimate resolutions that missed the mark for me.

A valiant effort and a mostly enjoyable read, I would recommend this to people interested in a character study about people in a neighborhood who are each dealing with the ramifications of a catastrophic event that has occurred in said neighborhood.

Another amazing novel of New York City by Richard Price. The "Lazarus Man" of the title is Anthony Walker, who miraculously survives being buried in the rubble following the destruction of an apartment building in East Harlem. Anthony is just one of a multitude of fascinating characters, from a cop who responds to the scene and becomes obsessed with tracking down one of the missing tenants, to a struggling undertaker, who sees an opportunity in the disaster.

Although I wouldn't characterize the plot as propulsive, it is a brilliant character study, and that is more than enough to make it a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book. Lazarus Man, although different from Richard Prices other books, is a story about human connection, disaster and how we manage that disaster. In general I'm not a fan of changing points of view but here the characters are wonderfully fully fleshed. Overall a good book.

This was a beautiful novel! Richard Price is treats these characters as if they were his best friends. The amount of love and empathy is this book is incredible. It is heartfelt and full of love.

Set in Harlem, New York, in 2008, this is the story of four very different residents of the area. Mary is a policewoman with a chldhood history of trauma who is in the process of dissolving her marriage. Royal, like the generations before him, runs a funeral parlour but now it is failing. Felix has left his rural home and followed his passion for film to the big city, only to find that he is as isolated there as he was in his family. And finally, Anthony, a mixed race man, whose life is cycling down in depression, loneliness chronic unemployment.

One morning the residential building across the road from Felix's apartment collapses, killing six people. All four of them are drawn into relationship while navigating the consequences of the collapse. Pivotally, Anthony is pulled out of the ruins and becomes the eponymous Lazarus Man. He develops a strong sense of gratitude and mission which effects the lives of all concerned.

This is a story of trauma, loss, grief and the amazing human ability to recover. At the same time, the picture of Harlem at that time is quite fascinating. The writing is just sensational. At one point I thought, I've no idea where this is going but I don't care because I am just enjoying this so much. What a story teller! The ending is great but it is definitely a shame to get to the end. I sat down and devoured it in a day.

I've never read this author, Richard Price, before but I will be looking out his previous books and looking forward to future offerings.

Thanks to the publishers for granting me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

Very definitely recommended. 4.5 stars

In many ways "Lazarus Man" is markedly different from Richard Price's previous novels (I've been a huge fan since his first book, "The Wanderers"). The beginning in particular lacks the propulsive, finger-snapping energy his writing's known for. It's more cautious—think of the difference between Springsteen's first albums and his post-1980s music.

The writing becomes livelier and more assertive as the story goes on, which enhances the underlying thoughtfulness with its contrast. If some of Price's other works were celebrations—of energy, survival, grit—this is an elegy. It's a brilliant depiction of the changing Harlem of the 2010s, but it didn't move me the way "Bloodbrothers" or "Clockers" or even his previous book, "The Whites," did. There are scenes and characters from just about every one of his previous novels that still stay with me, but I don't know if anything from "Lazarus Man" will, even though I believe, more than his other works, it's meant to.

The bottom line, though, is that even a "lesser" Richard Price novel is better than most any other novel and a must-read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.