“Mary, still focused on trying to figure him out, at least had no doubt about the genuineness of his anguish, and for a moment it made her want him to be the real thing, despite all the signs and portents and poetic phrasing that whispered to her otherwise.”
A collapsed building and the impact it has on a series of interconnected lives is the subject of Richard Price's most recent novel. "Lazarus Man" explores the ramifications and repercussions of decisions made, using gritty New York City as a central character.
“He took me to a Mets game once when I was eight, we’re in a bar by the stadium beforehand and I told him I was worried we were going to miss the start. So what does he do? He orders himself another beer, says to me, ‘Look down there,’ and I see three Mets sitting at the short end of the wood throwing back cocktails.
“He says, ‘When they leave, we leave.’”
Price's cast stumbles through monotonous lives, ruined relationships, abusive situations, and small glimpses of happiness (sometimes even in the midst of petty crime). The novel brilliantly demonstrates how connections and communities form, allowing you to root for characters -- both despite and because of their supreme flaws.
“ … Within each of us lies the power to surprise ourselves with who we never knew we could be.”
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