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Lazarus is Dead by Richard Beard (view source)
Revision as of 11:58, 9 August 2020
, 11:58, 9 August 2020no edit summary
|isbn=978-1846555060
|website=http://www.richardbeard.info/
|cover=0099554348
|aznuk=0099554348
|aznus=B005E87CJK
}}
The title certainly got my attention and when I read that Beard is the Director of the National Academy of Writing, London I was expecting great things from him. I'm also thinking in the very next breath how audacious to write a fictional book about a towering biblical character but then, many have done just that. Will he pull it off though?
And I'm struck straight away by the effective voice of Beard. ''Like most men in their early thirties, Lazarus has plans that don't involve dying'' is just one very good example. This is a style that I really enjoy. I'll sum it up very generally by saying: subject matter stupendous, narrative style matter-of-fact but one hundred per cent effective. But I'm also thinking - will I actually like this book given its (dry) biblical/religious slant. Time to find out.
Beard does a wonderful 10 -second summation of his book in the very first paragraph which reads ''Lazarus is dead ... He died, he came back to life, but then he died again.'' And this is the tone and style adopted throughout. I found it to be both charming and original.
Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary live a fairly simple, uncomplicated life in Bethany, near Jerusalem. Life seems good at the moment. Lazarus's business is flourishing and the women make domestic life run smoothly as they deal with all the tiresome chores such as cleaning and cooking. Lazarus is still unmarried but that may be about to change.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this book appeals then you might like to try [[My Name Was Judas by C K Stead]]. We've also enjoyed [[Acts of the Assassins by Richard Beard]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0099554348}}