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Lazarus Is Dead

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Like most men in their early thirties, Lazarus has plans that don't involve dying. He is busy organising his sisters, his business and his women. Life is mostly good, until far away in Galilee, without warning, his childhood best friend turns water into wine.Immediately, Lazarus falls ill. And with each subsequent miracle his health a nasty cough blooms into an alarming panorama of afflictions. His sisters think Jesus can help, but given the history of their friendship Lazarus disagrees. What he is sure of is that he'll try everything in his power to make himself well. Except for calling on Jesus.Lazarus dies. Jesus weeps. This part we all know.But as Lazarus is about to find out, returning from the dead isn't easy. You think you want a second chance at life, but what do you do when you get it? Lazarus has his own story, he is his own man, and he is determined to avoid the mistakes he made the first time round.A thrillingly inventive, genre-bending novel, Lazarus is Dead is the definitive account of the life, death and life of Lazarus, as never told before.

263 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

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About the author

Richard Beard

47 books52 followers
Richard Beard’s six novels include Lazarus is Dead, Dry Bones and Damascus, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In the UK he has been shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and longlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award. His latest novel Acts of the Assassins was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize in 2015. He is also the author of four books of narrative non-fiction, including his 2017 memoir The Day That Went Missing. Formerly Director of The National Academy of Writing in London, he is a Visiting Professor (2016/17) at the University of Tokyo, and has a Creative Writing Fellowship at the University of East Anglia. In 2017 he is a juror for Canada’s Scotiabank Giller Prize. Beard is also an occasional contributor to the Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Financial Times, Prospect and The Nightwatchman.

He studied at Cambridge, at the Open University, and with Malcolm Bradbury on the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. He has worked as a P.E. teacher, as Secretary to Mathilda, Duchess of Argyll, and as an employee of the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. In the Mendip Hills Richard Beard looked after Brookleaze, a house owned by the Royal Society of Literature, and lived for three years in Japan as Professor of British Studies at the University of Tokyo.

He is one of several opening batsmen for the Authors XI Cricket Club.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
Profile Image for Phillip Edwards.
54 reviews83 followers
September 5, 2012
At a gala performance of Jesus Christ Superstar, comedienne Victoria Wood was asked what she thought of the show. "It's very sad," she said, "he dies in the end you know."

Here, it is Jesus's friend Lazarus who dies, not at the end but in the middle. Then comes back to life again - thanks to his childhood friend. We are presented with episodes from the childhood of Lazarus and Jesus, speculations about those formative years together and the different paths their lives subsequently followed.
"Among all the people Jesus knows, and all the people Jesus meets, Lazarus is unique in the Christian New Testament. Not in coming back from the dead (there were others) but in being named as Jesus's friend. Jesus has disciples, some of whom he loves, but Lazarus is his only recorded friend.
And famously, unforgettably, in the shortest verse of the bible, Lazarus can make Jesus weep."
As you can see, much of this novel reads like non-fiction. The author, as narrator, attempts to piece together the life (and death) (and life again) story of Lazarus, and his connection to Jesus, from the few clues to be found in the Bible. A kind of literary archaeobiography (biblioarchaeology?) setting out to answer questions like: what did Lazarus die of? He lives with his sisters, who are unaffected, so whatever he has cannot be infectious, for example.
"Lazarus has eight months to live. That much we know, but smallpox would have killed him quicker than that. His rash at this stage must therefore be scabies, caused by parasitic mites beneath the skin. The mite Sarcoptes scabiei clusters on bedding, clothing and other household objects. Impregnated female mites wait for contact with human skin, then seek out the folds of the body. They make a home in the softness between fingers and toes, inside the elbow or behind the knee, between the buttocks or in the red heat of the groin. They start tunnelling."
Beard switches between this forensic analysis and speculative historical-fiction in the way of a highbrow television docudrama. Reconstructing history while deconstructing the barrier between fiction and non-fiction. Leaving us to wonder how much of history is as speculative as fiction anyway. Where is the line between reality and imagination? Can we ever know?

Lazarus is Dead does not have the sweltering atmosphere of Jim Crace's Quarantine, but it is a fascinating and compelling read. A fictional biography of someone who didn't exist, and then did, and then didn't, and then did again, and then...what?
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,135 reviews3,417 followers
April 5, 2015
In this peculiar novel-cum-biography, Beard attempts to piece together everything that has ever been said, written and thought about the biblical character of Lazarus. The best sections have Beard ferreting out the many diseases from which Lazarus may have been suffering, and imagining what his stench – both in life and in death – must have been like. (“He stinketh,” as the Book of John pithily puts it.)

Alongside these reasonable conjectures is a strange, invented backstory for Jesus and Lazarus: when they were children Jesus failed to save Lazarus’ younger brother from drowning and Lazarus has borne a lifelong grudge. A Roman official is able to temporarily convince Lazarus that he needs to take up the mantle of the Messiah because he came back to life: he has the miracle to prove the position, whether he wants it or not. The end of the novel follows the strand of the Passion Week, though in a disconnected and halfhearted fashion.

Beard’s interest is not that of a religious devotee or a scriptural scholar, but of a skeptical postmodern reader. Lazarus is a vehicle for questions of textual accuracy, imagination, and the creation of a narrative of life and death. His unprecedented second life must make him irresistible to experimental novelists. Beard’s follow-up novel, Acts of the Assassins, is also Bible-themed; it’s a thriller that imagines the Roman Empire still in charge today.
Profile Image for John Pappas.
411 reviews34 followers
January 13, 2013
Europa Editions has done it again -- this time, presenting a here-to-fore unknown to me British author, writing an amazing, warm and funny imagining of the life and death (and life again) of Lazarus, friend of Jesus who, according to the Gospel of John, is raised from the dead. Uniquely structured, this "meta-novel" features a narrator who leaps through time discussing the work of many artists and writers captivated by Lazarus's story, including Carravaggio, Eliot, Saramago, Mailer and Kazantzakis, to craft a unique "biography" of Lazarus, investigating his role and purpose in Jesus' life and how others have imagined his childhood and post-resurrected life. Cataloguing Lazarus' doubts, failures, and misgivings as his life moves in a parallel track to Jesus', from Nazareth to Jerusalem, Beard's philosophical text is a surprisingly inventive and challenging story about friendship, redemption and second chances.
Profile Image for Allison.
745 reviews75 followers
April 23, 2017
One of the most unique books I have read in a long, long time.

Beard examines the story of Lazarus through a novel, inherently a work of fiction, yet he weaves historical asides throughout the book that paint an even more compelling, almost "convincing" picture of this man who was said to be Jesus' only friend. Lazarus is presented to us as both a character in a story and a man who was once alive on this earth, someone who is intimately knowable through Beard's imagination but also inherently unknowable because so few records of his life are available to us.

As someone who was raised Presbyterian and attended Catholic grade school, I always saw Lazarus as "just one more" of Jesus' miracles. He was just another chapter in the life of Jesus, no more or less important than the other chapters we learned about. And yet Beard raises (and answers, in his own creative way) questions that never occurred to me: why did Jesus choose to raise Lazarus, of all people, from the dead? Why was Lazarus dead in the first place? And what happened to Lazarus after he was brought back? How could any of us live our lives again, after coming back to life?
Profile Image for Andrew Graham.
18 reviews
June 30, 2023
Very good read. Contained unique structuring and pacing I've yet to see in another book. Reccommend for all bible buffa out there lol
Profile Image for Katie Mercer.
200 reviews23 followers
August 29, 2012
Full Disclosure: I won this as an ARC copy from the Goodreads giveaway. I was pretty excited to have won this one - generally I'm thrilled to win a book, but I really do love Europa as a publisher. No, they didn't tell me to say that. Yes, I actually really do think have favourite publishers. I'm a librarian guys.

Lazarus raising from the dead is the last, and arguably most famous of Jesus's public miracles resulting in two of the most famous Biblical quotes: "I am the resurrection and the life" and "Jesus Wept". The thing is only John mentions Lazarus - and that was written about 100 years after the other Gospels, and the problem with John, as well all know (do we all know this? My uncle used to be a Benedictine monk. Maybe this isn't common knowledge) John is... less dependable. Beard himself says it hilariously well "Mark is considered the most factually accurate. Matthew and Luke base their accounts on Mark, while John is closer to the kind of writing known today as creative non-fiction." So yes. Creative non-fiction. Historical Fact. Whatever.

Anyways. Beard's novel focus around the detail that Lazarus is described as Jesus' friend - something Jesus has few of. Why is it Lazarus' death that causes Jesus to weep? Why did the first three gospel writers omit Lazarus from their version of historical record? Beard traces the history of Jesus' friendship with Lazarus, then their more adult lives. I don't really want to get into much detail here (because you know. Spoilers) so I'm going to tell you what I think about the book.

In the best possible way, I don't actually know what to make of the book. Stylistically, Beard is close to perfect, flippant but never trivial, and enough probability is added to the core of Lazarus's story to make you care about his eventual fate (or you know, one of the two options that Beard gives. Which is true? Who knows). But about the book itself I don't actually know quite what to make of it. It bounces between speculative fiction and more realistic textual analysis. It's a made up (or not) (but maybe?) (but really, too complex a debate for Goodreads) Biography of the man who was arguably Jesus' only friend. Complicated, I know. When you read it you'll understand.

Lazarus is Dead is arguably the most unusual and original book I've read in a while and I read a lot of odd books. Call it speculative fiction, or whatever you want, and go get a copy when it comes out. It's very very much well worth a read. You'll probably put it down and be a little confused and fairly thoughtful about what is fiction, what is fact and the stories none of us know, but wish we did.

http://vivalakt.blogspot.ca/
Profile Image for Maya Panika.
Author 1 book77 followers
September 4, 2011
Citing gospels, art, archaeology and Roman historians amongst other sources, Richard Beard attempts to get to the heart of who Lazarus really was, what his life might have been like, why he died, why he was brought back to life and what might have happened to him after the events described in John’s Gospel.

Written in an odd style, part novel, part history textbook ,that took me a while to get into, Lazarus is Dead is a most unusual and original book in very many ways. I’m wary of saying too much, of spoiling this remarkable tale for the would-be reader.

It is very much a tale in three parts, and the first – covering Lazarus and Jesus’ childhood and adolescence in Egypt and Nazareth – is a reasonably readable, entirely imagined tale of a Biblical character about whom we know little or nothing, filled with insight and historical detail and with terrific feeling for its time and place. The middle section covers the year of Lazarus’s sickness, set against the background of Jesus’ ministry and miracles. I found this part rather dry; Richard Bear frequently departs from the narrative to reflect on the many and varied sources on which he bases his conjectures. There’s an abundance of brutal detail on sickness and healing and the rituals of death and the narrative gets a little lost in the murk of Lazarus’ inevitable death and politics - religious and secular – as the powers that be debate on what is to be done about Jesus.

This book really comes into its own after Lazarus returns from the dead. What happens to a man who was dead for four days then returns in spectacular fashion, back to a world constrained by strict religious laws that consider death unclean, considers Lazarus unclean, a blasphemous abomination?

Things look pretty bleak for Lazarus, and then Jesus is crucified and everything changes. Politics - Jewish and Roman – take over, everyone has an agenda and we really do not know which way the author is going to take things next. This last third of the tale is a truly compelling read and the ultimate ending, quite beautiful.

4 stars, because the 5* end more than makes up for the 3* middle.
Profile Image for Alysa.
77 reviews13 followers
February 8, 2014
I found this book to be very intriguing. We all (well, those of us raised in a Christian tradition) know the story of Lazarus, raised from the dead by Jesus, and his sisters, practical Martha and faithful Mary. But that story is not much more than a skeleton, missing a before, an after, and a lot if what's going on around it. That's what author Richard Beard tries to flesh out in this book, the story around Lazarus' resurrection.

Part historical fiction and part literary (and other arts!) review, Beard creates a story about Lazarus and his childhood friend, Jesus—destined to become the Messiah—and what led to their separation. This background story is woven through the narrative of Lazarus' first last year, and the first week of his second first year (which also happens to be Jesus' first last week). Interspersed through this story are references to Biblical passages, works of literature and works of art that reference Lazarus and the events of the time. Beard uses these to support the narrative he has created for the life of Lazarus. It's structurally well put together, and moves easily, nearly seamlessly, at times, from literature reference to story and back again.

The first thing I noticed opening the book was that it starts at chapter 7, section 7. Um, what? Looking at the table of contents, I realized the chapter and section headings are a countdown to Lazarus' death, after which point the chapter and section numbers begin to count up. Clever play there!

I found the book a quick and enjoyable read. If anything, I was a little unsatisfied with the rather indecisive ending, but it is reflective of Beard's research which states that we really have no idea of what happened to Lazarus after Jesus' own death and resurrection. There is enough closure, however, to feel contented upon closing the book.
Profile Image for Cheryl Gatling.
1,275 reviews19 followers
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June 17, 2013
Lazarus is Dead is one weird little book. You can tell this when you open it, and it starts at chapter 7. The chapters count down to zero, which is where Lazarus is raised from the dead, and then count back up again to 7. The basic story is the one from the Bible, and the author cites Biblical evidence to explain why he told it the way he did. He also cites every piece of literature that treats the Lazarus story, and I was surprised there were so many. Then he invents wildly. When Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt, they invite their neighbors, the Lazarus family, to flee with them. The two boys are together in Egypt. They are together back in Nazareth. They did everything together, as best buddies, until Lazarus’s brother drowns, and Jesus does not save him. The book begins with the boys grown up and somewhat estranged. Lazarus follows Jesus’ career from a distance. But every time Jesus performs another miracle, Lazarus gets sicker. He has not just one disease, but seven. Is Jesus inflicting sickness on Lazarus on purpose so that he can show off? What exactly is the relationship between Jesus and Lazarus? Once he is raised from the dead, Lazarus has followers of his own, and people trying to kill him. Could Lazarus be a messiah, too? I liked the first half of the book best. There is a dry, wry wit throughout, but in the second half there is a heavier note of cynicism to the cleverness. Lazarus is world-weary and directionless. Everyone has an agenda. Everyone is using everyone else: the priests, the Romans, the traveling healer, the assassin, Lazarus’s prostitute-girlfriend. And while they are all plotting, Jesus does what Jesus does. It was fascinating to take a familiar story and look at it from a different perspective.
Profile Image for Andrea.
90 reviews
July 20, 2018
I won this book through the Goodreads First Read program.

I entered the giveaway because I was looking for something different and this book certainly qualified! In fact there were times I was sitting there, thinking that this tale was just completely bizarre, but in a good way.

Beard doesn't have much to work on, of the four book (John, Matthew, Mark and Luke) only John even mentions Lazarus, which perhaps asks more questions than it answers. Though on the other hand it leaves the author quite a bit of room to fill in the holes.

But Beard doesn't just make up any old story. While telling us the tale of Lazarus he's also explaining how he came to various conclusions, using the Bible and other historical references to guide his choices in how he has Lazarus' life unfold. The alternation between Lazarus actual story and the reasoning behind it (often very plausible) was woven so neatly into the the plot itself it became the part of plot. I was much impressed, I truly enjoyed the language and style of this book. Even the pace was perfect, you have time to reflect on Lazarus' fate (poor guy by the way, being the guinea pig for the Messiah was no easy life) but you never get bored. I've not read anything quite like it before.
Profile Image for Jamie.
15 reviews
October 7, 2012
I won this book courtesy of the Goodreads Giveaway. Being agnostic, a religious book isn't that powerful or moving to me as a reader who has faith, but I chose to read it for the information.

In the beginning, I couldn't put this book down. I have no idea why, but I felt compelled to keep reading. It was an interesting read overall, but had too little dialogue for my taste. The author's tone was refreshing, however, almost cynical in a way, and I enjoyed that. The author's tone may have been what kept my attention though. This book wasn't as thrilling as the critics had claimed. After finishing, I looked back again at the praise this book was given. One, for example, was "As gripping as a thriller"...not so much. I was never sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next, and at times it was very predictable. I liked this book, and it was worth the read, but I wouldn't recommend it to people who want to read something exciting and fast paced. I'd recommend it more to people who want to get information out of it.
Profile Image for TinHouseBooks.
305 reviews194 followers
September 23, 2013
Desiree Andrews (Assistant Editor, Tin House magazine): I picked up a copy of Lazarus Is Dead by Richard Beard because I’m always drawn to the bold and well-designed covers of Eruopa Editions. Compelled by the subversion of a bible story I knew only marginally well (despite having gone to church every Sunday of my youth) and the expert way in which cultural references, speculation, and pure fiction were laced together to form a biography of Lazarus, I tore through the book in two days. There’re things about bible stories that I love—sex, violence, God is usually being kind of a dick, among them—and this book encapsulates all of that with a tone that takes it’s subject very seriously with all the respect a 2,000 year old religion deserves. I bought a copy for my mom (the woman who made me go to church every Sunday) and I know she’ll love it—she’s always been one for subversion.
Profile Image for Louise Jones.
288 reviews11 followers
April 23, 2015
i enjoyed this book and the kind of humour attached to it although not sure wot someone very religious would think !! if they were a humour bone !!! I must admit now u think about it what on earth did Lazarus do after he came back to life and obviously the bible cant mention everything but enjoyed the thoughts that came with this book was Jesus really proper mates with anyone and what do u do if brought back to life would value every millisecond be interested to see what other books Richard beard write now who to give this book to !!!
Profile Image for Tenli.
1,192 reviews
July 1, 2015
Dare I use the word miraculous to describe this unusual and brilliant so-called biography of the biblical Lazarus?
Profile Image for Cathryn Conroy.
1,380 reviews70 followers
March 13, 2024
Wow! This is a profound and powerful novel that is an extraordinary hybrid between fiction and theology that left me stunned (in a good way).

Deftly written by Richard Beard, this is the story of the biblical Lazarus—before, during, and after his death. The raising of Lazarus from the dead only appears in the Gospel of John where it is the seventh of Jesus's miracles, the first of which is turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana.

As Beard tells this tale, Jesus and Lazarus were born weeks apart in Bethlehem, escaped to Egypt with their families, and grew up together in Nazareth as best friends—inseparable friends. Then something happens that tears them apart and each goes his own way, Lazarus to Jerusalem and Bethany while Jesus at first remains in Nazareth and eventually begins his itinerant ministry. Lazarus lives in Bethany with his unmarried sisters, Martha and Mary. One day, just after they hear that Jesus has turned water into wine at a wedding reception, Lazarus gets sick. He brushes it off as nothing much. As Jesus performs each subsequent miracle, including walking on water and feeding the 5,000, Lazarus becomes sicker…and sicker. He eventually develops many illnesses, including scabies, dysentery, malaria, and smallpox. He stinks. Oh, does he smell of sickness and impending death! As his body disintegrates, so does his life because he cannot work or do anything without severe pain. Martha and Mary despair that Jesus, who is only a few miles away, doesn't come and heal their brother.

You probably know what happens next. Lazarus dies. Jesus does come to Bethany, but only after Lazarus has been dead for four days. And then Jesus performs his greatest miracle of all: raising Lazarus from the dead, which occurs one week and a day before he himself rises from the dead on Easter morning. Lazarus is a foreshadowing of Jesus's Resurrection.

But the novel doesn't end here. That's the middle. Beard richly imagines Lazarus's life after he was given the ultimate of second chances. Roman officials, who are threatened by Jesus's ministry, want Lazarus dead—and soon. But Lazarus manages to escape their wily plots and goes on to become one of the greatest disciples of Jesus. Some scholars think he is the mysterious and unnamed "Beloved Disciple" in the Gospel of John.

What makes the novel so special is that this fictionalized account of what Lazarus and his sisters saw, heard, discussed, and felt is interspersed with theological, historical, and biblical accounts of what was happening then. These are not set off with italics or spaced breaks; they are interspersed with the fiction. At first this was a bit disconcerting, but I quickly caught on and think this is the secret sauce that makes this novel so profound and powerful.

This is a deeply researched book. Dozens of theologians are quoted or mentioned from ancient times to modern day, including the Jewish historian Josephus and Khalil Gibran, as well as references to Lazarus by some of the world's literary giants, including Czech writer Karel Čapek, Greek writer Nikos Kazantakis, British authors Robert Graves and Thomas Hardy, Irish poet W. B. Yeats, and Americans Norman Mailer and Eugene O'Neill, among many others.

Another fun literary device is the chapter numbers. The chapters begin at No. 7 and countdown to zero when Lazarus dies. We are now in the middle of the book. Then the chapter numbers begin with zero when he is raised from the dead and continue escalating to No. 7 when the book ends.

This is an ingeniously plotted novel that tells the biblical story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead in a unique, creative, and compelling way.
Profile Image for J.G.P. MacAdam.
Author 1 book1 follower
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December 18, 2022
"The dead are dead. This is the ending that Judaeans can safely expect, just as Jesus will turn out to be a provincial shaman defeated by the challenge of Jerusalem. His friend Lazarus is a hill farmer in a region with pre-Roman levels of hygiene. He [Lazarus] falls ill. He sacrifices sheep. He employs a healer who is ignorant of Greek advances in observational science. Under the circumstances, it is normal that Lazarus’s health should fail. All things being equal, he will die.

The death of Lazarus will provide evidence of natural law functioning as usual in the universe. Death is the most predictable of life’s events. It is the opposite of a miracle."—Richard Beard, "Lazarus is Dead"

All in all, I'd say Beard's book is a nifty take on the story of Lazarus.

There's a lot of fiction in here. Beard's story of Lazarus is told largely from Lazarus's own point of view. Though it's very much inspired by the original (and very short, considering the significance of the event) story of Lazarus as it appears in the Gospel of John. (And only in the Gospel of John.)

Ever notice how the childhood of Jesus—his teenaged years and so forth—are never much mentioned in the Gospels? Apart from the birthing in a manger, of course. Beard seizes this opportunity in "Lazarus is Dead" to explore the (intended?) omission of Jesus's childhood from the Gospels. Beard fleshes out several pivotal (and doubtlessly fictional) episodes in the lifelong friendship between Lazarus and Jesus as they grow up together.

And this friendship is key. Lazarus was friend of Jesus—that's written in the good book itself. (None of the disciples are explicitly called a "friend" of Jesus.) And Jesus wept. The only place Jesus apparently weeps in all the Bible is at the tomb of his friend, immediately before he raises him.

There's a lot of nonfiction in "Lazarus is Dead" also. Essay-like snippets are accordioned throughout the fictional story. It's certainly a nifty method. And well worth the read if you're interested in digging deeper (ha) into Biblical archeology and scriptural analysis. I did not know Lazarus himself had been canonized by the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as St. Lazarus with his own day and special feast. Also, there's purportedly a tomb on Cyprus found by the Byzantines stating that it was the tomb of Lazarus. Because where else do you go when you've been raised from the dead, but a beautiful Mediterranean island to spend the rest of your days?
Profile Image for nate.
274 reviews3 followers
November 1, 2023
“Dying is easy. Anyone can do it. Living is the problem – Lazarus has been brought back to life and he can’t explain himself.”

"Lazarus is Dead" by Richard Beard masterfully resurrects the enigmatic biblical figure, Lazarus, breathing life into a narrative that is as profound as it is captivating. With meticulous research and a skilled narrative hand, Beard unveils the intricate layers surrounding Lazarus' miraculous resurrection, delving deep into the realm of faith, doubt, and the human experience of mortality. Seamlessly intertwining historical richness with contemporary introspection, the author weaves a tapestry of thought-provoking contemplation, inviting readers to ponder the timeless essence of life, death, and the very essence of belief itself.

From the opening pages, Beard's eloquent prose draws readers into a world that transcends the boundaries of time and space, offering a fresh perspective on the age-old tale. As I delved deeper into the book's pages, I found myself immersed in a vivid world where Lazarus and his childhood companion, the destined Messiah Jesus, are intricately entwined in a tale that transcends the boundaries of mere myth. Rich with historical fiction elements and poignant literary analyses, Beard's narrative paints a vibrant portrait of the events surrounding Lazarus' resurrection, deftly exploring the intricacies of their relationship and the circumstances that led to their eventual separation.

The structure of the book is a testament to Beard's mastery of storytelling, seamlessly transitioning between literary references, historical context, and the enthralling plotline, creating a symphony of words that resonates long after the final page has been turned. While the conclusion may leave some longing for more definitive closure, it is a reflection of Beard's commitment to authenticity, reminding us that the enigmatic fate of Lazarus remains an enduring mystery even in the annals of history.

In its entirety, "Lazarus is Dead" stands as a testament to Richard Beard's literary prowess, offering readers an immersive and enlightening journey that transcends the boundaries of time and theology. It is a book that lingers in the mind, prompting us to reconsider the intricacies of faith, the essence of life, and the profound mysteries that lie beyond the realms of human understanding.

🍂
274 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2022
There is a really compelling story here, but two things really ruined it for me.

The author is constantly dropping in references to other works of art or literature to support something he's said in the text. Initially I thought this came across as showing off how smart he is, but the more I read the more it came across as an insecurity thing - like he doesn't trust himself to be able to sell the story on its own merits without citing sources every other page.

The other super annoying thing ties into this - he makes these bizarre conjectures based on the flimsiest pretexts (eg Lazarus must have been in the crowd when Jesus died because there's a painting of the crucifixion with an unshaven guy in it), and then he presents this like it's a literal real world fact.

If someone rewrote this without trying to make it seem like a documentary I think I would really enjoy it. As it is though, it was more frustrating than anything else.
542 reviews6 followers
December 28, 2022
Lazarus is Dead is an original, occasionally witty, constantly interesting explanation of the story of Lazarus, who plays a pivotal role in the Biblical tales. The author brings Lazarus to life by means of describing the realities of life at the time, and possibilities of how Lazarus' life might have progressed, and the possible roles of other people in its later years. This work is creative and worth reading, even if you are not of a religious bent.
Profile Image for Brad Jones.
9 reviews2 followers
June 28, 2017
This was a really interesting take on the Lazarus story: Lazarus as the victim of miracles. The style was interesting as well. It was sort of a pastiche of an account of Lazarus's life interspersed with biblical commentary and references to Lazarus in the popular imagination.

One that I'll be thinking about for a long time.
Profile Image for Pastor Ben.
233 reviews7 followers
May 22, 2020
I liked the first half better than the second. At first, it seemed inventive within the parameters of the story as known. I would half rated the first half a four. As it went further, however, I got bored with the assertion that Lazarus was going first, that he was teaching Jesus this and teaching him that. Meh.
Profile Image for Maggie Sauerer.
117 reviews
January 22, 2021
I thought the concept of how the book was presented and the structure of the chapters was very clever and intriguing. However, this book did not capture me the way I was expecting. The melding of fiction and nonfiction was interesting but, it led to me wishing for it to have been either one or the other.
272 reviews2 followers
October 10, 2023
A fanciful view of Lazarus which presents a reasonable explanation of how he and Jesus became friends. He also. He also recounts various legends which purport to describe what happened to Lazarus after the death and Resurrection of Jesus. There are also many allusions to Lazarus's presence in literary and artistic works through the ages. An interesting perspective and an interesting read.
Profile Image for Lindsay Bouchard.
21 reviews1 follower
July 24, 2024
What a genre bending tale. I tried to explain this one and found that I couldn’t. I enjoyed how this book masterfully weaves literature, bible verses, history, and humanity through the story. I never thought much about the person of Lazarus, nor the 10 year old Jesus. This really is a unique perspective that I enjoyed.
Profile Image for Nick Leshi.
52 reviews
January 12, 2018
Beard has done a lot of research and delivered an engaging meta-fiction novel. It's quite a gripping story about the friend Jesus brings back to life. In the right hands, this would make an interesting movie.
55 reviews
June 5, 2021
A really interesting take on the story of Lazarus, utilizing a forensic approach to the biblical texts, and integrating a few known archeological facts. Recommended for those with an open mind, when it comes to religion.
279 reviews
December 28, 2023
I know very little of the Lazarus story and that bit of history in general, so I was able to read this book with a clean slate and enjoy every word of it. The tone of the book and the seamless transitions from the written record (both ancient and modern) and fiction was a wonder to read.
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803 reviews3 followers
September 13, 2019
Sad to say, I only found this book to be peculiar rather than intriguing, funny or thought provoking. Disappointed and bored was my overall take on it.
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