I have really enjoyed the first fifty pages of The Lazarus Project. It was very quick read because I enjoyed it. It begins following Lazarus, who is suspected to be a Eastern European Jewish immigrant. He is walking through Lincoln Park in the 1900s, and everyone from the chief of police's maid to the owners of the local grocery store all treat Lazarus as if he is unwelcome and does not belong. At the grocery store the owners exchange suspicious glances with each other making it clear that Lazarus looks out of place: "Good morning, the woman says, haltingly, exchanging glances with her husband--they need to watch him, it is understood." Lazarus does not speak to them knowing that they will interpret his foreign accent. I can already tell there is going to be some critique of capitalism in the novel. When Lazarus goes back to the chief's house, they all assume he is some kind of anarchist and go crazy firing all kinds of guns off. I thought this scene was rather humorous because all of these people come in and start firing their weapons without and legitimate reason. They even end up shooting one another: "Chief Shippy shoots at the young man; blood gushes so hard that the burst of redness blinds Foley, who, being well trained and aware of Chief Shippy's dislike of drafts, is slamming the door shut behind him. Startled by Foley, Chief Shippy shoots at him, too, and then, sensing a body rushing at him, wheels around like an experienced gunfighter and shoots at Henry." I feel like the upper class of the 1900s was again being criticized when the press spins the story in favor of the chief, insinuating that Lazarus was malicious. Then the story shifts to the life of a writer Brik. He is researching the story of Lazarus with the intention of writing a book on it. He came to Chicago from Bosnia a while back. When Brik is first introduced he is at the annual celebration of the Bosnian independence day. I thought it was humorous how he talked about how when they get together, it is the one time of year where they all critique Americans and completely dissociate themselves from them. At the celebration they are all strictly Bosnian. Brik meets a wealthy couple, the Schuettler's. The wife, Susie, is particularly fond of Brik, and he ends up getting a writing grant from them to do his research on Lazarus. Brik is fed up with being supported by his neurosurgeon wife, Mary, so he is ecstatic to do something without a monetary contribution from her. At the celebration Brik runs into an old friend Rora when he snaps a photograph and Brik and Susie "dancing." After somewhat reconnecting with Rora over the next day, Brik decides he is going to bring Rora with him to Ukraine or Moldova to photograph and help him research. I am very intrigued to find out what exactly was in the envelope that Lazarus brought to the police chief. What was his reason for being at the chief's house?
VOCABULARY:
otiose: no practical purpose or result
Moldova: a land-locked country in southeastern Europe
Bosnian independence: Bosnia won independence from Hungary and endured as an independent Christian state for some 260 years. (August 29, 1189)
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