Lázár

Beskrivelse

Set against the backdrop of a fading empire, Lázár follows the story of Lajos von Lazar, a boy with striking water-blue eyes, as he navigates a world of family legacy, madness, and the struggle for freedom. This epic tale spans from the early 1900s to the Hungarian National Uprising of 1956, weaving a multi-generational saga filled with rich characters and haunting atmospheres.

An epic family saga of power, madness, and resistance in Hungary's turbulent 20th century.

The story begins with the snow of a dying century lingering near a dark forest, where Lajos von Lazar first sees the man he will believe to be his father throughout his life. The Lazar family has ruled their Hungarian lands for generations from an ancient castle bordering a forest that drives all who enter it to madness.

Living lives consumed by their vices and desires, the Lazars face the crumbling of the old order as the Habsburg Monarchy nears its end. When Lajos inherits the barony, he holds the promise of restoring the family's former glory. Yet, even his gifts cannot shield them from the devastation brought by war and occupation.

The future then rests on the shoulders of Lajos’s children: a son who communes with shadows and a daughter who rejects her noble heritage. Together, they must confront oppression and take tentative steps toward freedom.

Lázár is a sweeping, masterful novel that reads like a timeless classic, all the more astounding given that its author wrote it at just twenty-one years old. Translated from German by Jamie Bulloch, the book has earned high praise:

• “Lazar is an exquisite and masterly pronouncement that a gifted young writer walks among us.”, Patti Smith
• “A truly great writer steps onto the stage.”, Daniel Kehlmann
• “Propulsive, twisting and spell-binding. Lazar is a bold, intricate accomplishment.”, Lucy Steeds

Daniel Kehlmann also describes it as “an astonishing book-a multi-generational family story filled with deeply original characters and gripping scenes, sometimes realistic, sometimes dreamlike. This novel would be remarkable in any case, but the fact that its author has barely reached adulthood makes its publication a thunderclap.”

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