Magically entertaining novel set in Trastevere (ROME)
Novel set in the first half of the 20th Century HUNGARY
27th August 2026
Lázár by Nelio Biederman, novel set in the first half of the 20th Century HUNGARY
TR: Jamie Bulloch
This is an accomplished novel written by an author in his early twenties. The quality and authority of the prose belies the age.
This is the story of one family, the Lázárs, steeped in the old-world traditions and mores of the Habsburgs, surrounded by wealth and tradition. It starts with Sándor, the head of the family, married to Mária (to whom he is unfaithful, but she can also give as good as she gets). They already have a son and daughter and their third child, Lajos, is described as a translucent child with pale blue eyes. I imagine him to have the texture and quality of a jellyfish. He nevertheless goes through traditional schooling, living a pretty ‘normal’ life, whilst his mother self harms and his father turns to drink.
His older brother, who would normally take over the reigns of the household and family, but he finds himself in a more ethereal world and is judged incapable on several levels. His sister marries and moves to Berlin. Thus the focus turns to Lajos.
As the generations move through their paces, as the political world changes, they inevitably face all kinds of life events that shape the characters and propel them into a variety of situations. Sexual violence dots the narrative, as it moves from one war to the next, through Nazi occupation and the Hungarian uprising.
There is a hugely textured feel to this novel, clearly inspired by books like Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann (which chronicles the decline of a rich North German family across four generations). The detail of everyday life is punctiliously noted as the characters wend their way across the stage. There is a quality in the storytelling that feels like dark velvet, with an overlay of slightly fantastical events and experiences, which are a nod to deeply-rooted Hungarian mythology and traditions.
It is at some level quite a sensuous novel, yet surprisingly almost world-weary given that the author is so young. It will be really interesting to see where this talented author goes next.
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