The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon

The Lazarus Project
by Aleksandar Hemon
4 stars out of 5
finished: 05/20/10

A quest for identity & clarity starting out in Chicago, spreading across Eastern Europe, & ending in Sarajevo, where the main character, Vladimir Brik, came from before the brutal Bosian war. This is blended with the story of Lazarus - a Jewish immigrant, so-called anarchist, who is slain by the chief of police in 1908 Chicago. Paralleling Brik's is the horrific journey of Lazarus' sister, Olga, to find out why her brother had attempted to kill the chief of police. It is beautifully written, often poetic without losing its vividness, but doesn't conceal the grotesque & melancholic arising in both Olga's & Brik's searches. Aleksandar Hemon, by far, is my favorite living author & his latest novel is anything except disappointing.