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Table of Contents
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About The Book
“Lázár is an exquisite and masterly pronouncement that a gifted young writer walks among us.” —Patti Smith
“Virtuosic...riveting...audacious.” —The New York Times
An “astonishing…disturbingly dreamlike” (Daniel Kehlmann, The Director) debut, inspired by the author’s own family story—a gothic, intergenerational family saga capturing the rise and fall of an aristocratic Hungarian family against the backdrop of the two world wars.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Lázárs welcome their newest member in their rural summer estate, surrounded by a menacingly dark, enchanting forest. Lajos von Lázár is a baby boy with translucent skin and light-blue eyes who looks nothing like the rest of his family. Sándor, the imposing patriarch, is ashamed of his son’s peculiarity. Ilona finds her baby brother quite ugly. Mária is terrified that her son’s uncanny resemblance to the stagehand who died a couple weeks earlier might spell disaster. While Imre, Sándor’s brother whose otherworldly foresight is often confused for insanity, is struck by visions of a great catastrophe.
Lajos’s birth is emblematic of the many secrets, affairs, and peculiar otherworldly happenings that plague the Lázárs. As the decades go by, they will continue to fall prey to their desires, leading grand lives, and experiencing even greater tragedies as they’re swept by the tides of war and revolution that befall their country. But time and again, in the lighter years, extraordinary love and hope shine through.
Masterfully written and deeply haunting, Lázár is a magisterial novel that presents the sweeping history of a nation through the lives of one extraordinary family.
“Virtuosic...riveting...audacious.” —The New York Times
An “astonishing…disturbingly dreamlike” (Daniel Kehlmann, The Director) debut, inspired by the author’s own family story—a gothic, intergenerational family saga capturing the rise and fall of an aristocratic Hungarian family against the backdrop of the two world wars.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Lázárs welcome their newest member in their rural summer estate, surrounded by a menacingly dark, enchanting forest. Lajos von Lázár is a baby boy with translucent skin and light-blue eyes who looks nothing like the rest of his family. Sándor, the imposing patriarch, is ashamed of his son’s peculiarity. Ilona finds her baby brother quite ugly. Mária is terrified that her son’s uncanny resemblance to the stagehand who died a couple weeks earlier might spell disaster. While Imre, Sándor’s brother whose otherworldly foresight is often confused for insanity, is struck by visions of a great catastrophe.
Lajos’s birth is emblematic of the many secrets, affairs, and peculiar otherworldly happenings that plague the Lázárs. As the decades go by, they will continue to fall prey to their desires, leading grand lives, and experiencing even greater tragedies as they’re swept by the tides of war and revolution that befall their country. But time and again, in the lighter years, extraordinary love and hope shine through.
Masterfully written and deeply haunting, Lázár is a magisterial novel that presents the sweeping history of a nation through the lives of one extraordinary family.
Reading Group Guide
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INTRODUCTION
A gothic, intergenerational family saga capturing the rise and fall of an aristocratic Hungarian family against the backdrop of the two world wars.
TOPICS & QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What do the circumstances surrounding Lajos’s birth reveal about the nature of the Lázárs? How do those circumstances lay the foundation for the events to come?
2. Do you have any theories for what befell Ilona in the forest?
3. Mária carries out an act at the end of “Ghosts” that has reverberating effects on the family for years to come. Discuss the different ways that each family member carries this act with them. How do their varied reactions reflect their character?
4. As Sándor dies, a singular image flashes before his eyes. Why do you think that specific person came to mind? Do you think Sándor finally learned the secret that Mária took to her grave? Why do you think Mária was able to get away with it?
5. Lajos and Eva experience trauma surrounding similar things. What are the differences and similarities in how they grapple with their trauma? How are their trauma responses influenced by their gender and class?
6. Lázár, like all great family sagas, interrogates the theme of inheritance, not just of material physical things, but on an emotional level. What are the things the Lázárs inherit and pass down across generations?
7. The Lázárs live through multiple wars and political upheavals. How do these larger societal changes affect their class throughout the years? How does their class protect and endanger them?
8. The Lázárs find themselves on both the side of the ruling regime and the side of the resistance. How do the social/political conditions specific to their generations impact the sides they choose to fight on?
9. Love stories abound in Lázár. Which one was the most enamoring to you and why? Which did you find the most tragic?
10. How does the forest surrounding the village manor reflect the atmosphere of the entire book? How does it contribute to the character development of the Lázárs across different generations? Why do you think Biedermann chose the forest as a starting and ending point of the story?
ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Patti Smith is a huge fan of Lázár. Play a fun game where you pair a Patti Smith song with each section of the book.
2. Host a European gothic–themed book club meeting with decorations that evoke the haunting atmosphere of the manor’s woods.
A gothic, intergenerational family saga capturing the rise and fall of an aristocratic Hungarian family against the backdrop of the two world wars.
TOPICS & QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What do the circumstances surrounding Lajos’s birth reveal about the nature of the Lázárs? How do those circumstances lay the foundation for the events to come?
2. Do you have any theories for what befell Ilona in the forest?
3. Mária carries out an act at the end of “Ghosts” that has reverberating effects on the family for years to come. Discuss the different ways that each family member carries this act with them. How do their varied reactions reflect their character?
4. As Sándor dies, a singular image flashes before his eyes. Why do you think that specific person came to mind? Do you think Sándor finally learned the secret that Mária took to her grave? Why do you think Mária was able to get away with it?
5. Lajos and Eva experience trauma surrounding similar things. What are the differences and similarities in how they grapple with their trauma? How are their trauma responses influenced by their gender and class?
6. Lázár, like all great family sagas, interrogates the theme of inheritance, not just of material physical things, but on an emotional level. What are the things the Lázárs inherit and pass down across generations?
7. The Lázárs live through multiple wars and political upheavals. How do these larger societal changes affect their class throughout the years? How does their class protect and endanger them?
8. The Lázárs find themselves on both the side of the ruling regime and the side of the resistance. How do the social/political conditions specific to their generations impact the sides they choose to fight on?
9. Love stories abound in Lázár. Which one was the most enamoring to you and why? Which did you find the most tragic?
10. How does the forest surrounding the village manor reflect the atmosphere of the entire book? How does it contribute to the character development of the Lázárs across different generations? Why do you think Biedermann chose the forest as a starting and ending point of the story?
ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Patti Smith is a huge fan of Lázár. Play a fun game where you pair a Patti Smith song with each section of the book.
2. Host a European gothic–themed book club meeting with decorations that evoke the haunting atmosphere of the manor’s woods.
About The Author
Photograph © Ruben Holling
Nelio Biedermann, born in 2003, is the author of Anton will bleiben and Lázár. Originally published in Germany, Lázár is an international sensation and was an instant bestseller. It won the 2025 Favourite Book of Independent Booksellers award and is being translated into more than twenty-five languages. A native of Zurich, Biedermann is studying German literature and film at the University of Zurich.
About The Reader
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (April 14, 2026)
- Runtime: 7 hours and 49 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781668138663
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