Jean-Marc Bastière's 'Lazare est de retour' Reviewed by Fabrice Hadjadj

In a review published on artpress.com, Fabrice Hadjadj examines Jean-Marc Bastière's novel 'Lazare est de retour' (Éditions Stock). The book reimagines the biblical story of Lazarus as a contemporary parable about the vanity of worldly resurrection. The protagonist, a business school graduate named Lazare, loses his job, descends into alcoholism and homelessness, but the narrative begins with his recovery. He is rescued by Georges, a wealthy filmmaker who casts him as the subject of a documentary titled 'Le Pauvre inconnu.' The film becomes a success, turning Lazare into a celebrity who now gives charity to the homeless. Hadjadj critiques this as a superficial resurrection—a 'whitewashed tomb'—suggesting that such a return to worldly life may be a deeper fall. The review reflects on the cruelty of recalling a soul from heaven or nothingness to the 'gloom and approximations of this world.'