David Lazar is a fictionalized memoir. Many of the key achievements in the main character's life are similar to the author's life from being a sports handicapper to writing a book about racism. Of course, it's is still fiction. Otherwise, the cops will be knocking on Robert Kalich' door one of these day. David Lazar is an old man with a young wife and a son in high school. In his eighties, he's feeling the pinch of mortality and has reached that stage that Erik Erikson described as Ego Integrity vs. Despair. That time when older folks take stock of their life and decide whether it was all worth it. The am I a success, am I a failure, am I a good person interrogation of their lives.

Lazar had many advantages. His father was a cantor and he went to college. He had a rich life, even though he didn't have money. He had social connections. He has several relationships with women, one formative one with the lust of his life, Leslie Kore. When she left him, he made the I'll-Show-You decision to get rich and show her. He took his deep knowledge of sports and developed a handicapping system based on knowing all the stats and playing the averages. Illegal sports betting is still a criminal activity that put him in daily contact with made men and mob bosses.

Now he struggles with the thought of telling his wife and son who he really is, the real warts and all Lazar. Could they love him?

I struggled to finish David Lazar and in a cruel kind of irony, that is because Kalich did such a good job of creating the voice of this old man reviewing his life. You see, when people do this, they don't do it with a linear narrative. They repeat some stories and phrases. They go along telling some anecdote then suddenly jump decades ahead or behind with something unrelated, though perhaps connected in some way in their head. There's stream of conscious rambling and then there is literary stream of consciousness, one that has a hidden discipline that keeps it on track. There was no discipline in this book and it made it frustrating to read. But, I will admit I could actually hear David Lazar in my head.

I received a copy of David Lazar from the publisher through Shelf Awareness.

David Lazar at Bunim and Bannigan
Robert Kalich author site with brother Richard Kalich

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/12/17/david-lazar-by-robert-kal... ( )

David Lazar, an octogenarian, is looking back on his life, writing his memoir. He has a collage hanging on his wall with so many faces from his past. As he narrates the story of his life, he introduces us to all of these many faces. The ex-girlfriends, the friends, the criminal acquaintances, and all of those in between that have crossed his path, he tells a story for each one. He switches back and forth between his past and his present. The life he had before Elizabeth, his wife, was crazy, dangerous, and illegal. The life he's had since meeting Elizabeth has been calmer, he's settled, and he loves his wife and son.

David couldn't offer an explanation of why he did the things that he did. Why he was so obsessed with money...it seemed as though nothing was ever enough. This is made obvious throughout his story and with the many, many garbage bags of money that he has buried. I found it sad that he didn't realize until so late in life that money wasn't really that important in the grand scheme of things. He finally came to the conclusion that his wife, son, being able to write his books, those were the things that were important, that would make him happy.

Throughout the book he keeps going back to Evan Strome. The truth about Evan Strome could cost him his wife and son. He was so worried about them finding out the truth. We don't find out what exactly Evan Strome has to do with anything until the end of the book. This truth, if it comes out, has the power to destroy everything he holds dear.

As David looks back over his life, he really takes inventory. Taking off the blinders that he's wore all of these years, he sees that while he's been so busy laying blames on others a lot of it falls back on him.

The book could be a tad bit confusing ar times as it switched back and forth between timelines but once I caught on I was good to go. I loved it and highly recomment it! ( )