Lazarus

In Leonid Andreyev's haunting work Lazarus, the biblical figure rises from the grave three days post-burial, forever altered by his experience beyond death. Silent and detached, Lazarus’s gaze reveals a profound void that robs life of its beauty and meaning, causing despair in those who encounter him, including the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. As Caesar seeks to protect others from the dreadful truth Lazarus embodies, the narrative delves into themes of mortality, isolation, and the chilling idea that some truths may be too heavy for the living to bear. Narrated by Paul Landergan, this 1906 work transforms resurrection into a chilling exploration of existential horror.