The Curious Rise of Alex Lazarus by Adam Leigh

‘It is time to put the two angry dogs in a sack and see who comes out barking.’ The Curious Rise of Alex Lazarus is a masterclass in how not to run a business. I was fascinated by Adam Leigh’s stirring tale of a digital start-up in London in 2013. At first the ‘unicorn’ enterprise succeeds beyond expectations, but soon the founders find themselves struggling with real-world problems. Before long, they are at each other’s throats.

The novel opens with two young fathers sharing their frustrations. Alex is a restless advertising executive, Julian a charming lawyer. They immediately hit it off and soon become close friends. Together they launch a parenting website that goes global. Suddenly Alex has the fame and fortune he has always longed for, but whether it will bring him happiness depends on his deteriorating relationship with Julian. I was curious to find out what inspired this intriguing and witty novel, so I asked Adam Leigh a few questions about his characters and influences. Thank you Adam, for your honest and revealing responses.

Q&A

Loarn: Alex uses verbose language when he writes about his parents and grandparents, but when he is describing his business experience his vocabulary is snappier. What does this tell the reader about his personality?

Adam: Alex is a conflicted individual. In the first chapter he is 17 as we hear his father and grandfather argue over his future. Clearly a mixture of intellectually curiosity and commercial drive, there is part of him that has always wanted to write, so we see him attempt to reflect on the philosophical nature of ambition. In writing the book, he is not simply telling us the story of his business but fulfilling a much deeper creative ambition he has always had as predicted by his father, an academic himself.

This is pretty much true of me too. This book reflects my long-held desire to write something interesting. Although, I am not Alex when it comes to business ethics and behaviour, he shares many of my traits. It has been said of me that I talk a lot and try to use complicated words unnecessarily.  Whoops!

Loarn: The relationship between Alex and his business partner Julian is described as being a man-crush (‘He has beautiful eyes’) ending in a ‘business marriage’. Is this a common feature of male bonding in commercial environments?

Adam: I suspect it is not typical but indicative of Alex’s insecurity around Julian who is everything that Alex feels he is not - charming, suave, handsome and effortless. He is both jealous and intimidated by this invented superiority and therefore always points out their differences. Whilst Julian is most definitely amoral and self-serving, he is also charismatic and talented which is hard for Alex as he always wants to be seen as the ‘good guy’ in the relationship.

In commercial environments, male partnerships in my experience can take on many different forms. When they work best, it is because both individuals recognise and celebrate their differences. But when there is competitiveness and jealousy, they tend to be at their most fragile.

Loarn: The young families of Alex and Julian are neglected after they start up PrimaParent, and their wives have to carry the domestic and financial burden. Why are the two fathers able to get away with this?

Adam: The book shows what happens to family life when it comes under the strain of relentless ambition. Julian of course does not really get away with it and his marriage crumbles, but we are led to believe that he is not that upset and at one point he even arrogantly suggests that he has outgrown it.  Alex, however,  pays a price for his dedication to the start-up as his relationship fractures with his disapproving father. Furthermore, he  frequently states that he is missing out on the early years of his children growing-up and is clearly regretful. But he pulls through because he has an amazingly supportive wife who allows him to pursue his dream, even if it does come at a hefty price for their life together. I wanted to show that love can withstand the buffets of ruthless drive, but you do need a partner who has a selfless disposition for this to happen and it may not always be worth the risk.

Loarn: Numerous authors have had careers in advertising: Fay ‘go to work on an egg’ Weldon, Salman Rushdie, F. Scott Fitzgerald. How are advertising and novel writing linked?

Adam: I started my advertising career in 1987 at Ogilvy & Mather where Fay Weldon and Salmon Rushdie had worked and indeed, were legends for a generation of copywriters who wanted to follow in their footsteps. ( I was not actually a copywriter but an account man or ‘suit’ who dealt with the clients as I didn’t think I’d succeed as a writer.)

There was always a tradition of advertising being the home of future writers. Copy used to be viewed as an artform (we live in a much more visual world today) and the craft of producing an elegant headline or powerful body copy required a discipline and skill seen as an excellent training for the precision deftness required to be a great writer of fiction.

But the real reason I think so many copywriters over the years have also become novelists was the profession provided a safe platform to earn some money and avoid become a starving novelist in a garret dreaming of fame.  You could earn well and write in your spare time and then when success arrived, you could give it all up to follow your true vocation and afford to buy your flash car rather than get it through the company. It worked like this for only a handful unfortunately.