Lincoln in the Bardo
Ratings191
Average rating3.9
Clearly I am not as bowled over by this one as a lot of people. Would've been better as a novella or short story maybe.
My first Saunders. It took me a little bit to understand what he was doing, but I appreciated it once I did. Beautifully written and interesting, as it really made me feel and keep thinking about it.
This is going to be more a review of the audiobook than anything else.
This thing was all over the place for me. There are scenes/ideas/characters in here that I loved, but other parts that felt a bit aimless.
The huge cast of recognizable actors is great and helps to keep the multitude of characters distinct, but I still often had a hard time focusing on what was going on. Many chapters consist of quotes from historical accounts (real and fictitious) complete with citations, that are handled fairly well here, but still feel jarring in audio as something that I would naturally skim over when reading.
This might actually be something I try reading again later because I think it will be an entirely different experience.
I can't finish this. This book, and its reviews, remind me of how “art people” gush over art, but when asked what they see in it, it boils down to “everyone else loves it too”.
If you loved it, great. But for me, life's too short to waste on something that brings me no joy.
4.7555
i don't know how someone could conceive something this absurd but saunders pulls it off so incredibly well. was not expecting to feel as stirred by this book as i did. what a weird, bizzarro read. clap clap
I am torn between a 4-star and 5-star rating. At times I lost the narrative, and found the language a bit tedious, but these occasions were largely outnumbered by the times I actually found myself welling up - and if a book can do that, well, 5 stars it is!
The miraculous historical-fantasy-fiction lovechild of David Grann and Hayao Miyazaki, perfected by Saunders' trademark wit.
3 out of 5 stars – see this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.
After mastering the art of short fiction storytelling, author George Saunders has written Lincoln in the Bardo, his first full-length novel. It is one of the least conventional novels you will ever come across. Chaotic in both form and story, Saunders employs a mix of primary and secondary sources (some authentic; some completely made up) interwoven with the conversations of loitering, spirit-like entities trapped in the “bardo,” where the manifestation of their consciousness waits for their next birth. Very straightforward, right?
The story at the forefront of this madness is the death of Abraham Lincoln's son Willie, and Lincoln's mournful visits to his grave. Simultaneously, Willie's spirit is floating around with all the other residents of the cemetery, as they each seek absolution in their own way. It is a powerful meditation on grief and loss, with a welcome dash of biting humor.
The unsystematic patchwork of storytelling modes is often bewildering in its construction, so, as the reader, you must (cliche alert) make it more about the journey than the destination. Despite the oodles and oodles of originality, the experience is too bizarre and unnerving for the ride to be worth it. I hope to revisit this story in audiobook form, as the star-studded voice cast may add a layer of familiarity to what is, in practice, a very alien novel.
The Audio version was a small Tour de Force that perhaps deserved a higher rating than my three stars. I mean I did like it but I did not fall in love with this mix of Gaimanish Graveyard tales, with history titbits. I am pretty sure I failed the book and not vice versa.
Perhaps one of my favorite books that I've read in a very, very long time.
The characters are delightful in the same sort of way that peripheral characters are in Twin Peaks, where you just want to keep visiting with them and watching their strange lives unfold.
The tale of Willie and his father was compelling, but the obvious draw was the other characters and them joking around while trying to race away from that sense of dread that has been hanging over them for so long. They know the truth, deep down, they just don't want to face it yet.
Lovely but a bit hard to follow at times. A story told almost entirely in dialogue.
The best way I can describe the way this book is written is: “if NPR producers wrote fiction”.
While I admired the clearly brilliant writing, I struggled to get into the story, convoluted and winding as it was.
What saved this for me was the audio, I think. I also read some sections, but listening helped differentiate the MANY different voices. Still, although it is in some ways impressive, what's most impressive about it is that he sustained this for a whole book, when I think a short story would have been sufficient. Except that it's a whole book, it feels a bit derivative of the last act of Our Town, which features the voices of the dead in the town cemetery.
It's weird how ghost stories can be so hit-or-miss. Why did [b:The Graveyard Book 2213661 The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531295292l/2213661.SY75.jpg 2219449] work for me but not this one, despite so many similar elements (child in graveyard, protective ghosts, themes of compassion and reflection)? Part of it is the narrative style, which I found tedious; but I think what annoyed me most is the triteness of the backdrop. The ghosts here are uninteresting extensions of their mortal selves, with the same appetites and moods despite not having bodies or pulses or vagus nerves or any of the countless physical aspects of consciousness. The gimmick is (very minor spoiler) that they're in denial about being dead, and once they accept their death, poof, they disappear, presumably moving on to some ultimate celestial reward... but nope, that just seems silly to me. It smacks of wishful thinking, the same sort of dullness that makes some people believe in heaven and afterlife. And the obvious problem with the poof thing, of course, is: WTF? Just how many stages are there? Is it just turtles all the way down? The question of consciousness is a truly mind-boggling one; this sort of treatment is unsatisfying.The second half is better than the first. There were parts I loved, in particular, the way Saunders depicts Lincoln's grief over his son's death and over the senseless suffering of war, ... oof. Unique and effective. The contrasting descriptions of his “ugliness.” I find myself with a much greater appreciation for Lincoln as a person and as President.
Far and away the best audio-book that I've ever listened to - in large part because it utilized more than 150 voices performing the text! As a huge fan of Saunders' short stories, I eagerly anticipated this novel. I began reading the print version of the novel, but had a hard time making progress through it. Saunders writes in an almost screenplay style which I found awkward to read.
The audio version solves this problem and greatly enhances the story. And the casting of the three main characters brilliantly brings out their personalities and the struggles each faces in the Bardo - the liminal space between “that other place” (this life) and whatever follows once death has been experienced. The expressive voices of Nick Offerman, David Sedaris and Saunders himself breath life in to the written words and make their characters unforgettable.
Listen to this audio-book and be prepared to laugh and cry as the author and actors bring life into the pathos of the president who lost his son and was losing his nation to the bloody death of the Civil War.
Lincoln in the Bardo is a creative imagining of the night of Willie Lincoln's death, told through historical text excerpts and the voices of the spirits in the cemetery where he is buried. The story flows quickly, drawing the reader from one short chapter to the next. The eccentric cast of characters is quite entertaining and makes that period in history seem more real and relatable. A fun read, especially for history buffs!
(Not a review; Just musings)
This is the most amazing book I've read this year, or maybe even for several years. I wish I'd read it sooner. It's funny, and sad; tragic and strangely hopeful. A story of grief, loss, and ultimately, of the fragility and beauty of life.
This is a book that you read & then put down, a while later pick it up & read some more. Finally on a winters night you are determined to finish it & it feels like the last 100 miles of a long road trip - you are happy that you did it, but recognize the energy of the drive outweighed the joy of the vacation.
If you ever feel despair about the lack of novelty in the world of the word, take a look at George Saunders. Lincoln in the Bardo takes place in limbo, in the cemetery where Willie Lincoln was buried after his early death. The chorus around Lincoln share their stories and the stories of others who have died, as they work together to get Willie out of that place and into the place his father, the president, would see him in. It's astonishing, it's powerful, it's mawkish, it's true, and, above all, it is surprising. I can't wait to see Saunders in person next month.
“Todo fue real; inconcebiblemente real, infinitamente amado.Todas estas y otras cosas empezaron siendo nada, algo latente en el seno de un enorme caldo de energía, pero luego les pusimos nombre y las amamos y de esa forma las hicimos aparecer.Y ahora tenemos que perderlas.”
Este libro al igual que El Jilguero es de esos libros que los tengo y los quiero empezar enseguida y por alguna razón lo voy posponiendo, pero que al empezar a leer a las pocas páginas me doy cuenta que será un libro que me gustará. El Jilguero lo tuve casi tres años y este lo empecé porque se le acabo la batería al Kindle y ya no lo puede soltar.
Me parece un libro conmovedor, lleno de personajes entrañables, y además divertido.
Había escuchado mucho del estilo en que está narrado, que algunos les gusta y otros lo odian. No es complicado, solo hay que leer con atención los primeros capítulos (que son bastante cortos) hasta que se agarre bien el modo.
La novela transcurre a lo largo de una noche, después de la muerte de William Lincoln, cuando toda la gente se ha marchado del cementerio. Está narrada por diversos personajes que se encuentran en el bardo, que según el budismo significa “estado intermedio”, es un estado entre la vida y la muerte.
George Saunders comenta que desde que escucho la historia de como el presidente Abraham Lincoln visitó la tumba de su hijo en varias ocasiones durante la noche de su entierro, la imagen de él cargando a su hijo muerto lo acompaño durante años. Hasta que finalmente llegó el momento adecuado para escribir sobre el tema. Y el libro va mucho mas allá de esta historia.
Los diferentes personajes que se encuentran en el cementerio incluido Willie van narrando a pequeños trozos la historia. Y es que no es común que los niños pequeños se queden en este estado, por lo que es importante ayudarlo a seguir su camino; sin embargo se tendrán que enfrentar ellos mismos con sus temores en el camino.
Me ha parecido una historia preciosa. Tal vez no a todo el mundo le guste, pero no deja indiferente.
“...que se encuentre en un lugar luminoso, libre de sufrimiento, resplandeciendo en una nueva fase de la vida.”