Reviews

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

lesbiangrandpa's review against another edition

5.0

Don't have a special affinity for Lincoln or any presidents, but this audiobook goes fuckin' hard (100+ voices) and in a good weird way with all the footnotes.

ellie64's review against another edition

dark lighthearted mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

garleighc's review against another edition

challenging funny sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

yodamom's review against another edition

5.0

Most amazing narration with 166 different people, stars, musicians, family. Their unique voices and characters make this a most unusual and fascinating story. I admit to being a bit lost in the beginning till the time line clicked in my head and I understood the voices POV. The characters kept referring to the sick boxes, I was so confused till, I got it and then everything clicked. Looking at life from the other side, it made me think.
Fascinating ghost story, filled with dramatic historical events, people along with a great cast of fictional charters to spice it up. I loved each one, each from a different time, each brought something from that time to the story. Some crude, some fearful, some so intense, all entertaining. Even the dialog was tailored to fit the time of the characters. Each in denial, each has a summit to pass. Young Willie Abraham Lincoln's son was just a small drop in the pond, the wave changing each life, or after life. Amazing.
What a movie this book would make.

neravardu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

katums's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

savaging's review against another edition

3.0

The writing style is so wild that it took me a while to realize it's actually a pretty conservative book.

Such zest and zing and weirdness in the writing ... and then a subject matter that demands that I just really love and feel for a former president. Lincoln is sort of an interesting person, I guess, and in terms of there being two sides to the Civil War, I'm on his. But I couldn't stop my brain from thinking about his mass execution of native warriors, about his authorization of rampant genocide and war and land theft in the west -- and it was difficult to keep a tender heart about his precious little boy.

Is that unfair? Probably I shouldn't read books that assume I'll have a lot of empathy for a u.s. president. Even the more interesting ones make me all eye-rolly.

mitkowsk's review against another edition

funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

angus_mckeogh's review against another edition

2.0

What an enormous letdown! Man Booker Prize winner. Synopsis that sounded interesting. Tremendous kudos from the prize committee; “Without a doubt the best Booker Prize winner within the last couple of decades!” A whole lot of hype. Should have known better. Was underwhelmed by his previous collection of stories that received numerous accolades. So here’s the explanation: the format was reminiscent of Nicholson Baker’s phenomenal quasi-nonfiction piece, Human Smoke. And honestly, the mood, setting, and back story re Lincoln being brought to life through various accounts and diary entries of people from that era were some of the strongest parts of the book; albeit in one of the most cumbersome and obnoxious formats to appear in literature in quite some time. Groundbreaking it was not, rather annoying. The burgeoning parallel story about different ghosts in the Bardo (ultimately not being aware they were ghosts) showed promise of being engaging but then withered, petered our, and fell flat. Lincoln vanished from the latter third of the narrative and the storylines of the other ghosts were just not compelling enough; achieving extreme boredom and thereafter utter ennui. Found myself wanting the book to end; and then when it did was left thinking, ”What? That was the end?” Still waiting on the next great Booker winner.

bookish_emily's review against another edition

4.0

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!