February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy's body. From that seed of ...
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February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy's body. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a thrilling, supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state--called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo--a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie's soul. Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction's ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices--living and dead, historical and invented--to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?
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Add this copy of Lincoln in the Bardo (Audio Cd) to cart. $20.95, good condition, Sold by Meadeco Media rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from VINE GROVE, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Books on Tape.
Add this copy of Lincoln in the Bardo to cart. $22.80, very good condition, Sold by WildFlower Mews rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Babylon, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Books on Tape.
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Seller's Description:
Very good in good dust jacket. 6 CDs. Audience: General/trade. Great listening entertainment! Unabridged version; ex-library; 6 CDs come in sturdy protective case.
I imagine that this novel isn't for everyone, as the format and storytelling style is very unusual. In fact, everything about it is unusual. It's written as a series of quotes or speeches from people, and many of them seem to be authentic historical quotes from hundreds of years ago. It took me a little while to adjust to the very strange format, but soon I was letting each character have their moment without much concern for knowing who they are and what's going on. I was imagining a Greek chorus, with individual characters stepping forward to speak their minds one at a time. I stuck with it, and WOW. A story unfolded, with twists and turns and mythology. This novel is brilliant. It breaks all the rules of fiction. It contains multitudes. It's tragic and poignant and profound. It's incredibly creative. There is nothing like it at all. I recommend reading it with no knowledge of what it is about and letting it unfold. Incredible.
