Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Amy   

fantasy, historical fiction

Lincoln in the Bardo is both historical fiction and fantasy. It describes historical facts surrounding Abraham Lincoln’s 11-year-old son Willie’s death. At the same time, the novel describes events that took place in the cemetery where Willie’s body was interred including the activities of all the souls living in the “bardo” (which is the Tibetan’s transitional state between death and rebirth).

What a bizarre book. I almost gave up after the first 40 minutes of the audiobook.  Instead of writing a plotted narrative, George Saunders provides the historical backdrop for the story via lists of excerpts from multiple historical sources, each one credited immediately following the excerpt.  It was odd enough listening to the constant interruptions of a non-storyline. But compounding the discomfort, the excerpts were never ending! UGH! I’m not a lover of lists--whether they are long lists of adjectives or nouns within sentences or a long series of examples with which to make a point.  I’m quick on the uptake.  If I get your point but you keep rambling on and on and providing more evidence or variety around the same basic principle, you lose me.  I’m bored. I get it. You're creative. But please move on!  So, these interminable lists really bothered me with one exception.  (The exception was the multiple viewpoints of how the sky looked on the night Willie died. The accounts all contained different recollections of the color of the moon, some saying a clear night, some saying a cloudy night, etc.  I found the vast published discrepancies to be humorous.)  Breaking up these frustrating lists was an incredibly odd story describing young Willie Lincoln’s time in the bardo told by, and including, an immense cast of characters.  In addition to Willie and President Lincoln, there are three main characters in the story who are residents of the bardo.  The other hundred and fifty (or thereabouts) characters are window dressing having very little to do with moving the main story forward.  After a while it felt like frivolity and excess (like those LISTS). 

I understand that Saunders is known for his short stories and I believe it.  This novel was so ADHD with all these tangent people each having their own stories and the back-and-forth jumps between the bardo and the historical excerpts. Sure, the author’s creativity is on full display.  But, it was almost gratuitous and certainly too frantic to me—like trying to follow Robin Williams’ mind.  I found myself craving the story arc from the bardo which was, itself, just a novella told in pieces.  I sighed every time the narrative went back to historical excerpts.  Granted, I saw brilliance at times. I appreciated all the research that was done to dig up and assemble the historical excerpts, I appreciated the moments of humor, and I really loved a few scenes and mini-stories. It was uniquely crafted. However, The Graveyard Book by NeilGaiman has already covered the idea of a community of graveyard residents and Gaiman did it much better.  And these LISTS!  ARGH!

As for the audiobook, bravo to the director. What a chore it must’ve been to work with such a huge cast on a relatively short novel.  There must’ve been infinitely more work involved with this audiobook than any other.  And most of the recordings sounded unified.  Only a couple stood out as having a different recording sound. Also, most of the narrators did a good job with their parts.  A few were terrible and sounded like they were flatly reading their parts—I’m assuming these were the relatives of the author and the relatives of other actors that are credited.  Thankfully, they were brief—only a couple of sentences here and there.  The main actors were really great.  The bulk of the narration during the bardo story was done by Nick Offerman and DavidSedaris.  I had never heard either of these men speak.  I was convinced that Offerman was really Hugo Weaving and was shocked to learn that I was wrong. He sounds just like him!  And David Sedaris has a very wispy, high, slightly strained voice much like Winnie the Pooh when Sterling Holloway narrated the character.  I give them both A+.