Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders: A Review

                        
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders is not your typical historical fiction.  It is written with many characters, sort of like how a play would be written, and those multiple characters sometimes talk at the same time.  Sometimes, is was difficult to understand the story through the cacophony of all the characters talking over each other but there were many parts in the book that I did enjoy.  The story takes place in a cemetery at night where many "sick" souls are congregating before ascending to their final resting place.  One such soul who is lying in his "sick-box" is Willie Lincoln, the favorite son of Abraham Lincoln, who has died of typhus during the time of the civil war.  The characters were beyond interesting with some of the supporting characters remembering heart-wrenchingly painful lives.  The story was an interesting one but I just could not get around the clunky writing style. This book got a lot of attention and I can see why but the writing style left me confused, at times.  I believe I would have gotten more out of the story if the story was told from the perspective of the family instead of so many supporting characters.  I thought it was interesting that this novel was written from the viewpoint of the dead, as opposed to the living, but I think that it could have been done differently.  I think that readers who enjoy reading plays will enjoy this book more than I did.

This book will be available on February 14, 2017 and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 

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