Book Review: “Lincoln in the Bardo“ by George Saunders

Lincoln in the Bardo

By George Saunders

Confusing. Interesting. Strange point of view. When my colleague, Vicki, suggested this book, this is not what I was expecting. George Saunders’ historical fiction is a “mind bender.” I wasn’t even sure I wanted to finish the book. However, after looking up the definition of bardo,I felt better equipped to continue. When Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie, is laid to rest, Lincoln’s grief has him questioning his role as president of the United States. Empathy, that perhaps he didn't have, is clear to him after the loss of his son. In his mind the Civil War must reach a conclusion, unfortunately Lincoln “...must end suffering by causing more suffering…” (306) There is no logic to any of this. The characters interacting with one another in the bardo. These same characters interact with the living. Social constraints, for both blacks and whites, still exist in the bardo. Maybe I missed something...the format is odd - at times quoting from primary sources to historically move the storyline along - at other times it’s the characters in the bardo that move the plot forward. I was left wondering how it all fit together.