Book Review: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Lincoln in the Bardo is an experimental novel based on the life of Abraham Lincoln when his son died. The word Bardo means the intermediate time between one’s death and rebirth. So, Bardo is nothing but a sort of a period. The novel takes, most of the part, in this Bardo. The title means Lincoln in a specific time zone. The main theme of the novel is the grief of losing a child: Lincoln loses his son William. Thus, in a sense the story is all about love, loss and indeterminate state.

In 2017, this book won Man Booker Prize. The undertaking of the book appears interesting and readers feel that it would turn out to be one of those books that endure, that make them think, and that have the staying power. Coming over the writing style, it is unique. In the beginning sounds jerky and disjointed but gradually makes way with its influential theatrical quality.

Every character speaks a few lines, roles switch rapidly back and forth and a full range of afterlife personalities shines through. The novel is also replete with historical references of the Lincoln era, giving it an almost reference kind of book charm. Some of the moot points of the novel are:

With the unfinished life stories of Henry Vollman and Roger Bevins… two unlikely heroes who still have work to do in the real world?
With Lincoln’s angst at losing a child and still pushing forward with a war that’s led to thousands of dying sons?
With the eternal question of where do we go when it’s all over, how will it turn out, will we be happy in heaven or tormented in hell?

All unfolding over a single night after the beloved Willie Lincoln’s is buried. Readers may wonder how so much could have happened in such few hours. Saunders strings together many themes – parental loss, unanswered love, wild debauchery, civil war history – in a way that is funny and heart-wrenching at the same time.

The book was experimental thus feeling like a new genre to audiences. Well, despite personal views, a must read.

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