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lizziaha's review against another edition
3.5
It’s hard to rate this one because some parts of it struck me so deeply, while others fell short. Lincoln’s grief was exquisitely portrayed, and though it was devastating, I almost wish I’d seen more of it. Saunders’ take on ghosts is intriguing and manifests in an interesting way. But because of this, the huge cast of characters can make the book confusing and hard to follow at times. I also felt a little uncomfortable with the portrayal of BIPOC characters (though I understand the book is set during the civil war, there were still moments that I felt could’ve been handled differently).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Death, Slavery, Grief, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Racism, Rape, and Child death
Moderate: War, Blood, Pedophilia, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Classism, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia, Drug use, and Excrement
kananineko's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this weird little book. I know it won’t work for everyone, but somehow it worked for me. I love absurd concepts like this and things that examine life and death and afterlife and the in-between and history, so of course I loved it. If you have similar interests, you may feel the same way. But you also might not, because it’s a very weird book. I love the play-like format and the parts that put together historical documents to recount a moment. I’m so glad I read this book and I’m very glad that i I own it!I loved this weird little book. I know it won’t work for everyone, but somehow it worked for me. I love absurd concepts like this and things that examine life and death and afterlife and the in-between and history, so of course I loved it. If you have similar interests, you may feel the same way. But you also might not, because it’s a very weird book. I love the play-like format and the parts that put together historical documents to recount a moment. I’m so glad I read this book and I’m very glad that I own it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Cursing, Excrement, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Homophobia
teanahk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Child death, and Racial slurs
Minor: Rape and Pedophilia
christynhoover's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
For starters, know what the word "BARDO" means before you begin. It clues you in to WHERE the plot unfolds: a cemetery, but one that is full of deceased characters who are resisting completing their move to the hereafter.
The format of this book is one,-of-a-kind. Start reading it expecting the UNEXPECTED --and perhaps knowing you may want to start the book over after a few (brief) chapters now that you've got the gist of the style/format.
That said, I also found it helpful to follow along in a print copy while simultaneously listening to the exquisitely cast audiobook version. What a treat to hear David Sedaris, Susan Sarandon, Nick Offerman, and the author himself (among dozens) read parts!
IF you persevere, the book repays you tremendously, IMO. It touches on regrets, failings, etc that humans may have at their death and making peace with them in some way. I found it to be tremendously humane and compassionate.
It also touches on war --specifically EARLY in the US Civil War-- and Lincoln's responsibility for 3,000 lost lives up to that point. So great a loss in comparison to the death of his son Willie.
And it touches on Lincoln's decision to wallow in depression vs emerge reinvigorated --and to see the war through to it's conclusion.
I found Saunders description (imagined) of Lincoln holding his dead son in his arms to be deeply moving.
Reading interviews of George Saunders speaking about how he came to write the book to be informative and highly worthwhile.
The format of this book is one,-of-a-kind. Start reading it expecting the UNEXPECTED --and perhaps knowing you may want to start the book over after a few (brief) chapters now that you've got the gist of the style/format.
That said, I also found it helpful to follow along in a print copy while simultaneously listening to the exquisitely cast audiobook version. What a treat to hear David Sedaris, Susan Sarandon, Nick Offerman, and the author himself (among dozens) read parts!
IF you persevere, the book repays you tremendously, IMO. It touches on regrets, failings, etc that humans may have at their death and making peace with them in some way. I found it to be tremendously humane and compassionate.
It also touches on war --specifically EARLY in the US Civil War-- and Lincoln's responsibility for 3,000 lost lives up to that point. So great a loss in comparison to the death of his son Willie.
And it touches on Lincoln's decision to wallow in depression vs emerge reinvigorated --and to see the war through to it's conclusion.
I found Saunders description (imagined) of Lincoln holding his dead son in his arms to be deeply moving.
Reading interviews of George Saunders speaking about how he came to write the book to be informative and highly worthwhile.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Suicide, Child death, Cursing, Medical content, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
laserdiscreader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars because it just feels right. I can't explain it. The format of the book takes a bit of getting used to but the flow of the story is wonderful. I think I liked this so much simply because it was written in a way I haven't experienced any where else. And the reason for the book, the story told - a roughly two day period - is one I had not thought I'd ever care to read but it was a joy to explore.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Child death
Minor: Car accident, Death, Rape, Pedophilia, and Racism
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What did I just read…I feel like a had a bad LSD trip 😅
Strange, unique writing style
Strange, unique writing style
Clever concept
Quick to read
I had a hard time following what was happening and there wasn’t really a plot. I wanted to love this and have had it on my TBR forever but it just fell flat.
I seem to be in the minority of not or seeing the “poetry” or understanding what’s happening half the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Child death, Suicide, Self harm, Blood, and Cursing
Moderate: Rape, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Animal death, War, Body horror, Pedophilia, and Racial slurs
dylan2219's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So emotionally overwhelming and completely gripping once you get a grip on that style. There is truly no book like this, it is completely original. There is so much in here that blew my mind. The polyphony of all those voices, the multivocal nature of history itself, creates almost a kind of Cubist narrative where we are given multiple perspectives of the same event all at once, memories blurring together and giving form to one another. It aims to capture little more than the entire collective memory of America and all its traumatic wounds on a kind of spiritual battleground. Some of the descriptions and images are brilliant. I am so deeply moved by this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicide attempt, and War
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual content
lilifane's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book wasn't for me and I can't really pinpoint why because there are several aspects of it that I really liked/found interesting.
I really liked the setting and the idea of the book. The way it is told is really unique, and I appreciated that.
The book starts with the death of 11-year-old Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son. And we get chapters full of accounts from contemporary witnesses regarding the death and Lincoln's reaction to it. I liked these chapters, they helped me a lot to get immersed into that time period. But funnily they also reminded me of my assignments at university where I basically copied and arranged a lot of quotes and then wrote my essay around them. Saunders doesn't add anything to the quotes he uses, though, just strings them together. Sometimes they repeat the same thing over and over again. But I actually liked that.
And then we have the chapters that take place at the cemetery at night. And we learn that the ghosts of the dead actually wander around the premises. They can see and interact with each other, but not with the living. (Didn't expect this at all when I read the book on Halloween weekend. :D )
And although I liked this idea, I really didn't care for the things these ghost said or did most of the time. I think, I only cared for the 2-3 main narrators, but I skimmed through the rest. And there was a lot to skim.
I do think grief, the need to cling to life and the fear of letting go were depicted really well in the book, but maybe the time period wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Racism, Suicide, and Slavery
Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual assault, War, and Blood
nosmallthing's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Pedophilia, and Suicide
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