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A review by kewlkat70
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
Sometimes you read books to enjoy and sometimes you read books for the beauty of the prose and the way the words on the page can say a lot with out being about much at all. Except that it's about grief and letting go and resentments and fear of moving forward. Of what the point actually is or if there is a point and if our lives have meaning and whether we have accomplished anything when it's our time to go.
I hesitate on whether to just give this book 5⭐ as it's totally a very important book about serious and significant life matters. And the structure makes me think OK this is the type of book we study in our modern lit classes as how the author has used (fake) historical first and secondary writings on Lincoln. The joke of it being that there probably is that many texts out there on every aspect of his life and the war.
I can't give it 5⭐ at least not now because while I know I just read a very important book about very important thoughts i have this irrational dislike for the lack of STORY. This is a short novel but it surrounds one action and has that short story vibe which always leaves me feeling "....and then?".
I'm of an age where I don't care to impress others with my deep knowledge of good literature. I know it's good for me but sometimes it just feel like medicine and I would like that sugar to help it go down. Would it take away from the writing? I don't know. It's not the intention of this book to be anything more than what it is. So I have no criticisms about the story or writing or structure. There is humour and great sadness and frustration and emptiness and so much of the human experience in one episode. It's really good.
It's also cold and distant and like a specimen to be examined in detail.
Just missing the feeling of sinking into a creative world.
I hesitate on whether to just give this book 5⭐ as it's totally a very important book about serious and significant life matters. And the structure makes me think OK this is the type of book we study in our modern lit classes as how the author has used (fake) historical first and secondary writings on Lincoln. The joke of it being that there probably is that many texts out there on every aspect of his life and the war.
I can't give it 5⭐ at least not now because while I know I just read a very important book about very important thoughts i have this irrational dislike for the lack of STORY. This is a short novel but it surrounds one action and has that short story vibe which always leaves me feeling "....and then?".
I'm of an age where I don't care to impress others with my deep knowledge of good literature. I know it's good for me but sometimes it just feel like medicine and I would like that sugar to help it go down. Would it take away from the writing? I don't know. It's not the intention of this book to be anything more than what it is. So I have no criticisms about the story or writing or structure. There is humour and great sadness and frustration and emptiness and so much of the human experience in one episode. It's really good.
It's also cold and distant and like a specimen to be examined in detail.
Just missing the feeling of sinking into a creative world.