wanuchanregimenqa 's review for:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
5.0

A reminder (to myself) why I do not typically read public reviews prior to starting a book. One poster and her respondents gave 1 ⭐️ or DNF, noting that the novel was disjointed, the large cast was distracting, and they “just didn’t get it.” Np, to each her own.

It does take a moment to adjust and focus on the creative style and intent of the format. However, once said accommodation has been made, the story unfolds in a rich and complex manner. The actors’ voices bring words to ‘life’to the bardo and animate the polyphony of characters.

Also of note were: 1) the historical research conducted and citations of contemporaneous persons, and 2) the pathos created that evoked compassion and empathy for the characters.