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Pink's Reviews > Lincoln in the Bardo
Lincoln in the Bardo
by
by
I don't get it.
Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Loads of 4 or 5 star rave reviews. Spoken highly of by readers whom I respect. What am I missing?
For me this book breaks down into four main parts. Although Saunders prefers to break it down with 166 characters and 108 chapters. Phew. And you thought you needed a character map for War and Peace.
So there's Lincoln and his dead son Willie.
Numerous excerpts from historical texts.
Three main characters, the Reverend Everly Thomas, Hans Vollman and Roger Bevins iii.
Dozens, scores or hundreds of other sideline characters who populate the graveyard (who's really counting at this point?)
Let's take these one at a time. Personally, I'd liked to have read more about Lincoln and his son. I thought these parts had some of the best prose and showed me glimmers of emotion that were lacking elsewhere.
The historical facts were interesting. I chuckled the first few times when the same event was recorded in different and totally opposing ways. Although it didn't really serve a further purpose and quickly wore thin as a gimmick for me.
The characters of the Reverend, Hans and Roger Bevins iii were the only graveyard members that felt necessary. Although they often blurred into one and I had trouble telling them apart.
Everyone else. Hands up who remembers them? Who found their story important? I thought they could have all been cut, which is an awful lot of people to read about that I didn't care about, or couldn't remember. The most memorable character, that of the mulatto girl, who was repeatedly and violently raped (it was her right? or am I confusing her with someone else?) had such an annoying back story, thrown in for no apparent purpose that it made me hate the book.
So all in all, not a story for me. I'm wavering between 1 and 2 stars and I wavered back and forth throughout the reading. At times the book improved and I thought it worth continuing, but I quickly lost hope again. Still, I'm glad that I read it and I'm glad that something experimental made it onto the Booker shortlist and is being enjoyed by so many other people. You have to take a chance with this sort of fiction. Sometimes it pays off for the reader, sometimes it doesn't. I won't dwell on this for too long.
Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Loads of 4 or 5 star rave reviews. Spoken highly of by readers whom I respect. What am I missing?
For me this book breaks down into four main parts. Although Saunders prefers to break it down with 166 characters and 108 chapters. Phew. And you thought you needed a character map for War and Peace.
So there's Lincoln and his dead son Willie.
Numerous excerpts from historical texts.
Three main characters, the Reverend Everly Thomas, Hans Vollman and Roger Bevins iii.
Dozens, scores or hundreds of other sideline characters who populate the graveyard (who's really counting at this point?)
Let's take these one at a time. Personally, I'd liked to have read more about Lincoln and his son. I thought these parts had some of the best prose and showed me glimmers of emotion that were lacking elsewhere.
The historical facts were interesting. I chuckled the first few times when the same event was recorded in different and totally opposing ways. Although it didn't really serve a further purpose and quickly wore thin as a gimmick for me.
The characters of the Reverend, Hans and Roger Bevins iii were the only graveyard members that felt necessary. Although they often blurred into one and I had trouble telling them apart.
Everyone else. Hands up who remembers them? Who found their story important? I thought they could have all been cut, which is an awful lot of people to read about that I didn't care about, or couldn't remember. The most memorable character, that of the mulatto girl, who was repeatedly and violently raped (it was her right? or am I confusing her with someone else?) had such an annoying back story, thrown in for no apparent purpose that it made me hate the book.
So all in all, not a story for me. I'm wavering between 1 and 2 stars and I wavered back and forth throughout the reading. At times the book improved and I thought it worth continuing, but I quickly lost hope again. Still, I'm glad that I read it and I'm glad that something experimental made it onto the Booker shortlist and is being enjoyed by so many other people. You have to take a chance with this sort of fiction. Sometimes it pays off for the reader, sometimes it doesn't. I won't dwell on this for too long.
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Lincoln in the Bardo.
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Reading Progress
July 30, 2017
–
Started Reading
July 30, 2017
–
Started Reading
July 30, 2017
– Shelved
August 3, 2017
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Finished Reading
August 3, 2017
–
Finished Reading
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by
Liz
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rated it 2 stars
Aug 04, 2017 02:50AM
Glad to see I'm not the only one that felt this book was totally overrated.
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I also think this was a super hyped book that was barely ok.
You confirm my prediction that the book would not work for me. Just because a book gets super popular it doesn't mean it is good. It came up as daily deal at Audible and I was tempted, but I am glad I abstained.Thanks for your review.
I had exactly the same issue with the number of characters/narrators. I just could not understand why that was necessary for this story! Great review.
I definitely think this is a love or hate book. I'd normally advocate everyone trying it for themselves, as so many people have enjoyed it, but Chrissie, I think you're best to skip it.
Did you listen to the audiobook? That might be a different experience. There are videos on youtube of actors reading an excerpt from the book, which might be more compelling. Also, there's a New York Times VR video that features the characters from the book.
I've heard that the audiobook is a different experience, so in some ways I'm interested, but mostly that just makes me think it doesn't work as a book.
