Lincoln in the Bardo

A Novel

By: George Saunders

Narrated by: Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, George Saunders, Carrie Brownstein, Don Cheadle, Lena Dunham, Bill Hader, Kirby Heyborne, Keegan-Michael Key, Julianne Moore, Megan Mullally, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Various

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

***WINNER OF THE 2018 AUDIE AWARD FOR AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR***

The long-awaited first novel from the author of Tenth of December: a moving and original father-son story featuring none other than Abraham Lincoln, as well as an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, living and dead, historical and invented

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy’s body.

From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul.

Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?

The 166-person full cast features award-winning actors and musicians, as well as a number of Saunders’ family, friends, and members of his publishing team, including, in order of their appearance:

Nick Offerman as HANS VOLLMAN
David Sedaris as ROGER BEVINS III
Carrie Brownstein as ISABELLE PERKINS
George Saunders as THE REVEREND EVERLY THOMAS
Miranda July as MRS. ELIZABETH CRAWFORD
Lena Dunham as ELISE TRAYNOR
Ben Stiller as JACK MANDERS
Julianne Moore as JANE ELLIS
Susan Sarandon as MRS. ABIGAIL BLASS
Bradley Whitford as LT. CECIL STONE
Bill Hader as EDDIE BARON
Megan Mullally as BETSY BARON
Rainn Wilson as PERCIVAL “DASH” COLLIER
Jeff Tweedy as CAPTAIN WILLIAM PRINCE
Kat Dennings as MISS TAMARA DOOLITTLE
Jeffrey Tambor as PROFESSOR EDMUND BLOOMER
Mike O’Brien as LAWRENCE T. DECROIX
Keegan-Michael Key as ELSON FARWELL
Don Cheadle as THOMAS HAVENS
and
Patrick Wilson as STANLEY “PERFESSER” LIPPERT
with
Kirby Heyborne as WILLIE LINCOLN,
Mary Karr as MRS. ROSE MILLAND,
and Cassandra Campbell as Your Narrator

©2017 George Saunders (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A luminous feat of generosity and humanism.”—Colson Whitehead, The New York Times Book Review

“Grief guts us all, but rarely has it been elucidated with such nuance and brilliance as in Saunders’s Civil War phantasmagoria. Heartrending yet somehow hilarious, Saunders’s zinger of an allegory holds a mirror to our perilous current moment.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

“An extended national ghost story . . . As anyone who knows Saunders’s work would expect, his first novel is a strikingly original production.”—The Washington Post

Wow! A long time coming but so good!

What made the experience of listening to Lincoln in the Bardo the most enjoyable?

I've been a fan of George Saunders for a long time and have been awaiting his novel. This effort blows all expectations out of the park. THe story is weird, fun, touching and always compelling. The format is unlike anything I've ever seen. Saunders empathy is overwhelming at times. He has an amazing view into the human psyche.

Do yourself a favor and listen on Audible rather than reading it. The cast is amazing!

Truly imaginative and highly recommended

A truly imaginative work filled with historical quotes and what life might be like for westerners on the Bardo plane; and the great thing is, the reader does need to have heard the word "Bardo" to luxuriate in this depiction of the after life. A cast of seemingly one hundred (with a few Hollywood film stars) and sound cues and music that add to a sweepingly enjoyable listen. Top marks for story, portrayals and sound cues and music.

Hieronymus Bosch of a book

Wow. Listening to this novel is the way to go. It is so dense with characters I think it would be frustrating to read. At least at first. Will be getting the book just to read certain parts versus listening.

The book made me uncomfortable at times. Laughing out loud at other times.

We have all considered what death will be like. I have my own idea...we all do. This book made me question my belief of how leaving this world might be.

The portrayal of Lincoln is masterful. Actually, I found all the characters fully developed, although at first it was a bit confusing. You have to release yourself in a way, to get your head around this book.

A fantastic, sad, compassionate, funny novel. This one will be in my top ten memorable reads. It is a masterpiece!

I LOVED THE DIALOGUE, THEN I REALIZED. GRT BK!!!

What a great idea for a sad story, many sad heartbreaking stories. It's been funny, sad so very gutrenching when you walk in their steps (the ones who go forth into the bardo & the ones who are left behind how they mourned. Lincoln himself made me weep when he spoke about the little suite. Great book you did a wonderful job with the narration NOW YOU SHOU!LD DO IT ON THE RADIO OR ANIMATE IT. Really loved the Read.....Neli collins

I'd give this six stars if I could...

What made the experience of listening to Lincoln in the Bardo the most enjoyable?

brilliant performances by so many narrators

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have loved to do this but I honestly think my brain needed some processing time

Any additional comments?

this is a thoughtful book, brilliantly conceived, and beautifully performed. Its themes and voices continue to resonate with me. I fear someone is going to try and make a movie out of it.

Laugh, Cry, Love

I never wanted it to finish. This book and performance made me cry, laugh, and feel everything in between. I plan on re-reading in a couple months, after the impact clears from this reading.

One Remarkable Night in Purgatory- Spoiler Alert

Saunders has delivered a novel and concept with the audio version that is entirely unexpected. Using the historical event of Abe Lincoln's sons death, Saunders gives us an "American Chorale" of voices - that's how Saunders describes it.
One night in the cemetery gives us the voices of the dead who can't quite seem to understand their plight and resist leaving at all costs. The arrival of Willie Lincoln gives them some common purpose. Intermingled with the context of the Bardo, are historical accounts of Lincolns presidency and the death of his beloved Willie
The language throughout is the more formal style of 1862 , reminding me of Charles Portis' True Grit.

Chapter 61 for this cradle Catholic was chilling in a way I didn't expect as Saunders explores the places the dead may go - two options - one better than the other

The scope of using 166 voices is remarkable - I'm so glad I purchased this as an audiobook - it's the ONLY way this book should be enjoyed

Frightening chaotic cacophony

Began this title listening...resorted to hard copy when character changes became exhausting....particularly disliked the Barons' vocals. Personally found some language, horrifying and sexual imagery, excessively unpleasant. . I was intrigued by the unique format of historical'journal' entry and fictional imagination. This is not a light read/listen by any means. Many narrators were recognized favorites from previous titles, but I often left off listening and read in order to 'skip' the notations.
There are not many people I personally would recommend this to unless they are fans of Cormac McCarthy, Stephen King, Walking Dead and are Lincoln geeks. If you read/listen to 'Bardo', you will be left with much to ponder.

A seductive magical yarn of the afterlife.

Would you consider the audio edition of Lincoln in the Bardo to be better than the print version?

The cast of voices make the book sound like a stage-play. I imagine reading the text would be challenging.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Barons. I would laugh out loud every time they came on. They were the vulgar rejects who cussed and swore every other word. yet, they were doing they best they could in an incomprehensible world so set against them.

Which scene was your favorite?

When they are given a glimpse into hell. The denizens are all unapologetic and resentful for having to suffer in hell when nothing they did was really their fault. It seems that nothing in life, or death, is fair.

If you could take any character from Lincoln in the Bardo out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Abraham Lincoln. Why? Because he's Abraham Lincoln.

Any additional comments?

Lincoln in The Bardo is a haunting tale of regret, neurosis, and profound grief, yet it is life-affirming and simply hilarious. Saunders manages to tell the narrative of Abraham Lincolns son Willy's early death. This work of non-fiction alone is worth praise. I got to know Abraham Lincoln in a way I never had before. Yet the non-fiction is interwoven with a yarn in the style of Salmon Rushdie. Add to this performances by amazing voice actors who are ingeniously directed to interrupt each other and finish one anthers sentences. It is a mesmerizing story that might force a listener to consider their contribution or lack thereof to those around them. .

Absolutely worth a credit

Don’t be deterred by the “odd” subject matter. This book is wonderful. It’s a story about life in all its love, suffering, and beauty. The performance is one of the best I’ve heard. You listen to a play