A review of “Lincoln in the Bardo” in 100 words by Catherine Stover
This novel, set in the time of Lincoln’s son Willie’s death, is the most challenging book I’ve read in years. Its subject is grim, its list of characters exceeds 100, and its style resembles a play, without actually being a play. Post-modernism – my college students’ least favorite period of literature – is all about challenging readers’ expectations, and this does that. So why did I love it? The work of reading it paid off when the novel exploded toward the end. I’m tingling still. Saunders won the international Booker Prize, the praise of reviewers, and my gratitude for experiencing this book.
Work cited:
Saunders, George. Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel. Random House, 2017, p. 304.