George Saunders, "Lincoln In The Bardo"

www.politics-pr...
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.
Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics & Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics & Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at www.politics-pr...
Produced by Tom Warren

[@matthewwohl951]

amazing book! what an insightful dude! loved hearing about his writing process!

[@cherylynlarking191]

George Saunders has a depth of life experiences which he brings to all his writing. An imaginative novel.

[@chen-Po]

He may be a good writer but when he intentionally bringing up President Trump in that way, with hate, that disqualifies him.

[@bassbinladen8556]

Who is the reader in the black shirt? Im guessing he is playing Lincoln? His reading is amazing! He should be an actor ... kinda reminds me of Gabriel Byrne

[@aaronlaflin8266]

Time to retire the La Boda de Eduardo story, George. I've heard it about ten different times. Lincoln in the Bardo is an absolute masterpiece. The form itself is highly noteworthy and innovative. It's so sad, and yet highly comical. The characters are fascinating and hilarious. Even their names are pure art. George is, imo, a bona fide genius, through and through. His work should be taught in high schools. This book will give readers a new outlook on Lincoln, and really highlights what an amazing figure he was. To have to deal with the death of a child during the Civil War, all while being lambasted by his contemporaries. Bardo is like nothing you've ever read.

[@UncannyValleyVideos]

I couldn't have said it better myself. "Lincoln in the Bardo" is the purest book I've read in almost a year. I spent most of it straining my throat, trying not to cry. I need to work on finishing "Tenth of December" and "The Braindead Megaphone".

[@ladyleesutter]

Shame that some of the readers'' microphones either not on or not loud enuff. Also, audience questions hard to decipher.

[@calum66]

Enuff?

[@screenwriterabdullahh.erak2778]

George Saunders = best creative writing school ever

[@EliahNebb]

59:05

[@frandsenphilip1]

Yep - contains rips against Trump. Can't anyone have a philosophical conversation on point?