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Lincoln in the Bardo
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
In his long-awaited first novel, American master George Saunders delivers his most original, transcendent, and moving work yet. Unfolding in a graveyard over the course of a single night, narrated by a dazzling chorus of voices, "Lincoln in the Bardo"is a literary experience unlike any other for no one but Saunders could conceive it. 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 returned to the crypt several times alone 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 thrilling, 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 astonishingfeat 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 living and dead, historical and invented to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when weknow that everything we love must end? Praise for George Saunders No one writes more powerfully than George Saunders. Michiko Kakutani, "The New York Times" Saunders makes you feel as though you are reading fiction for the first time. Khaled Hosseini George Saunders is a complete original. There is no one better, no one more essential to our national sense of self and sanity. Dave Eggers Few people cut as hard or deep as Saunders does. Junot Diaz Not since Twain has America produced a satirist this funny. Zadie Smith George Saunders makes the all-but-impossible look effortless. We re lucky to have him. Jonathan Franzen An astoundingly tuned voice graceful, dark, authentic, and funny telling just the kinds of stories we need to get us through these times. Thomas Pynchon"
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review
Lcsmcat
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

Loved this book! Totally lives up to the hype, and the full-cast narration was excellent. Do I want a paper copy so I can revisit it? Yes. But the audiobook was an excellent first read through.

Graywacke If you‘re still looking up “opset”, then get a paper copy. 🙂 So glad you listened and enjoyed this. Wonderful thing, wonderful production 2mo
Lcsmcat @Graywacke 😂 I‘ve done enough of that kind of writing, I guess. I knew it was op. cit. But would I like a copy of that bibliography? Absolutely! 2mo
Tamra I‘ve listened twice and am torn about reading the print because the audio is just simply fantastic! 2mo
Lcsmcat @Tamra And I think I will always hear it in those voices! 2mo
Graywacke @Lcsmcat that might be worth a copy 2mo
39 likes5 comments
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mdemanatee
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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It‘s an overcast late summer day with the promise of fall right around the corner. You know what that means? It‘s about time I‘m for a reread of one of my favorite books — Lincoln in the Bardo. I was once lured back to a book club I had lapsed in by them strategically selecting this book. I‘ve taken this book to the bar in rough times and comforted myself by just revisiting passages. What are the books that you regularly get the itch to reread?

Tamra My absolute favorite audio performance! 😍 3mo
kspenmoll @Tamra The audio was fabulous! 3mo
Tamra I‘ve gone back to this audio and In Old God‘s Time. Superlative and oddly comforting despite the subject. @kspenmoll 3mo
18 likes3 comments
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mdemanatee
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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On one hand, ashamed it's not more. On the other hand, the list obviously skews to a certain kind of litfit (though happy to see some speculative fiction and The Fifth Season) and there were tons of repeat authors on the list.

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Vanessa
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Currently reading with a bookmark bought in Boston.

TrishB Love the bookmark 😁 4mo
marleed I love it! 4mo
12 likes2 comments
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Tamra
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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I was musing with my husband about this audio book and it led me down a rabbit hole. This is a good article about the production. What a performance! This is one of those rare instances, like with film, that the performance is better than the print experience. https://www.wired.com/2017/02/george-saunders-bardo-white-house-audiobook/

kspenmoll I just loved this audio- easier for me than reading the book! 4mo
Tamra @kspenmoll yes! The distinctive voices make it easier to keep track of the conversations. 4mo
sarahbarnes I‘ve heard this is true! I read it in print and want to do the audio at some point. 4mo
Tamra @sarahbarnes do try it! I find it‘s usually available on Libby if you use that app. 4mo
46 likes4 comments
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DHill
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Ummm, meh? I didn‘t get it. And I really wanted to love it. There was just so much going on it was hard for me to see the point. Anyone else?

wanderinglynn I DNF‘d it at 25%. I thought it was overhyped & a bit pretentious. 5mo
Tamra This one has been my favorite audiobook experience! 😃 I know it isn‘t for everyone, but once I let go of trying to keep everything and every character (including footnotes) straight early on and just let it flow, it was captivating. It‘s like dipping in & out of conversations as an evesdropper. (edited) 5mo
Scochrane26 I really liked this book (I did physical copy), but I can understand if others don‘t. It‘s a different style & I think took me awhile to get into. 5mo
38 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Cathyloves2read
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

This was both a very easy & a very hard read.The format made it a fast read.But I found the content to be confusing.I had to refer to “Litcharts” several times while reading the book to understand it.The message it delivered was very deep.The way the message was delivered was (for lack of better words) crazy.I don‘t mean that in a bad way. Have you read this book?What do you think? I rated this book a 4 after reading through a summery on litcharts

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mdemanatee
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Taking this energy into a week that opens with Halloween and ends with a birthday. Hope you‘ve got something spooky in your TBR this week. (Or maybe it‘s the TBR itself that‘s spooky—can relate).

LiteraryinPA Love the shirt! 12mo
mdemanatee @LiteraryinLawrence Me too! I grabbed it at the Last Chapter bookstore in Chicago! (Though I‘m not seeing it on the online shop to share 😭) 12mo
19 likes2 comments
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AllDebooks
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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#Book2Book

Please comment if you would like this copy of Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. I am happy to ship internationally. Good condition.

📣 Please note that this is only open to those who registered for the #Book2Book event. If you are interested in future events, comment below and I'll add you to the taglist. 📣

25 likes2 comments
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AllDebooks
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
Mehso-so

What did I just read?

Some parts were good with Lincoln and his son, although I did find some of the spirits commentary irritating.

Kitta I found this incredibly odd too. Not something I‘d reread. 1y
AllDebooks @Kitta I thought it was an interesting and unique concept but too many voices for me 1y
36 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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AmandaBlaze
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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I enjoyed the structure of this novel. Lincoln‘s son Will dies and the story is told partly through the graveyard ghosts and partly through contemporaries of Lincoln through citations. The book gives insight to the time period and what people thought of the President. 4 stars
#RushAThon
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 1y
Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 1y
39 likes2 comments
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rebbyj
Lincoln in the Bardo | Saunders George
Mehso-so

Meh. I like weird. But. It was only ok.

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annahenke
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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#20in4 @Andrew65 I‘m participating in the readathon this weekend! My goal is read 20 hours and finish at least two books. Hooray for a quiet and relaxing weekend with my books! 📚

Excited to follow along with everyone. Thanks for hosting Andrew!

Andrew65 Brilliant to have you with us, good luck 😁 2y
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JenGrigg
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

Haven't read anything from this author before. Very unique writing style which I didn't dislike, interesting narrative of voices and highlighting the variety of life but I'm not sure I loved it.

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bio_chem06
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Still catching up on the last few years TBR. I‘m about 10% into this one and I‘m still not sure what I think about it.

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eri.reads
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
Bailedbailed

Bailing on this one...not a great book to be reading during readathons. Too much to digest for now. Hope to pick it up again one day.

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readingjedi
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

I am literally staggered by this work. It is sublime. I love the structure & the chorus of ghosts (especially roger bevins iii) It is hilarious, poignant, knife-in-the-heart, gut-wrenchingly sad & despite it being about the most heart breaking loss imaginable (your beloved child) & the navigation of that grief AND 99% of the characters being dead, it is also heart swellingly life affirming. Just brilliant, I'm altered by this book.

Tamra It‘s fabulous! 2y
LiteraryinPA Amazing review!! 2y
MamaGina This has been on my shelf for way too long, it sounds amazing 🤓 2y
83 likes1 stack add3 comments
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readingjedi
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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This is another book that was huge a while ago and I just didn't get round to. And by a while ago I mean 4 or 5 years 😳 So you could say I'm late to this particular party! But that seems to be the way I roll - permanently 5 years behind in books, fashion, life in general 🤣

Allthebookclubs This was gifted to me a few years ago, maybe 5 😬. I haven‘t read it yet either 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ 2y
KathyWheeler I liked it but it was very weirdly structured. 2y
sarahbellum Yes! I‘m also perpetually 5-10 years behind on books, movies, music, pop culture 2y
azulaco The audiobook is fantastic, if you‘re inclined. They did a great job with it. 2y
72 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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rmaclean4
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Mehso-so

I have been reading this novel off and on since the beginning of November. I admire the writing and can appreciate Saunders talent. This book was a slog for me. The chorus of story tellers held me at a distance from this story of greif. It was a relief to finish this one and not carry it over to 2023.

CarolynM I agree. The writing got in the way of the story for me. (edited) 2y
rmaclean4 @CarolynM it was a bummer. I have had this novel on my shelves for years and thought it would be a 5 star read for me. 2y
21 likes2 comments
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Erin.Elizabeth10
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

Such an imaginative and creative book! This book is based on the historical fact that President Lincoln‘s young son, Willie, dies. Willie ends up in a graveyard with a bunch of other ghosts, and the plot goes from there, describing the antics of the ghosts. At moments it‘s sad, and at moments it‘s funny. If you like clear plots and clear characters, I don‘t think you‘d like this book. But if you like dark books, and a bit of weird, it‘s for you.

Erin.Elizabeth10 FYI Willie dying is not a spoiler. It‘s on the back cover and it happens right away. It‘s what the whole plot is based on. 2y
JLaurenceCohen Love Saunders. I heard him do a reading with a few actors from LitB when it came out. 2y
21 likes3 comments
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JenReadsAlot
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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BkClubCare Perfect for a GRAVE book 2y
30 likes1 comment
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bravenewtrav
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
Pickpick

One of the most astonishingly creative works of historical fiction or fiction otherwise I have ever encountered. A wonderful companion to “The Good Place” series finale if anyone reading is a fan, and one of the best books I‘ve read from the last decade.

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Beatlefan129
Lincoln in the Bardo | Saunders George
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Mehso-so

This is one of the strangest books I‘ve ever read. It was thought-provoking and creative but parts of it just didn‘t make sense. There were some beautiful statements about grief but then a chapter about what was happening in the bardo would be in be interrupted by a chapter containing a list of footnotes relating to Lincoln, which lost the flow of the story. The gimmick of using 168 narrators, some of who only read one line, got old after a while.

Christyco125 I think the audio version made this better. It helped that every character was voiced by a different actor so it cut down on confusion. Or least it did for me. 2y
65 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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squirrelbrain
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

I‘m torn between a soft pick and a so-so on this one.

Positives;

I enjoyed it for the most part.
It was very clever.
I wanted to read on to find out what happened.
I liked the multi-character POVs
It‘s off my TBR shelf.

Negatives:
A bit too clever-clever for me. (Definitely a Booker book!)
A very depressing book.
Didn‘t like the style / layout of the text, with the names underneath.

Itchyfeetreader I have tried and failed to read and to listen to this book several times now 3y
TravelsWithBooks I tried the audiobook and couldn‘t get into it. 3y
merelybookish So clever-clever! I definitely felt story was sacrificed to style with this one. Painfully so! 3y
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squirrelbrain @Itchyfeetreader @TravelsWithBooks @merelybookish - I wish I was better at giving up on books, but I tend to read to the bitter end! I‘m glad I did though with this one as it did end up a pick. 3y
wanderinglynn It‘s off your TBR! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y
Kajohnson I skimmed the book in store and was immediately turned off by the styling and layout. I knew I couldn‘t finish 😫 3y
Caroline2 Wow you finished it. Well done. 👏 yes, I found it way too depressing for me. That upset me more than the style so I couldn‘t finish. 😔 3y
90 likes8 comments
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wanderinglynn
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Bailedbailed

So much white space that this book would be half or even a third of its size if one cut out all the wasted space. I found this book pretentious, like most arty books that attempt to dazzle with their attempt at an avant-garde style. Here, there's nothing but meaningless words. Aside from a couple of potty-mouth illiterates, all the characters sound alike. No real story. Other authors have written about the afterlife, limbo, and grief much better.

wanderinglynn Sorry Helen! I‘m calling it quits on this book. 3y
TrishB Put it better than I did 😁 3y
CarolynM Style over substance as far as I was concerned. 3y
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Gissy I thought it was me😳It started so good but then I got lost and boring. In my case, I will try it again in the future before I unhaul it. 3y
squirrelbrain No problems Lynn…. At least it‘s off your TBR shelf now! I‘m still persevering and liking but not loving it. I‘m not feeling the urge to pick it up and read it though, so we‘ll see. 3y
wanderinglynn @Gissy nope, not you. 3y
wanderinglynn @squirrelbrain it seems to be a book that people either like or not. Good luck! 3y
BkClubCare Combining with the audio (and a ton of discussion) certainly contributed to making this a 5 star read for me. But 4 years since, I can‘t recall much about it. 3y
wanderinglynn @BkClubCare I‘ve heard the audio version makes it easier. But of what I read, I‘m not interested enough to try. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 3y
Ruthiella I pretty much hated this book. The grief expressed by Lincoln over the death of his son was moving, but the rest did not impress me. Potty mouth ghosts indeed. 3y
wanderinglynn @Ruthiella Agree. His grief was moving but there wasn‘t enough story to support it. 3y
LL1964 I read it about 2 years ago and loved it. I was extremely moved at the ending, which is rare for me. The book was less about Lincoln and more about these ghosts they are trapped in the bardo. The title made me think it had more to do with Lincoln so I was confused when it wasn‘t. If I remember correctly some of the ghosts are fictional and some not. 3y
wanderinglynn @LL1964 I think it was in part about Abe Lincoln, his grief over Willie kept him in a kind of emotional bardo. But l, you‘re right that it‘s mostly about Willie Lincoln & the other 100+ ghosts in the metaphysical bardo/limbo. 3y
77 likes1 stack add14 comments
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wanderinglynn
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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I‘m starting the tagged today as I‘m doing a buddy read with @squirrelbrain and I‘m already behind! 🤦🏼‍♀️😆

Then these are my #bookspin & #roll100 books — an interesting mix. A fun start to March madness, in which I hope to finish at least 11 books. 🎉📚

kspenmoll I listened to the book-tried reading but for me the audio book was a huge help- so many voices, music- loved it! 3y
wanderinglynn @kspenmoll I‘ve seen other reviews where people found the audio version easier. 👍🏻 I‘ll see how it goes with the physical version first. 3y
squirrelbrain Oh no, don‘t say that you‘re ‘behind‘! I‘ve stopped for now…. Might read a bit today but I‘ll try to slow down. 3y
See All 7 Comments
PuddleJumper Yay! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
CaroPi I want to read Mostly Dead things since it came out! Hope you will like it (edited) 3y
81 likes1 stack add7 comments
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squirrelbrain
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Henry and I are having a bit of a chill-out afternoon; the weather is rubbish again so it‘s sofa-time!

How are you finding the book? @wanderinglynn

I looked up a bit of info before I started (what is a bardo?!) and read a few reviews which have helped me so far to understand the quirky layout ,some of the messaging and to enjoy the book, which I may not have done otherwise.

I‘m up to chapter XVI so far.

Tamra I hope you enjoy it! I have listened to the audio version and love the performances. 💙 3y
megnews I loved this book so much. 3y
Simona I love sofa time❣️ 3y
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Megabooks Henry!! 😍😍 Bardo is the place between life and death. Like purgatory but without the religious overtones. If I remember correctly from looking it up when I read it! 3y
wanderinglynn Wow, you have dived right in. I got as far as putting my bookmark on the first chapter. 😆 I plan to start today. 3y
Hooked_on_books He‘s SO cute! I gave this book some serious side-eye before starting it, but I ended up loving it. 3y
Oryx I've had this on my shelf for years. Maybe your review when you finish will prompt me to finally to get to it! 😄 3y
squirrelbrain I haven‘t read any more since yesterday @wanderinglynn ….. 3y
77 likes8 comments
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wanderinglynn
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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#two4tuesday

1. The tagged—I‘m doing a #buddyread of this book with @squirrelbrain 😀

Also my #roll100 books, Out of Africa & The Midnight Front, & then whatever my March #bookspin & #doublespin books end up being.

2. Ultimately – my office mate (over)uses this word. 99.9% of the time, she‘s not using it correctly, and so it grates on my nerves every time.

TheSpineView Thanks for playing and happy Tuesday! 3y
squirrelbrain Looking forward to reading it too - I just chose my (matching) bookmark for it! ☺️ 3y
wanderinglynn @squirrelbrain that‘s awesome that you match your bookmarks! 3y
65 likes3 comments
review
Lizwarnerpdx
Lincoln in the Bardo | Saunders George
Bailedbailed

I saw raving reviews about this book so was happy to find an e-book version at the library available. But I read the first 3 chapters and could not get into it. It was rambling and hard to follow…I didn‘t get the quotes (or are they excerpts?). I like to be able to actually follow the storyline and it wasn‘t happening here.

8 likes2 stack adds
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Mary_Reads
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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I HATE AUDIOBOOKS! Please change my mind!!!! I just started delving into AB because I love the idea or getting through some TBRs while I do shit around the house but I just can't get into them. I never like the books I listen to and I can't even tell if it's because I actually don't like the book or just don't like the format. Please recommend your absolute favorite AB so I can get over this and learn to love them.

JenReadsAlot I only do nonfiction/memoirs on audio so maybe something like that you would enjoy? 3y
See All 37 Comments
monalyisha I‘ll stop there but I hope you find some you love! I think listening to audiobooks is a skill that needs to be developed. It‘s like…learning to like beer. Or something much healthier. 🙈 But you know what I mean! 😆 3y
KellyK I second @monalyisha on Daisy Jones & the Six. 3y
monalyisha @KellyK It feels like a lengthy episode of “Behind the Music.” It‘s one that I definitely know for a fact I wouldn‘t have enjoyed nearly as much in-print. 3y
megnews When I‘m struggling with audiobooks I try short ones so I can‘t through one and feel accomplished. Makes me want to continue on. I also found that the reading is juuusst toooo sllloooow for me so I speed up to 1.5x. 3y
shortsarahrose I started listening to audiobooks while taking car trips to visit my sister (usually as a passenger while my mom drives). I wasn‘t doing anything else (cooking, chores, etc.) so I was actually paying attention to the book narration. So seconding @monalyisha ‘s comment about it being like learning to like beer. 3y
Megabooks I find when I love a narrator, I really get into the story, especially if it‘s fiction. Some favorites: Therese Plummer, Brittany Presley, Katherine Ho, Bahni Turpin, Andrew MacLeod, Vikas Adam, Dion Graham, Rebecca Lowman. I can consistently count on these narrators to bring a story to life. 3y
Chelsea.Poole I agree with these tips! I will add: when I start a new book I often do so first thing in the morning while still in bed. I play an audiobook on my phone while the lights are still off with my eyes closed so there‘s nothing to focus on but the book. This usually helps me to engage enough in the book to then get up and do chores, etc because I‘ve already established a sense of setting, characters etc. hope this helps! Audiobooks are life changing! 3y
Mary_Reads @JenReadsAlot I have been wanting to add more nonfiction to my list. It's currently almost exclusively fiction. This might be the way to do it. 3y
Mary_Reads @monalyisha I've read Daisy Jones & The Six (loved it) but definitely adding a book or two from your suggestions to my AB tbr. 3y
Mary_Reads @megnews I also have to speed up the reading. The slowness drives me crazy. 3y
Mary_Reads @shortsarahrose I've actually found I'm the opposite. I must be doing something with my hands or moving around. If I sit still to listen my mind wanders like crazy. 3y
Mary_Reads @Megabooks I'll start doing a search of some of these narrators and pay more attention to the ones I start liking. 3y
Mary_Reads @Chelsea.Poole I'll be checking out your suggestions. I like the idea of setting the scene before I go about my chores. 3y
Mary_Reads Thank you all so much!!! Yall come through with some great suggestions and I'm going to give them a try. 3y
megnews Yep other things: I‘ve read Lincoln in the Bardo and could have never followed it on audio. I‘ve found if I start by reading the first few chapters of a book, I‘ve got a good grasp and am invested in the story. Then I find the audio a lot easier to follow. 3y
marleed I often experience a book in both audio and print. I love quiet, still moments with a physical book and to go about my day with the audio. And at times I do both and find it entertaining to match the audio speed to my reading. Doing both is particularly interesting when books have unusual formats like super long paragraphs or no quotations for conversation. I think it‘s great to experience a book in whatever format fits your day! 3y
monalyisha Oftentimes, I‘ll check out the lists of Audie Award Winners/Nominees for suggestions, too! Here‘s a recent list by category: https://locusmag.com/2021/02/2021-audie-awards-finalists/ 3y
jdiehr My advice would be to start with short ones 3y
llcoolnate I usually only audiobook easy reads like fiction; rarely nonfiction, because usually I like to underline and/or reread portions of nonfiction, and I don't want to keep hitting rewind, rewind, rewind. I've audiobooked a few interesting ones when I've been running such as Can't Hurt Me which is actually one of the best I've listened to, because much more is added in a sort of conversation that isn't in the paperback. 3y
llcoolnate Overall I prefer actual books because I feel like I get more out of them, and it certainly takes much more discipline to read a 500 page book than listen to it. 3y
27 likes37 comments
review
Mary_Reads
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Panpan

🥱 I gave this one about 50% of the book and it never really caught me. Giving it up to move on to the next one. Too many books to read and too little time in which to do it.

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Court7
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
Mehso-so

Audio-book, weird.

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Tamra
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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My husband and I have little overlap in our reading tastes. But, I‘m happy to report he enjoyed LIB! He tried print with audio and dumped that, then he bailed altogether once, but then decided to go back to it. He was glad he adjusted his approach and now intends to read it again at some point. I agree there is so much going on in LIB it‘s worthy and now if I can just get him to listen to it! I think I‘ve listen 4x now. 🎧

Cathythoughts Beautiful book 💫 3y
MrsMalaprop This is a boon my husband & I read too. (And there‘s not a huge amount of crossover for us either). 3y
71 likes2 comments
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Sarahreadstoomuch
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

Hi all! I‘ve missed you! But my book clubs at the library are restarting and I‘ve nearly finished my YALSA reading (which I‘m not allowed to publicly discuss) so I‘m Slooowly coming back to Litsy. This is the first book club book of the year and I cannot wait to see what the group thinks. I had trouble with the audio to start, but when it clicked- I fell in love. Such creative writing!

Tamra Yes! 💜 3y
megnews I loved the format and everyone says the audio is great but I don‘t think I could follow it. 3y
38 likes2 comments
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emmaturi
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

It put this as pick, but it was more ok for me. I found it on the whole interesting and the form it was written in was OK. I did find some of stories from the ghosts a bit boring at times. I did read up about Lincoln and his son's death,after I finished the book, just to get some more details.

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Centique
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

As I‘m resting (to help an infection heal), I had plenty of time to read today - and finished this in one sitting. I loved it. Entirely in my wheelhouse - some history, a lot of fantasy, an unusual structure - almost like a play - with a huge variety of characters speaking. While Lincoln and his son are main characters, I hadn‘t realised that other ordinary men and women would steal the spotlight so wonderfully. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Centique Have you read this @Reggie ? I wonder if you‘d like it. It‘s a great ghost story at heart, if you don‘t mind the snippets of history. 3y
squirrelbrain This has been on my physical TBR shelf for a while - I really should give it a go soon. Look after yourself and feel better soon 😘 3y
Oryx Hope you feel better soon. Thanks for the review. I've had this on my shelf a while, so it might encourage me to bump it up the list! 3y
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Tamra 👏🏾👏🏾 I‘m so glad you liked it! 💜 My favorite characters are the obscene couple - they are a riot on audio! 3y
Megabooks Get well soon, friend! 💜😘 I loved this in print, but kind of surprisingly for me, I didn‘t enjoy the audiobook. Completely unique storytelling! 3y
SamAnne I loved this one.... 3y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I loved this one. It‘s just so unique and the emotion is intense. Hope your infection gets squashed soon!! 3y
Reggie When I first was on Litsy, this book was all the rage, but I told myself, nah, I don‘t do historical fiction. After my last book, I‘d probably be open to giving it a try. 3y
LeahBergen I hope your arm is healing up well! 😘😘 3y
Centique @squirrelbrain @Oryx @LeahBergen thanks guys! I am resting and healing 🙏 3y
Centique @Tamra they were my favourites too! 3y
Centique @Megabooks I‘m so fussy about audiobooks. So far I can only listen to readings with a single voice. If there‘s a cast or sound effects it jolts me out of the story - so I imagine this complex book would be an aural cacophony for me 🤪🤪 3y
Centique @SamAnne @BarbaraTheBibliophage it is gorgeous and so emotional. 3y
Centique @Reggie I even listed it as Fantasy on my reading record rather than Historical. And when he does use history it‘s like he cuts it up and makes a collage to create something entirely new from pieces of the past. Just so clever. But I think the emotion of it would really move you 💕 3y
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Tamra
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Husband is trying the audio & print simultaneously. I warned him it‘s one of those love it or hate it books. I ADORE this novel on audio. Knowing how different our reading tastes are, I‘m doubtful he‘ll have the same experience. 😅

megnews I loved the print version. I don‘t know if audio would work for me 3y
Tamra @megnews it has a full cast that is wonderful! I think since you‘ve already read it there would be less confusion. For myself, it worked to just let the story unfold and not try to grasp every detail. 3y
Cortg Definitley a love/hate book. I loved it and listened to the audio after I read it. I'd love to hear what his thoughts are when he finishes. 3y
SamAnne I did the print. It is one that grew on me after having thought about it. I'm not sure I could have followed it all on audio! 3y
kspenmoll This book only worked on audio for me!!!!! 3y
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emmaturi
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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These are the new library books I have to read. I have started the tagged book. I remember trying it a couple of years ago and just couldn't get into it. It still feels a bit strange the format but so far so good! #tbr

squirrelbrain I have the tagged book on my physical TBR shelf…I‘m intrigued but a bit frightened by the format! 3y
Tamra I adore the audio! (Says me about a 1000 X. 😆) 3y
emmaturi I was too, but this time around I am coping with it. I did read some reviews so I would understand the parts with the spirits mingle @squirrelbrain 3y
emmaturi Oh that is good! Who was the narrator? @Tamra 3y
Tamra @emmaturi it has a whole host of narrators! You have to just sit back and take it in without worrying about figuring out who is who - you catch on gradually. I‘ve listened multiple times and each time is an experience. 3y
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vlwelser
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

I can't even imagine what this is like as a print book. But the #audiobook is quite good. There are so many different narrators. It was hard to follow at first but I'm glad that I stuck with it.

Megabooks I preferred it in print. (DNFed audiobook, but finished print.) Definitely a great book! 4y
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triplem80
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

I was able to squeeze in my #doublespin book for my last read of January.

I feel like a lot of folks either loved or hated this. Personally, I really enjoyed it -- particularly the unusual format! I think I'd enjoy listening to this on audio (the cast is supposed to be great), but I'm glad I read it in print first.

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
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Smarkies
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

Started off a little strange for me (owing to the format in which it was written) but after a few chapters I managed to "melt" into it and ended up enjoying the story.
Read this for #bookclubworthy for #booked2020 as I think this was probably a choice in many bookclubs when it was first published.
@Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft

Cinfhen Great pick!!! 4y
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JenDR
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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I am listening to this one on audio. It might be that I started listening to this while driving in traffic but I am finding this story difficult to follow. To those who did finish it, does it get better? I usually don‘t mind experimental narratives but this isn‘t clicking with me.

megnews I loved it! But I read it. I think listening might be difficult on this one. 4y
SamAnne Agree with @megnews. I really enjoyed it, more so after mulling it over. I can‘t imagine keeping all the spirits straight on audio! 4y
BarbaraBB I didn‘t like it very much in print and can imagine how confusing it must be on audio 4y
JenDR I tried listening to it some more while not driving. It is easier but still confusing. Not bailing just yet on it. 4y
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marleed
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Pickpick

Because I waited so long to read this book, the full-cast audio was readily available. The audio while reading is a great option for this one because of the way the short paragraphs are presented. It‘s incredibly sad in one paragraph then wacky in the next and funny in the next. An unique and weird story - that‘s for sure!

Cathythoughts I loved it ❤️❤️❤️ 4y
marleed I really enjoyed it. I read so many books that I have to appreciate a book that is like no other. I‘m kind of grieving all that Willie Lincoln could have become today! 4y
Gissy It didn't work for me. I'm still trying to finishing it😬 4y
marleed @Gissy I can understand how this would not be everyone‘s cup of tea. When I was a graded cooler I attended a play (in which my older brother had a part) called Spoon River Anthology. It was about ghosts existing in a cemetery. This gave me that vibe and read it as though it was a play. It also helped that I was listening to the full cast audio while reading the text! 4y
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tenar
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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Bailedbailed

With regret, I bailed halfway! I, like many lately, have been experiencing a spike in death anxiety. Our journey to the cemetery bardo began like exposure therapy, bearable in its humor and originality. But as the humor became more crude, the lightness dimmed, and my mood really sank. I‘m regretful because I could see tenderness at the heart of the book and was loving its genuinely unusual formatting. Maybe another time.
#DoubleSpin #AwesomeAugust

TheAromaofBooks Sometimes the time just isn't right for a book!! Litsy introduced me to the term “hibernation“ and that's definitely where I have to put books sometimes!! 4y
tenar @TheAromaofBooks That‘s a truth I learned from forcing myself through a few too many books I was struggling with! I like that term- I‘ll put this one on the hibernation shelf :) 4y
rachelk I loved this book, but I completely understand bailing on it. Maybe another time. Or not. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y
tenar @rachelk And I totally understand loving it. I think that my mood being affected even when I wasn‘t reading is a compliment to the writing. I bailed with the utmost respect, hah! 4y
rachelk @tenar I love the idea of bailing with respect, that‘s great! I know I‘ve done that too! 4y
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tenar
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
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I have accidentally had quite a few library holds stack up on me and am feeling a bit underwater, so it‘s a perfect time for a readathon! Aug 15-23
#AwesomeAugust #readathon

I must finish Becoming by its due date in four days and read Lincoln in the Bardo, my #DoubleSpin I‘ve just begun. (What an unusual book!) Then I hope to make headway into Rules of Civility and Starsight. I‘d be pleased if I read at least 100 pages per day.
Here we go! 🤞🏻

Andrew65 Good luck 😊👍 4y
tenar @Andrew65 You, too! Your goals are impressive! 👏 4y
Andrew65 @tenar Last part of the holiday and keen to read, read, read before work kicks in! 4y
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