Lincoln in the Bardo

2 stars

This book had an interesting premise, but ultimately I didn’t find it enjoyable. It’s set in a graveyard the night that Lincoln’s young son Willie is buried. The story takes place in one night and is a series of conversations between ghosts that are trying to encourage Willie to “move on” from the graveyard.

During the conversations you learn about the history of the ghosts and what is keeping them in the graveyard. Interspersed through the “conversations” between the ghosts are a series of quotes from various sources about what is happening in the City, in the country and observations about Lincoln and his family.

While the media seems to always go crazy for these avant garde books, I find them needlessly complicated, odd and confusing. The concept of the book is good, but it was a chore to read and I had a hard time finishing it.