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Lincoln in the Bardo

By: George Saunders
Narrated by: Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, George Saunders, Carrie Brownstein, Miranda  July, Lena Dunham, full cast
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Publisher's Summary

Winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize

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 11-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.

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 vJulianne 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 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about Lincoln in the Bardo

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Does not translate

This book does not translate to audio. Cast - brilliant, premise - beautiful but too disjointed for the listener to enjoy and follow. Better read than listened to.

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20 people found this helpful

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ripe off

may be a good book to read but not listen too, so confusing and repeating itself constantly.

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12 people found this helpful

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Best audiobook I've ever listened to

I don't normally write reviews but this book warrants one. I couldn't recommend this book enough; it was unique, quirky, funny, sad and deeply moving. Saunders is a talented writer who draws you into his world. I particularly enjoyed the intriguing use of multiple narrators to bring attention to the subjective nature of reality. The performances are outstanding, with an incredible cast. It felt more like a play than an audiobook. Just amazing.

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7 people found this helpful

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One of my favourites!

I thought that this book was weird & wonderful, hilarious & heart wrenching. I loved the performances, and the perspective. It took me a while to get into the narrative because of the many quotations, but I really came to enjoy the extra depth that they added to the story. I cannot keep the excitement from my voice when talking about this novel!! I would recommend it to anybody who has an open mind, and can find delight in the thought of a giant swinging member, that's nearly as big as a leg.

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7 people found this helpful

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Difficult

I couldn't finish this book. Was so hard to understand - maybe it is better to read this type of literature but I certainly didn't enjoy listening to it. Very hard to follow and understand what was going on.

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6 people found this helpful

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Unlike anything I’ve listened to

I highly recommend listening to this while reading the book in order to appreciate the beautiful nuances this novel has to offer. This is an incredibly tender and moving story of a father’s love for his son told through the many voices of America. I highly recommended Lincoln in the Bardo to those looking for a memorable reading/listening experience- Saunders has broken new ground here, completely breaking away from traditional notions of the form but in the process creating what I believe to be a masterpiece.

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3 people found this helpful

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Lack of Flow

The endless attributions of quotations are something you would skim over in reading but just spoil it for the audio sadly, Do we really need to know for the tenth time that something was quoted in the Watchman's Logbook, 1817-1868?.

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Op cit

A torrent of quotations, too clever by half. Sighs.

I’d rather read Leech. Op Cit.

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2 people found this helpful

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Fascinating and beautifully told

A wonderful story told in the most interesting way. Needed to concentrate whilst listening, but so worth it!

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Brilliant

A stunning production of one of the most gorgeous books I have ever read. Stunning.

One aside, having read the book, the audiobook is easy to follow, but I could imagine if you came to the audiobook without that prior knowledge of the structure, it would be difficult to follow. That doesn't mean it isn't worth it though.

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