Human-reviewed summary and review
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders — Summary & Review
George Saunders · English
President Lincoln’s grief over his young son’s death drives this surreal, chaotic tale set in a liminal afterlife called the bardo. Lost souls linger, stuck on regrets and memories they can’t release. It’s part historical fiction, part ghost story, and all about the messy, stubborn nature of mourning.
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The short version: President Lincoln’s grief over his young son’s death drives this surreal, chaotic tale set in a liminal afterlife called the bardo. Lost souls linger, stuck on regrets and memories they can’t release. It’s part historical fiction, part ghost story, and all about the messy, stubborn nature of mourning.
Stefan's verdict: Worth considering for Readers interested in experimental literary fiction; less useful if you need a very different level of detail or approach.
3 min review517 wordsOriginal book: Introductory
GriefMortalityAttachmentAcceptanceSpirituality
Globusz Books summary
What the book is about
Show the full summary — it may reveal major plot developments
“Lincoln in the Bardo” isn’t your run-of-the-mill historical novel or a straightforward ghost story. It’s a weirdly wonderful mashup of historical fact, spiritual limbo, and a chorus of voices that sound like a group chat gone haywire. The premise is simple yet loaded: President Abraham Lincoln is devastated by the death of his 11-year-old son, Willie, who lies in a Georgetown cemetery. But instead of moving on, Willie’s spirit lingers in the bardo—a Tibetan Buddhist idea for the transitional state between life and death.
The novel unfolds over a single night in this eerie, in-between place, where a motley crew of other spirits are stuck, too. These aren’t your typical ghosts. They’re souls who can’t quite accept their own deaths, trapped by regrets, unfinished business, or sheer stubbornness. You get characters like Hans Vollman, a printer who died before consummating his marriage and bears a grotesque physical reminder of that missed moment; Roger Bevins III, who took his own life after heartbreak and now has an unsettling abundance of eyes and limbs; and Reverend Everly Thomas, a man of faith who ironically can’t find peace.
This chorus of voices narrates the story, each adding fragments of history, personal anecdotes, and their own brand of grief and denial. The style is fragmented and polyphonic, which can feel chaotic, but it brilliantly mirrors the disorderly nature of grief and the confusion of being neither here nor there. It’s like listening to a dozen people talk over each other at a wake—sometimes poignant, sometimes absurd, always human.
At its core, the novel is about loss and the refusal to let go. The spirits in the bardo cling to their past lives, highlighting our human resistance to change and the terror of impermanence. Saunders uses this liminal space to wrestle with what it means to move on, or not, and how love and grief can bind us tighter than we’d like.
Lincoln’s real-life grief adds a grounding weight to the surreal setting. His visits to Willie’s crypt, his struggle to maintain composure during a brutal war, and his quiet, private sorrow provide a heartbreaking counterpoint to the chaotic voices of the dead. The historical snippets woven into the narrative add texture but never bog down the story.
The novel’s blend of historical fiction and magical realism is a double-edged sword. It creates a unique atmosphere—haunting, funny, and deeply human—but the fragmented style and multiple narrators can be a tough nut to crack. Readers not in the mood for a nonlinear, experimental narrative might find themselves lost or frustrated. But for those willing to lean into the weirdness, the payoff is a profound meditation on mortality, attachment, and the messy business of letting go.
“Lincoln in the Bardo” won the 2017 Booker Prize, and with good reason. It’s a novel that defies easy categorization and invites readers to grapple with grief not as a neat, linear process but as a chaotic, stubborn, and deeply personal journey. It’s a book that reminds us no one escapes loss unscathed, and sometimes the hardest part is simply accepting that things will never be the same.
Themes worth noticing
Grief and Loss
Explores the raw, tangled emotions that come with losing someone and how grief refuses to be neat or predictable.
Impermanence and Letting Go
Focuses on the Buddhist idea that clinging to attachments causes suffering, and peace requires acceptance of change.
Resistance to Change
Highlights human stubbornness in holding onto past identities, memories, and regrets, even when it traps us.
Life, Death, and Transition
Examines the blurry line between life and afterlife and what it means to be stuck in limbo.
Multiplicity of Perspectives
Uses a chorus of voices to show that truth, memory, and experience are never singular or simple.
Key ideas, explained
Grief as a messy, non-linear process
The novel captures grief not as something tidy or predictable, but as chaotic and stubborn. The spirits’ refusal to move on reflects how people cling to memories and pain, resisting change even when it’s necessary.
The bardo as a metaphor for limbo and attachment
Using the Tibetan concept of the bardo, Saunders explores what it means to be stuck between worlds—whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually—and how attachments keep us trapped in those in-between states.
Historical grief meets magical realism
By focusing on Lincoln’s real grief and mixing it with a supernatural setting, the novel grounds its emotional core in history while experimenting with form and narrative voice to deepen the impact.
Polyphony as a storytelling device
The chorus of voices offers multiple perspectives on death, life, and regret, creating a fragmented but immersive experience that mimics the confusion of mourning and the blur between past and present.
Impermanence and the necessity of letting go
The novel wrestles with Buddhist themes of impermanence, suggesting that peace comes only when we accept change and release our attachments—even when it hurts like hell.
How to Use This Book in Real Life
Notice how you resist change
Like the spirits in the bardo, we often cling to what’s familiar—even if it’s painful. Pay attention to where you’re stuck and what attachments might be holding you back from moving forward.
Grief isn’t a straight line
Expect your experience of loss to be messy, nonlinear, and unpredictable. That’s normal. Sometimes you’ll feel stuck, and other times you’ll move forward, but it rarely follows a neat timeline.
Listen to multiple voices in grief
The novel’s polyphonic style reminds us that grief looks different to everyone. Be open to different ways of mourning and expressing pain—yours and others’.
Embrace impermanence
Letting go is hard, but accepting that nothing stays the same can be a step toward peace. This doesn’t mean forgetting or moving on quickly, but acknowledging that change is inevitable.
Find humanity in the messy middle
Whether you’re stuck in grief or just dealing with life’s uncertainties, remember that being messy, confused, and imperfect is part of being human.
What the book does especially well
Inventive narrative structure that captures the chaos of grief
Richly drawn, quirky characters that humanize death and loss
Emotional depth grounded in historical reality
Blends historical fiction with magical realism in a fresh way
Provokes reflection on mortality and attachment without being preachy
Where the book gets shaky
Fragmented, multi-voice style can be confusing or alienating
Pacing feels uneven due to narrative interruptions and digressions
Some readers may find the supernatural elements clash with historical parts
Certain characters’ grotesque physical traits might feel off-putting
Themes and style may not appeal to those preferring straightforward storytelling
Questions to carry with you
What parts of your past are you holding onto that might be keeping you stuck?
How do you experience grief—does it feel linear or chaotic?
What does it mean to truly let go of someone or something?
How do different voices and perspectives shape your understanding of loss?
Can embracing impermanence bring peace, or is it too painful?
The bottom line
“Lincoln in the Bardo” is a wild, weird ride through grief’s tangled mess. It doesn’t offer easy answers or a neat ending, but it does remind us that holding on too tight can trap us in limbo. It’s a book for those who don’t mind a little chaos with their sorrow—and who want to see what happens when history, loss, and the afterlife collide in a crowded, noisy room.
Beyond the summary
What might this book awaken in you?
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Why you might read this
President Lincoln’s grief over his young son’s death drives this surreal, chaotic tale set in a liminal afterlife called the bardo. Lost souls linger, stuck on regrets and memories they can’t release. It’s part historical fiction, part ghost story, and all about the messy, stubborn nature of mourning.
Spoiler sensitivity: highSpoiler sensitivity: mediumPlot coverage is intentionally selective and avoids major late twists where possible.
Themes worth noticing
Grief and Loss
Impermanence and Letting Go
Resistance to Change
Life, Death, and Transition
Multiplicity of Perspectives
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