Lincoln in the Bardo Historical versus Fictional

Lincoln in the Bardo is a unique combination of history and fiction that offers different perspectives on both the afterlife and the United States during the Civil War. Throughout the novel the author, George Saunders, transitions between the Bardo, a purgatory-like resting place for the dead, and historical sources of the Lincoln family and the Civil War. These dissimilar points of view complement each other by adding a historical framework to a ghost story. In addition to this, Lincoln in the Bardo offers a more personal perspective of Abe Lincoln and his family that history books do not provide.

              Throughout the novel George Saunders provides historical sources about Abe Lincoln, his family, and the Civil War; however some of these sources are fictionalized. The fact that some of Saunders’ sources are not real does not bother me. Most of Saunders’ sources are real and he uses his imagination to fill in the blanks. Through this the reader is able to gain a more down to earth perspective of Abe Lincoln and his family. Most people know that Mr. Lincoln was our sixteenth president and that he was assassinated, but not many know he, “had the tenderest heart for any one in distress, whether man, beast, or bird” (Saunders 284). Also many people may have seen a picture of President Lincoln, but never imagined him with, “the saddest eyes of any human being” (Saunders 197). The imagery and description used to help the reader visualize the story adds some sense of reality in a world full of ghosts. Back in the Bardo I read about the matterlightblooming phenomenon when a soul vanishes in an intense explosion of light. I also read about the bachelors who fly through the Bardo and rain down hats upon the other souls. This imaginary world compliments the all too real and bloody world existing during the Civil War. In one of the historical sections a solider describes a recent Civil War battle stating, “The dead at Donelson, sweet Jesus. Heaped and piled like threshed wheat” (Saunders 152). This historical section provides imagery on just how horrific the Civil War was.

              Overall I like how the historical sections complement the fictional ghost sections of the book. The historical sources provide clear imagery of the Lincoln family, the Civil War and life at the White House. These sources, although some unreal, bring to life the book and add a sense of reality to the fictionalized Bardo. 

Sauders, George. Lincoln in the Bardo. New York, Random House, 2018.