“He came out of nothingness, took form, was loved, was always bound to return to nothingness.”
Another book off my list for my Reading all the Booker Prize Winners Challenge.
It is 1862 and the American Civil War is rampant. Abraham Lincoln is facing a personal loss, as his 11 year old son, Willie, dies and is laid to rest. Lincoln often visits the crypt where his son is interred. Willie is in his Bardo, which is a Tibetan Buddhist term that refers to the transition period between death and rebirth. There are many other ghosts that are also in this state in the cemetery with their own stories.
My word this was a frustrating read. The writing style is very experimental, with a series of short paragraphs of either historical facts or ramblings from the many other ghosts who are also mingling around the Bardo. I found it hard to follow, chaotic and quite frankly boring. I'm surprised I even finished it.
Commentaires