Cover of Lincoln in the Bardo

Lincoln in the Bardo

George Saunders, 2017

American novelist, born 1958. Won the Booker Prize in 2017.

Lincoln in the Bardo is a 2017 novel by George Saunders. It won the Booker Prize in 2017.

Rising Star
  • Prize Winner

In historical fiction, magical realism

On 3 of the 14 lists it was eligible for.

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At a glance

Author
George Saunders
First published
2017
Length
368 pages (UK paperback)
Awards
Genre
Historical fiction, Postmodern, Magical realism, War and conflict

Is Lincoln in the Bardo worth reading?

3 of the 14 best-of lists it could have made include it, among them the Booker Prize and The 100 best books of the 21st century (The New York Times).

ListPlaceOriginal
Booker Prize (winners and shortlists) (Booker Prize Foundation, 2017)WinnerSee the list
The 100 best books of the 21st century (The New York Times, 2024)No. 18See the list
Waterstones Book of the Year (winners and shortlists) (Waterstones, 2012-)ShortlistSee the list

Best edition of Lincoln in the Bardo

The edition we link to is the Bloomsbury Paperbacks paperback (2018), 368 pages.

Publisher
Bloomsbury Paperbacks (paperback, 2018)
Pages
368
ISBN
9781408871775

How critics, prizes and readers rate Lincoln in the Bardo

Prize juries and critics rate it about equally: it earned 25% on prize lists and 22% on critics' lists, against 17% on readers' and booksellers' lists.

Critics
22%
Prizes
25%
Readers and booksellers
17%

Share of the available points it earned on each kind of list it was eligible for. How the scores work

Books like Lincoln in the Bardo

If you liked Lincoln in the Bardo, try Wolf Hall, Midnight's Children or Beloved.

Lists used on this page