LINCOLN IN THE BARDO

Submitted by ub on

This Friday the 13 weekend, the Met will be streaming the sold out performance of Lincoln in the Bardo for all to enjoy.

We can watch The Met's 'Lincoln in the Bardo' for free this weekend Here's how to stream the wildly popular production.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cLhpmWmWaL4

Lincoln in the Bardo (2017) is the debut novel by American author George Saunders, which won the 2017 Booker Prize. [1]
The Plot and Setting
  • Time and Place: Set over the course of a single night in February 1862 at Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. [1, 2]
  • The Historical Core: President Abraham Lincoln is deep in grief following the death of his beloved 11-year-old son, Willie, from typhoid fever. Newspapers of the time reported that the heartbroken father returned to the crypt alone to hold his son's body. [1, 2, 3]
  • The Bardo: A concept from Tibetan Buddhism referring to an intermediate or transitional state between death and rebirth. In the novel, this realm functions as a surreal, purgatory-like graveyard where restless spirits linger in total denial, trapped by their past regrets, unfinished business, and refusal to acknowledge they are dead. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Structure and Style
  • Polyphonic Voices: The narrative is built out of a chaotic, chorus-like collage of hundreds of ghost characters (including key guides like Hans Vollman, Roger Bevins III, and the Reverend Everly Thomas) who narrate, argue, and observe. [1, 2]
  • Historical Collage: Interspersed between the ghostly dialogue are real and fabricated historical quotes, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings from the Civil War era, offering a dual perspective of private grief and a fracturing nation. [1, 2, 3]
  • Climax: When President Lincoln enters the crypt, Willie and the surrounding spirits interact with him. Through merging consciousness with his father's profound sorrow, Willie realizes he has died, accepts his fate, and moves onward—inspiring many of the other trapped souls to finally let go. [1, 2, 3]
Adaptations
  • Audiobook: A celebrated, full-cast audiobook version features over 150 narrators, including Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Julianne Moore, and Don Cheadle. [1, 2]
  • Opera: The story was adapted into a world-premiere opera by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavreck at the Metropolitan Opera. [1]
Links