Recommendations from our site
“As with Lincoln in the Bardo, Vigil follows one person’s transition from life to the afterlife. The novel unfolds at the bedside of an oil company CEO, as angelic beings attempt to force him to reflection. ‘I found myself wondering about that generation of climate change deniers who, through obfuscation and spin, put progress on hold for twenty or thirty years, and are now old and passing away,’ as Saunders explained in a statement accompanying the book’s announcement. All of which sounds rather thoughtful and bittersweet—but, this being Saunders, the blurb also features the words ‘careening’, ‘hurtling’, ‘clamoring’… Buckle up, in other words: it’s going to be a wild ride.” Read more...
Must-Read Novels of Early 2026
Cal Flyn, Five Books Editor
