{"product_id":"bardo-or-not-bardo-9781940953335","title":"Bardo or Not Bardo","description":"\u003cp\u003eIrreducible to any single literary genre, the Volodinian cosmos is skillfully crafted, fusing elements of science fiction with magical realism and political commentary.--Nicholas Hauck, \u003ci\u003eMusic \u0026amp; Literature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of Volodine's funniest books, \u003ci\u003eBardo or Not Bardo \u003c\/i\u003etakes place in his universe of failed revolutions, radical shamanism, and off-kilter nomenclature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn each of these seven vignettes, someone dies and has to make his way through the Tibetan afterlife, also known as the Bardo. In the Bardo, souls wander for forty-nine days before being reborn, helped along on their journey by the teachings of the \u003ci\u003eBook of the Dead\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, Volodine's characters bungle their chances at enlightenment, with the recently dead choosing to waste away their afterlife sleeping, or choosing to be reborn as an insignificant spider. The still-living aren't much better off, making a mess of things in their own ways, such as erroneously reciting a Tibetan cookbook to a lost comrade instead of the holy book.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce again, Volodine has demonstrated his range and ambition, crafting a moving, hysterical work about transformations and the power of the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAntoine Volodine \u003c\/b\u003eis the primary pseudonym of a French writer who has published twenty books under this name, several of which are available in English translation, such as \u003ci\u003eMinor Angels\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eWriters\u003c\/i\u003e. He also publishes under the names Lutz Bassmann and Manuela Draeger.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJ. T. Mahany \u003c\/b\u003eis a graduate of the Master of Arts in Literary Translation Studies program at the University of Rochester and is currently studying for his MFA at the University of Arkansas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Open Letter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/12\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781940953335\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 162\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.60d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/04\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/26\/2016\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Antoine Volodine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43291239022773,"sku":"9781940953335","price":11.86,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_b169ef45-8749-4ce4-adfa-12feaf34e3ad.jpg?v=1700542981","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/bardo-or-not-bardo-9781940953335","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}