{"product_id":"9781940953427","title":"Bardo or Not Bardo","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Irreducible 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","brand":"Open Letter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47141439832304,"sku":"9781940953427","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781940953427_p0.jpg?v=1769898441","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781940953427","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}