Book Review: Vigil by George Saunders


3.5/5 stars. This novella length story is my first experience with the work of Mr. Saunders. This story centers around a dying man, the people who visit his bedside, and the ‘Angel of death’ who comes to watch over his passing into the afterlife. We get the perspective of the Watcher, Jill (Doll) Blaine, and her backstory, as we also learn that the dying man might not have been a good person in life. Slowly, we get more information about these two lives and the potential future to come.


The prose in this story is superb. The characters, and the way we learn about them, are well done. However, the pace of the story felt off at times, and I lost my train of thought periodically while reading. The narrative was the weaker link for me and causes the points deduction in my rating. There is much to like in this tale of a death, but I was a little disappointed overall.

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