George Saunders' 'Vigil' is a ghostly novel about an oil tycoon in his final hours

Exploring Death and the Afterlife

• 💡 George Saunders' new novel, "Vigil," delves into themes of death and the afterlife, echoing his previous work, "Lincoln in the Bardo."
• 👻 The story centers on K.J. Boone, an oil tycoon and climate change denier, who is visited by a series of ghosts during his final hours.
• 📚 Saunders drew inspiration from classic narratives like "A Christmas Carol" and "The Death of Ivan Illich," which examine characters confronting their life's choices.

Climate Change as a Central Theme

• 🌍 Climate change serves as the primary "sin" in "Vigil," chosen for its existential crisis implications and to provide a framework for the narrative.
• 🛢️ Saunders leveraged his personal experience in the oil industry during his 20s to inform the portrayal of Boone's background and the industry's complexities.
• ⚖️ The novel presents an orchestrated argument through characters like Boone, who defends the fossil fuel industry, and Jill, who offers an "unrealistically compassionate" perspective.

Inevitability and Personal Responsibility

• 🤔 A significant theme explored is the tension between inevitability (predetermined aspects of life) and personal responsibility for one's actions.
• 🧒 Saunders' childhood experience with a struggling reader influenced his long-standing contemplation of how much of life is predetermined.
• 🤝 The book questions how to effectively help someone who has committed wrongs, contrasting Jill's comforting approach with other ghosts' insistence on accountability.

The Value of Fiction in Crisis

• 📖 Saunders believes fiction plays a crucial role in helping people connect with truth during times of crisis and widespread misinformation.
• 🧠 Stories can foster a "basic sanity" by encouraging readers to discern what feels truthful, acting as a form of alertness and resistance.
• ✨ He describes fiction as a "training wheels way" to regularly engage with truth, akin to prayer or connecting with loved ones, to live well in the world.