Call number
Genres
Publication
Spectra (1992), Reissue, Paperback
Pages
228
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:"A novel of classical proportions and virtues...humane and moving."�??The Washington Post Book World "A love story on more than one level, and Ms. Willis does justice to them all. It was only toward the end of the book that I realized how much tension had been generated, how engrossed I was in the characters, how much I cared about their fates."�??The New York Times Book Review For Jeff Johnston, a young historical reseacher for a Civil War novelist, reality is redefined on a bitter cold night near the close of a lingering winter. He meets Annie, an intense and lovely young woman suffering from vivid, intense nightmares. Haunted by the dreamer and her unrelenting dreams, Jeff leads Annie on an emotional odyssey through the heartland of the Civil War in search of a cure. On long-silenced battlefields their relationship blossoms�??two obsessed lovers linked by unbreakable chains of history, torn by a duty that… (more)
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — 1988)
John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (Winner — 1988)
IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award (Finalist — 1988)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1987
Physical description
228 p.; 7.1 inches
ISBN
0553270257 / 9780553270259
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User reviews
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
Connie Willis typically writes science fiction or fantasy and while Lincoln's Dreams doesn't take place in the year 2197 or on the planet Baktakazini, it is equally mind bending and thought provoking. Jeff Johnston is a historical researcher working for a Civil War novelist, Thomas Broun. Broun is
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obsessed with Abraham Lincoln's dreams of foreshadowing before his death. Broun goes to great length to analyze them with Jeff's help. Through his research, Jeff meets Annie, a beautiful Sleep Institute patient who has troubling dreams of her own. Annie has been having dreams not about Robert E. Lee, but AS Robert E. Lee. It's as if her dreams really are those of Lee's. Jeff takes it upon himself to not only satisfy the growing obsession Broun has with supporting facts about Lincoln's dreams but, he also tries to cure Annie of her own Civil War nightmares while falling in love in the process. Show Less
LibraryThing member stephanie_M
I found the premise of this novel to be incredibly fascinating, and dove right into the book. Dreams have always been fascinating to me, and reading about what others think they mean, and why they have them is also - if you'll pardon the overuse of a single word - fascinating.
I enjoyed this book
the ending was way too vague for me, though. I have NO idea what happened to Annie at the end, and then Jeff's announcement at the end was confusing to me, and the novel or author didn't elucidate. If you know what happened to Annie, or what Jeff meant by his pronouncement, please let me know? I'd appreciate that a lot.
Meanwhile, I will give this novel 3.5 stars, and recommend it to those who adore Connie Willis and everything she writes.
I enjoyed this book
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throughout it; and I liked the characters and the storyline just enough to keep reading through the night, until it was finished. And while the characters were pale imitations of others that Willis has written in other novels, they still struck a slight chord for me. (Yes, even Annie, who needed someone/anyone to take care of her). Mostly Braun and Traveller, but that's ok with me. It was a nice, rainy night's read, it expected little to no agonizing/thinking/feeling about anything difficult for me, and I enjoyed it.the ending was way too vague for me, though. I have NO idea what happened to Annie at the end, and then Jeff's announcement at the end was confusing to me, and the novel or author didn't elucidate. If you know what happened to Annie, or what Jeff meant by his pronouncement, please let me know? I'd appreciate that a lot.
Meanwhile, I will give this novel 3.5 stars, and recommend it to those who adore Connie Willis and everything she writes.
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LibraryThing member AuntieClio
This was very entertaining and easy to read. Jeff is a historical researcher for a writer of Civil War novels. One night he meets Annie at a party given by his boss. Jeff's college roommate, Richard, now works at The Sleep Institute and studies dreams. The author has begun to obsess over Lincoln's
Annie's been having vivid dreams for over a year, and as she tells Jeff about them, he realizes that she's having Robert E. Lee's dreams. Richard is a stand in for the many theories (circa. 1987) about dreams; they're just the mind taking out the garbage every day, they reveal some deep, deep trauma that is too difficult to be faced while conscious. To Richard, they can never be prophetic or part of the Jungian collective subconscious.
When Annie leaves Richard's place and asks for shelter with Jeff, it's revealed that Richard has been trying to drug the dreams out of Amy, to no real great effect. Thinking Amy just needs a safe place away from the doctor and his drugs, Jeff takes her along on a research trip.
Of course, things get complicated. Richard leaves nasty phone messages on the answering machine threatening Jeff about Annie. The author, Broun, has become so obsessed with Lincoln's dreams that he very nearly goes off the deep end and chases dream "specialists" throughout California. Amy's dreams get more intense and Jeff, convinced she is actually having Robert E. Lee's dreams, loses sleep and nearly his sanity trying to keep her safe.
There's far too much reliance on the technology of a remote controlled answering machine (this is 1987, after all), not a good enough explanation for Richard's anger, or for the sudden obsession Broun has or why he keeps changing his current book even though the galleys have been sent to the printer.
There's no answer as to why Annie is actually having these dreams, although the theory is interesting and one I would have liked to have explored a bit more. Are dreams really just the mind taking out the daily garbage? Or do they mean something? Can they be prophetic? Or merely banal, filled with wishful-thinking?
Lincoln's Dreams was good, solid, weekend entertainment.
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dreams and asks the roommate to come to the party so they can talk. Roommate brings Anie who is, ostensibly, under his care.Annie's been having vivid dreams for over a year, and as she tells Jeff about them, he realizes that she's having Robert E. Lee's dreams. Richard is a stand in for the many theories (circa. 1987) about dreams; they're just the mind taking out the garbage every day, they reveal some deep, deep trauma that is too difficult to be faced while conscious. To Richard, they can never be prophetic or part of the Jungian collective subconscious.
When Annie leaves Richard's place and asks for shelter with Jeff, it's revealed that Richard has been trying to drug the dreams out of Amy, to no real great effect. Thinking Amy just needs a safe place away from the doctor and his drugs, Jeff takes her along on a research trip.
Of course, things get complicated. Richard leaves nasty phone messages on the answering machine threatening Jeff about Annie. The author, Broun, has become so obsessed with Lincoln's dreams that he very nearly goes off the deep end and chases dream "specialists" throughout California. Amy's dreams get more intense and Jeff, convinced she is actually having Robert E. Lee's dreams, loses sleep and nearly his sanity trying to keep her safe.
There's far too much reliance on the technology of a remote controlled answering machine (this is 1987, after all), not a good enough explanation for Richard's anger, or for the sudden obsession Broun has or why he keeps changing his current book even though the galleys have been sent to the printer.
There's no answer as to why Annie is actually having these dreams, although the theory is interesting and one I would have liked to have explored a bit more. Are dreams really just the mind taking out the daily garbage? Or do they mean something? Can they be prophetic? Or merely banal, filled with wishful-thinking?
Lincoln's Dreams was good, solid, weekend entertainment.
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LibraryThing member sonofcarc
Some additional information for fans of this book (won't mean anything if you haven't read it): In the final chapter, Connie Willis reports how in 1906, Traveller's skeleton was put on public display by Washington & Lee University (at the instance of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which
All this is public and on Wikipedia. But I am in a position to tell you where the bones were during the 12-year gap: They were stashed away in boxes in the attic of Washington Hall, the administration building. I know because I had a friend who was both fascinated by history and very good at ingratiating himself with authority; he talked his way into the attic and took me with him. There can't be a whole lot of people alive who can say they handled Traveller's bones, but I am one of them.
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was giving W&L a sizable donation and was thus in a position to call the tune). She doesn't mention that in 1959, when Lee Chapel was renovated, W&L seized the opportunity to take the bones and quietly stash them away. In 1971, the bones were buried outside the chapel, under a plaque.All this is public and on Wikipedia. But I am in a position to tell you where the bones were during the 12-year gap: They were stashed away in boxes in the attic of Washington Hall, the administration building. I know because I had a friend who was both fascinated by history and very good at ingratiating himself with authority; he talked his way into the attic and took me with him. There can't be a whole lot of people alive who can say they handled Traveller's bones, but I am one of them.
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LibraryThing member Gwendydd
I found this to be an enjoyable and quick read. It is very typical Connie Willis - the characters are engaging, and the novel explores some big questions about what it means to be human. More specifically, it asks what dreams mean, and whether dreams connect us with other people, living or dead. As
I don't really have anything bad to say about the book, but it's still only a 4-star book - it was very good, but didn't quite have that extra dazzle that makes a book worth 5 stars.
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always, Willis's research is impeccable, not only about dreams and what the scientific community thinks about them, but also about the Civil War and the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee. Willis also has an amazing knack for writing subplots from the point of view of the main character, yet the main character is totally unaware of the subplots. The reader knows a lot more about what is going on than the main characters do, and this adds interesting dimensions to the story.I don't really have anything bad to say about the book, but it's still only a 4-star book - it was very good, but didn't quite have that extra dazzle that makes a book worth 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
Willis' first novel; won the John W. Campbell award.
Jeff is a research assistant to an historical novelist. The novelist, Broun, has just barely finished a book on the Civil War, and thinks his next book will be about Abraham Lincoln. He is somewhat fixated on analyzing Lincoln's dreams to try to
This is really a great book... though emotionally harrowing, and not at all funny, as some of Willis' later works are. Great use of literary parallelism - with the plot of one of Broun's novels, historical details of the Civil War, and 'current' events all reflecting off each other... themes of the book are duty and love...
I have definitely become a big fan of Willis' work!
Jeff is a research assistant to an historical novelist. The novelist, Broun, has just barely finished a book on the Civil War, and thinks his next book will be about Abraham Lincoln. He is somewhat fixated on analyzing Lincoln's dreams to try to
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gain insight into the man. So he invites Jeff's old college roommate, Richard, a dream researcher and physician, to a reception. Reluctantly, Richard shows up... with a young woman, Annie, in tow. Jeff is immediately drawn to Annie, but can tell something is wrong - she seems upset, and the dynamic between Annie and Richard is odd. He suspects his old friend may be exploiting a patient... When Annie tells him of the odd dreams that have been plaguing her, things get even stranger - because all the historical details are correct... and from the viewpoint of Robert E. Lee, during the Civil War.This is really a great book... though emotionally harrowing, and not at all funny, as some of Willis' later works are. Great use of literary parallelism - with the plot of one of Broun's novels, historical details of the Civil War, and 'current' events all reflecting off each other... themes of the book are duty and love...
I have definitely become a big fan of Willis' work!
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LibraryThing member lewispike
Yes, I know the tags contradict each other. A modern person has dreams of Lincoln's time, battles etc.
It's too long since I read this to be honest, but I do remember it being oddly compelling.
It's too long since I read this to be honest, but I do remember it being oddly compelling.
LibraryThing member cindiann
An interesting concept that somehow never goes anywhere.
LibraryThing member debnance
I read two Connie Willis books before I read Lincoln's Dreams. They were ToSay Nothing of the Dog and The Doomsday Book. Both dealt with time travel.To Say Nothing of the Dog was a fresh book for me and I recommended it toothers. The Doomsday Book, an older book of Willis, was very similar and Idid
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not like it as much..I did look forward to reading Lincoln's Dreams. Very disappointing. I didnot want to finish it. I kept wondering why this book was published. Itseemed poorly edited. Lots of problems with the storyline.I find that people who love science fiction seem to overlook problems withthe plot or character development. They seem so taken with the genre thatthey are not always especially discriminating.I hope I'm not overgeneralizing. Show Less
LibraryThing member drudmann
Not Willis's best, but fun to read and intriguing nonetheless. The Amazon Kindle version is rife with errors; sometimes 4 typos per chapter.
LibraryThing member hardlyhardy
For a science fiction writer, Connie Willis does an amazing amount of historical research. So many sci-fi novels are set in the future, but hers seem to focus more on the past. And she goes to great pains to get the past right. "Black Out" and "All Clear," the first Willis novels I read, tell of
I have just finished reading her first novel, "Lincoln's Dreams," published in 1987. Although set in the present, the story remains preoccupied with the Civil War. Jeff Johnston is a researcher for a historical novelist. For his next Civil War novel, The novelist wants answers to such questions as where Willie Lincoln was first buried, before his body was dug up and taken to Spingfield with that of his father, and what did Abraham Lincoln dream about before his assassination.
Yet Jeff gets distracted by Annie, a beautiful young woman who seems to be dreaming the dreams of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Are these dreams figments of her own vivid imagination. Are they perhaps the dreams a guilt-ridden general dreams in his grave? Or are they, like Lincoln's most famous dream of his own body lying in the White House, a warning of the future?
I can't say that I enjoyed "Lincoln's Dreams" as much as those other Willis novels. Still, more than ever, I am impressed with her research.
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historians of the future who go back to London in World War II to study the effects of the German bombings firsthand. In "Bellwether," a researcher attempts to discover how fads, like bobbed hair in the 1920s, get started.I have just finished reading her first novel, "Lincoln's Dreams," published in 1987. Although set in the present, the story remains preoccupied with the Civil War. Jeff Johnston is a researcher for a historical novelist. For his next Civil War novel, The novelist wants answers to such questions as where Willie Lincoln was first buried, before his body was dug up and taken to Spingfield with that of his father, and what did Abraham Lincoln dream about before his assassination.
Yet Jeff gets distracted by Annie, a beautiful young woman who seems to be dreaming the dreams of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Are these dreams figments of her own vivid imagination. Are they perhaps the dreams a guilt-ridden general dreams in his grave? Or are they, like Lincoln's most famous dream of his own body lying in the White House, a warning of the future?
I can't say that I enjoyed "Lincoln's Dreams" as much as those other Willis novels. Still, more than ever, I am impressed with her research.
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LibraryThing member pickoftheliterate
Back to a Civil War-related book as opposed to this year’s nautical / travel / Italy themes… Connie Willis writes science fiction for those who are leery of the genre, somewhat in the way that J.K. Rowling writes fantasy that works for those who otherwise won’t touch it. By this I mean that
Lincoln’s Dreams is an earlier, shorter, and less ambitious work, but an enjoyable if not profound one. Jeff Johnston, a researcher who works for a Civil War novel writer, meets Annie, the patient/lover (!) of an old college friend. She has a “sleep disorder” in which she seems to be dreaming the dreams of Robert E. Lee during the Civil War! We follow the action as Jeff tries to help Annie while protecting her from those who wish to “cure” her against her will.
This is great for Civil War buffs and a suspenseful, even somewhat romantic read.
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Willis doesn’t write wildly fantastic S-F featuring Planet XJ-7 or alien species. Basically she writes books that feature realistic characters but with one key element that is not possible. She’s often fascinated with different eras: I highly recommend her Dooms Day Book, which features a woman traveling back in time to better understand the era of the Black Plague in England. That’s an amazing book.Lincoln’s Dreams is an earlier, shorter, and less ambitious work, but an enjoyable if not profound one. Jeff Johnston, a researcher who works for a Civil War novel writer, meets Annie, the patient/lover (!) of an old college friend. She has a “sleep disorder” in which she seems to be dreaming the dreams of Robert E. Lee during the Civil War! We follow the action as Jeff tries to help Annie while protecting her from those who wish to “cure” her against her will.
This is great for Civil War buffs and a suspenseful, even somewhat romantic read.
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LibraryThing member shaunesay
I didn't realize this was Connie Willis' first novel until I read the afterward! It is immediately clear that a lot of research went into this novel. The mystery of the dreams bleeding through and trying to decide what they meant was very interesting, interwoven as it was with the events of Robert
At any rate, while there are some definite flaws or lack of development in the characters themselves, the basic premise of the story, and the setting of the Civil War were the main draws for me, and did not disappoint. This is the second novel I have read by Willis (whom I didn't quite get to meet at Worldcon, but I did see her speak in the Grand Master's panel, yay!), the first being Doomsday Book, which was really good, but very affecting. Lincoln's Dreams also is very affecting and its emphasis the horrors of the Civil War, along with the allure of dreams and their meanings, made it a solid and satisfying read for me. I look forward to more of Willis' work, and expect just as much depth.
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E. Lee's life during the Civil War and after. That's right, Robert E. Lee. To me the Lincoln's Dream part was a little misleading, as it was really a lesser part of the story and to me felt like it was included because it would seem more sensational as a draw? The blurb also exaggerates the relationship of our two main characters, which is the weakest part of the story, but I suppose the mechanism needed to draw us through the dreams.At any rate, while there are some definite flaws or lack of development in the characters themselves, the basic premise of the story, and the setting of the Civil War were the main draws for me, and did not disappoint. This is the second novel I have read by Willis (whom I didn't quite get to meet at Worldcon, but I did see her speak in the Grand Master's panel, yay!), the first being Doomsday Book, which was really good, but very affecting. Lincoln's Dreams also is very affecting and its emphasis the horrors of the Civil War, along with the allure of dreams and their meanings, made it a solid and satisfying read for me. I look forward to more of Willis' work, and expect just as much depth.
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LibraryThing member memccauley6
This book is a perennial favorite, especially as my father is a Civil War buff, so I grew up hearing the facts and stories. I love it when the main character, Jeff, refuses a job studying the long-term effects of the Vietnam War because we haven't properly studied the long-term effects of the Civil
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War. Too true. And I agree with a previous reviewer that it has an incredible last line (However, I still think the last line of The Great Gatsby is the best ever.) Show Less
LibraryThing member UberButter
I really enjoyed the last book I read by Willis, Doomsday Book, but had a lot of difficulty getting into this one. It delves into the dream psyche and dabbles in illnesses that could cause such dreams. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the book and it was interesting enough but it just felt like
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it dragged in too many places. The characters were also very 2D. The book jumps right in, which isn't always bad, but was a bit too abrupt for my liking. Definitely have enjoyed other books of hers much more than this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrgan
It's 100% Connie Willis' standard plot, and maybe it's that I've read too many of those so far, or maybe it's that I don't care about the Civil War so much, but this one worked only so-so for me. Still, she's always an entertaining and gripping writer.
LibraryThing member auntmarge64
A long-time research assistant for a man who writes Civil War fiction becomes entangled with a young woman who is apparently having Robert E. Lee's dreams (despite the title). Jeff thinks he can help her because he knows a LOT about the events, and, being in Virginia, they are surrounded by the
I devoured this story, although there were one or two things I questioned. Most unconvincing was that Jeff seemed to do most of his research in small public libraries, often dragging along his own sources to use. There's no way he wouldn't have known about the major libraries in the area, including collections at the battlefield national parks. (The book was written in the 1980s, so the Internet isn't mentioned.) When Jeff meets Annie she's living with and under the care of an old college roommate of his who is theoretically treating her for the dreams. The man is completely unprofessional, and I really couldn't get a grip on why he did the things he did. Also, there are numerous excerpts from the novel Jeff's employer is writing, and I didn't get that at all. As far as I could tell, before I starting skipping them, they add nothing to the story.
Still, the book certainly kept my interest, and while the ending is not what I expected or hoped for, it made a lot of sense within the storyline.
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battlefields. As the dreams get worse and Annie starts to have physical symptoms, Jeff races against time to find the reason for the dreams before they do her permanent damage.I devoured this story, although there were one or two things I questioned. Most unconvincing was that Jeff seemed to do most of his research in small public libraries, often dragging along his own sources to use. There's no way he wouldn't have known about the major libraries in the area, including collections at the battlefield national parks. (The book was written in the 1980s, so the Internet isn't mentioned.) When Jeff meets Annie she's living with and under the care of an old college roommate of his who is theoretically treating her for the dreams. The man is completely unprofessional, and I really couldn't get a grip on why he did the things he did. Also, there are numerous excerpts from the novel Jeff's employer is writing, and I didn't get that at all. As far as I could tell, before I starting skipping them, they add nothing to the story.
Still, the book certainly kept my interest, and while the ending is not what I expected or hoped for, it made a lot of sense within the storyline.
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LibraryThing member MarkLacy
Wow! What an interesting book. Not science fiction, even though that's the section I found it in, since the author is known more for that. I bought this in Manassas, VA, while on a business trip where I planned on doing some touring of battlefields. Much of what occurs in the book happens right at
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places where I was, the same day I read the story! Really made it come to life. Suspenseful, and I couldn't put it down. The ending left me a bit confused and disappointed, but in retrospect, I think if it had been finished in a "stock" kind of way, it wouldn't have been as good. Highly recommended book. Show Less
LibraryThing member rosalita
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book from Connie Willis. I had previously read a couple of her science fiction time-travel novels (Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog) and enjoyed them even while not being entirely sure what was going on. This book is very different.
Jeff is a young
I've read a few reviews that were puzzled why the book is called Lincoln's Dreams instead of Lee's Dreams, since it is really the general's dreams that are the main plot point. It's a fair question, and I don't have an answer. There is a minor subplot regarding Jeff's employer's quest to understand Lincoln's Dreams, and some of what he learns helps Jeff solve the mystery of Annie's dreams, but it's still an odd choice of title.
There are some of what I consider classic Willis touches in this novel, including the way the narrative jumps back and forth between plotlines — now following Jeff and Annie, now jumping to Jeff's novelist boss, now jumping to Annie's fiancé and his search for Jeff and Annie. The transitions are not often smooth between the segments and way too many plotlines hang on miscommunication and missed messages, but I forgave Willis for the awkwardness simply because the story was so intriguing. This book isn't for everyone, but Civil War buffs and readers unbothered by Willis' known idiosyncrasies will find it worthwhile.
Jeff is a young
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man who works as an assistant to a historical novelist gets tangled up in the life of a young woman who is haunted by the dreams she is having. He slowly realizes that Annie's dreams are actually those of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. As Jeff and Annie travel to various Civil War battlefields in search of a way to end her nightmares, their relationship deepens even as their travels bring up more questions than answers.I've read a few reviews that were puzzled why the book is called Lincoln's Dreams instead of Lee's Dreams, since it is really the general's dreams that are the main plot point. It's a fair question, and I don't have an answer. There is a minor subplot regarding Jeff's employer's quest to understand Lincoln's Dreams, and some of what he learns helps Jeff solve the mystery of Annie's dreams, but it's still an odd choice of title.
There are some of what I consider classic Willis touches in this novel, including the way the narrative jumps back and forth between plotlines — now following Jeff and Annie, now jumping to Jeff's novelist boss, now jumping to Annie's fiancé and his search for Jeff and Annie. The transitions are not often smooth between the segments and way too many plotlines hang on miscommunication and missed messages, but I forgave Willis for the awkwardness simply because the story was so intriguing. This book isn't for everyone, but Civil War buffs and readers unbothered by Willis' known idiosyncrasies will find it worthwhile.
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LibraryThing member melydia
Jeff, a researcher for a Civil War novelist, meets Annie, a woman who seems to be having Robert E. Lee's dreams. It's an interesting premise but I'm not sure how I feel about the book as a whole. It feels like it's building to a climax, but then kind of peters out. All the same, I did enjoy the
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majority of it, and it was refreshing to read a book that takes place in my neck of the woods (DC and Virginia) that isn't about politics. Probably not the best introduction to Connie Willis, but if you're already a fan you might like this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member fishsanwitt
Loved this. Absolutely *loved* it. You can see the research that went into this book. I've always been fascinated by the Civil War and this book made me want to go out and read everything I could get my hands on.
It was also heartbreaking. The ending. It felt so *inevitable*. As though free will had
It was also heartbreaking. The ending. It felt so *inevitable*. As though free will had
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no place in the narrative. As though these people were - I hate to use the word 'doomed' - when I think I really mean 'there was this inexorable pull towards destiny'. Show Less
LibraryThing member raschneid
Very Connie Willis, and a surprisingly powerful little book. I read it when I was living in rural northern Virginia and spending a lot of time pretending to be knowledgeable about local history at my public library job, so the Civil War trivia and depictions of small town Virginia made me smile.