The Passage by Justin Cronin

ceenindee · Jul 6, 2010

Who else has picked up this massive summer read? It's a post-apocalyptic about zombie vampires (I was picturing the things from I Am Legend), and it's been getting a lot of buzz. I'm curious to see what other people thought of it.

The beginning and end were really strong to me, but I felt like the middle dragged. I can't decide if I'll be willing to read two more, since it's just the first of a trilogy. But there were definitely moments that gave me chills, and it was refreshing take on vampires. I liked how Cronin tied his creatures in with all the old legends, and his writing felt solid to me.

There's been a lot of comparison to Stephen King's The Stand, which I started but couldn't finish, and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which I read earlier this year. The first one I could see, because they're both on such a large scale and have a supernatural/religious thing going on under the surface. The second, I'm not so sure. I guess they're both post-apocalyptic, and they both have an important father-child relationship, but The Road felt more like mind-candy to me than The Passage, which has a much more aggressive and realism-based plot.

What do you all think? Is it worth the praise it's been getting? Would you read two more? How's it like compared to similar books you've read?

nighttimer · Jul 6, 2010

I'm curious about The Passage and I thumbed through it the other day at Barnes & Noble.

Not quite sure about the "Zombie Vampires?" Two great taste sensations come together as one? Choose either zombies or vampires. You pick.

I know the book is getting great reviews and buzz, but having been burned by Stephen King's Cell, I'm a little wary of yet another post-apocalypse novel. Maybe I'll ask to borrow a copy from someone in my writer's group before I pull out $25 bucks for yet another disappointing novel.

CaroGirl · Jul 6, 2010

Based on the size, I decided to make this book my first e-read. I got halfway through before my eReader crapped out on me. I'm interested in finishing it but it didn't move me or hold my interest like The Road did. I actually don't really understand the comparison to The Road, beyond a (completely different) post-apocalyptic setting. The Stand comparison I can understand.

Unless the end is a real whiz-bang, I predict this novel will be just "meh" for me.

Grrarrgh · Jul 6, 2010

I'm about a quarter of the way through the book right now. I'm not loving it as much as I had hoped that I would. It seems like it's moving pretty slow; there isn't a lot going on. I hope it picks up soon. At least it's on my Kindle, and I don't have to carry it around with me.

willietheshakes · Jul 6, 2010

I loved it.

Sheryl Nantus · Jul 7, 2010

I started reading it using the "Read in Store" function on my Nook.

An hour later the reader cut me off - and I didn't miss it at all. Got about 170 pages in, so a hefty part of the novel.

Meh - didn't work for me. Too wordy, been done a thousand times over and I'd shudder at having to read two more volumes when things bounce around like a rubber ball loose in a warehouse.

But that's just me and my take - your mileage might vary, of course!

CaroGirl · Jul 21, 2010

Okay, finished it!! It doesn't normally take me this long but my kobo broke and it's a long story...

While I found the premise, plot and characters intricate and intriguing, I had a lot of trouble with excessive wordiness (e.g. "he sat down and put his boots on his feet"; on his feet, seriously? no wonder the thing's a doorstop), consistent misuse of words (e.g. wretch instead of retch, meaning to vomit) and other inaccuracies and misspellings (e.g. Depo Povera instead of Depo Provera). These things pulled me out of the story every damn time.

I was also troubled by some of the derivative aspects. For example, I thought the wise old black woman in the kitchen was a bit too much like the same character in The Matrix.

Overall, dude needed a better editor. It was diverting but I can't say I loved it.

Calla Lily · Jul 21, 2010

Good Heavens. With all that marketing, a blurb by Stephen King, and groveling book reviews everywhere--the publisher dropped the ball on basic spelling?! (let alone concise writing and copyediting)

DeleyanLee · Jul 21, 2010

I just had one of my coworkers come and gush about how marvelous this book was to read and how I have to read it, just because I enjoyed watching my daughter kill things in Fallout 3 video game. I'd be more interested if he was willing to loan me his copy, but *shrug*

Might glance at it next time I'm at the bookstore, but there's at least one more person who absolutely adored it.

Flint · Jul 23, 2010

I placed a reserve on this book with my library and there are over 500 ppl who did the same. I'm number 7 out of 507 with only 20 copies available. At one time there was only 14 copies. I'd hate to number 507 on that list.

Grrarrgh · Jul 26, 2010

Finally finished this book on my flight to San Diego. Apparently I just needed a few uninterrupted hours of time with it and the desire to just push through to the end.
I did have to push through to the end, though, it wasn't a book that I was just skipping along with. It's very wordy, as others have pointed out, and there were a lot of people to keep up with. I'm undecided on whether or not I'll read the next 2. When they come out, I'll see what they're doing and decide from there. I don't think that I would ever go back and re-read this, which is saying a lot for me. I usually re-read a lot; even Stephen King, who is much wordier than this guy. Over all, I'd probably give it a 6 or 7 out of 10. I had to force myself to go back to it when I put it down; I was never dying to get out of work or get to lunch so I could pick it back up; in fact, if I wasn't actively reading it, I never thought about it.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

ceenindee

nighttimer

No Gods No Masters

CaroGirl

Living the dream

Grrarrgh

Not so new, not so much a kid

willietheshakes

Gentleman. Scholar. Bastard.

Sheryl Nantus

Holding out for a Superhero...

CaroGirl

Living the dream

Calla Lily

On hiatus

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Flint

Just believe. Then work your butt off.

Grrarrgh

Not so new, not so much a kid