Rating: 
Summary: Good, but very repetitive.
Review: I was fascinated by the theme of "Passage," but frustrated by what seemed like a lot of unnecessary running around, missed telephone calls, etc., in the story. I think a talented editor could remove about a hundred pages from the middle of this book without hurting it much. The last, say, third of the book really is riveting, but on the whole, it did take some perseverence to get through. The characters were fine, but why not flesh them out instead of just running them around and setting up little arbitrary obstacles for them to overcome?
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely chilling and suspenseful!
Review: I work in a library, and this book came across my desk to be
catalogued. The book jacket description caught my attention,
and I decided to read it on the spur of the moment. And although
the story seemed a bit uneven in a few places, I was completely
caught up in the story as a whole. The Joanna Lander and
Richard Wright characters were compelling, and what happens to
them is almost shattering. I also liked the Maisie character -
alive and kicking even amid all the things that happen to her.
A couple of the other characters tended to annoy me, but that is
not necessarily bad. Highly intriguing story!
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for her next book (and hope it's better than this)
Review: I'm a big fan of Connie Willis; I've read most of her work, and The Doomsday Book and Bellwether are two of my all-time favorite books. "Passage" merges the style of those 2 books by creating another researcher who, essentially, time travels as she investigates near death experiences. The information on the Titanic and other disasters is interesting and having each chapter start with a quote from various well-known person's dying words is a nice stylistic touch that she started in Bellwether. However, the 2 main characters were, well, just plain irritating too much of the time. When an MD character is incapable of learning about interview techniques from his PhD research partner, ever, despite repeated clear and well-spoken information; and the PhD researcher is incapable of holding up her hand to halt someone from interrupting a conversation, 3 times, not to mention can't use a phone; and more, only in service of advancing the plot -- well, just forget it! I'm sorry, stories only work if the characters are consistent. These characters are supposed to be smart. But half the time, they act stupid. A few of the characters are consistent and well-drawn (I did really like Maisie and Kit), but it wasn't enough to save the book IMHO. Vielle never really comes alive, for example. Ms. Willis is such a good writer, and I look forward to anything that she comes out with, but this one is a disappointment. I think she needs a better editor, or better direction, or something; you can see how this could have been a terrific book. Check it out of your library to read the dying words quotes and then read something else for fun. This one is annoying.
Rating:
Summary: Still waiting for light at end of the tunnel
Review: While Willis' sci fi novels are generally lively and entertaining, I found Passage to be just beyond my threshold for slow, repetitive and ultimately too depressing to recommend. On the brighter side, if a reader knew nothing about near death experiences (NDE's), it's possible he/she might appreciate this vigorous exploration of the theme. Willis does retain elements of her fantastic storytelling ability: engaging characters, some humor, good use of science in the plot, and for this I give the three stars. This book might have been saved by more stringent editing and a little less focus on a certain symbol, which I won't name because it is a key element of suspense. Even though the plot does pick up its tempo near the end and Willis' biochemistry is intellectually satisfying, her overall resolution could not save me from disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Informative, entertaining, and delightful!
Review: Colorado's Connie Willis has set out to do what many people have devoted their entire lives to: answer questions about life after death. The hotly debated topic has stymied scholors, religious leaders and the like down through the ages. Willis's latest novel, "Passage", takes this issue by the thorny horns and wrestles it admirably, and somehow managing to tie in the Titanic at the same time.
Dr. Joanne Lander is an M.D. in the fictional hospital of Mercy General in Denver. She is fascinated by patients who have allegedly 'crossed to the other side', and come back to the land of the living. By interviewing them extensively, she is trying to understand the phenomena called Near Death Experience. Working with her (or against her, if you were to ask her) is Dr. Mandrake...somewhat of a charlatan in that he is more interested in the notoriety his own take on the issue brings than finding any real answers.
In a plot move reminiscent of the movie "Flatliners" (which Willis also deftly refers to here), Dr. Lander becomes a subject in a NDE experiment being conducted by the handsome, if somewhat tunnel-visioned, (pun intended) Dr. Wright. The experiment sets into motion a chain of incredible insights and events that take the characters on a wild ride to the other side.
Taking the time to develop the story and the characters, Willis imbues Lander and Mandrake and the numerous other characters in "Passage" with believable traits and actions. The pace is languid at times and riveting at others. I was highly entertained by this great adventure, and guarantee that you will be too! (note to author: one cannot turn west onto 6th Avenue from Colorado Blvd. It's one way headed east. :-) )
Rating: 
Summary: The characterization is outstanding, the tension delicious
Review: One of the most outstanding novels to appear this year, Connie Willis' Passageris a riveting blend of detective story, science fiction and spiritual coverage. Psychologist Dr. Joanna Lander works with another in researching near death experiences of patients, hoping to uncover their meaning. It's not until she begins a more personal involvement that answers slowly evolve; though perhaps not in time. The characterization is outstanding, the tension delicious, and the story thoroughly unpredictable up to the last page.
Rating:
Summary: WHERE ARE THE EDITORS?
Review: This is still another book read in recent months that sorely needed editing. Does a reader really need repeated tedious references to the intricacies of the hospital's corridors? I got the idea after the initial explanation.
Whenever I'm hit over the head with repeated narrative, I always feel as though this is done simply to pad the text. Are they paid by the word?
I have almost always enjoyed Connie Willis' work. She has interesting concepts and fleshed-out characters. This, unfortunately, cannot be on my recommended list.
Rating:
Summary: Loved this!
Review: This is one of the most fascinating and gripping novels of it's type that I've read in awhile, and a great exploration of what "dying" means without falling into New Age hokum. Plus, I'll admit I didn't see the book's surprises coming. Great characters, great plot and a damn great book.
Rating:
Summary: "...And She Died...."
Review: I heard Connie Willis speak at a science teacher's convention in Boston a couple of years back. She talked about science in science fiction. I had read two of her books, "Doomsday Book" and "Lincoln's Dreams". Both are comparable to "Passage", which, though classified as science fiction, could hold its own with most "mainstream" novels. Willis really does know her science, even if in this book there were a tad too many endomorphs for me. But that was not a problem. In the story, Joanna Lander undergoes experimental near death experiences (NDEs) that are induced by drugs in a controlled environment by Dr. Richard Wright, her research partner. Once she gets a clue as to what is going on and where she "is" in her NDEs, the book takes off like a rocket. Part mystery, part SF, there are no "bad guys" per se, only human beings, with all of their frailities, trying to find an answer that always seems just out of their collective reach.
Sure, there may be too many missed phone calls or too many complex hallways in the hospital, but the story moves, paced by well drawn, individual characters that you can't help but root for. Who wouldn't like Richard Wright (Dr. Right?), the dedicated Vielle, the ever patient and caring Kit, the precocious Maisie, and even the blabbering Ed of "USS Yorktown" fame? Only Mandrake, who comes off as an almost comic exaggeration, is poorly done.
And Willis knows her history as well, especially appreciated by those who saw the broadway musical "Titanic", whose characters were real people, as opposed to the film version which was the cinematic equivalent of a Big Mac. Willis peppers the story with real people and actual events.
This book could have ended with about 100 pages to spare - hence my title - but it didn't. Looking back, that may have been a plus, not a negative. I believe that it was Harlan Ellison, who once said of science fiction, that "90% of it is crap" - and Ellison is a science fiction writer. However, Connie Willis is easily in the other 10%. Well done, again, Connie.
Rating:
Summary: Nurses and Medicine
Review: I loved this book, everything Ms Willis writes is engaging and you remember the characters for years after. However, having read many many books written about or occuring in hospital situations I must wonder from where comes the ridiculous notion that nurses are EVER referred to as "Nurse Gibbons" or "Nurse Jones" . 30 years of being a nurse and working in at least 20 different hospitals all over the country no one ever, ever, calls a nurse "Nurse Jones" Nurses are usually called by the first name by both patients, doctors and other staff members, because it is easier and no nurse wants their last name bandied about where potentially nut case patients can hear. Doctors are always called by just their last name "Jones" or "Gibbons", but rarely Dr. Jones, or Dr. Gibbons. If they are well known to or are sleeping with the nurse in question it will be "Joe" or "Pete". Replacement nurses are never called "subs" They are referred to as "Agency" These are competant RN's with many years experience that can do everything at a moments notice. They are also referred to as "Old War Horses"
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