Rating: 
Summary: Not sure I've finished reading . . .
Review: I may still be on the ship or in the hospital: I know I have to read this again, to see if it's as complex as I think. The parallels between the ship and the hospital, Maisie's disasters and Mr. Briarley's memories, seem to me to be very tricky footwork. I was occasionally surprised by cliches in style or in characterization, but I didn't much care. I was too fully engaged. Maybe the next time around I'll give it five stars. I'm sending copies to a friend and my daughter-in-law for their birthdays.
Rating: 
Summary: Another excellent novel from Connie Willis
Review: While some of Connie Willis's novels are humorous and others very poignant, all of her books are fiercely intelligent and original. My favorites were "Lincoln's Dreams", "Doomsday Book" and "To Say Nothing of the Dog". Originally I ranked this one just under those three. I have since re-read it and find it gets even better the second time around.Like some other readers, I wasn't sure where she was going with it, and was surprised when we got there. My own thoughts about death and the possibility of something beyond are ambivalent enough that I found the ending uncomfortable, but not dissatisfying. It's hard to say more about this unusual novel without spoiling the plot twists, so I'll end here.
Rating: 
Summary: Had to meet a deadline
Review: I was enjoying the book Passage, keeping the pace of page turning while waiting for more! But the more never came. I was so disappointed when I reached the end and didn't get #1 a finality to the plot, nor a reasonable ending. This was the first book I have read by Connie Willis and picked it up due to a review and the fact she lives 10 minutes from my home. I think with the way it ended Connie had a deadline to meet and abruptly ended it. I must admit I gave the book to my niece with the suggestion of using it in her book club in Breckenridge. I feel it is a great book to discuss and rewrite. I enjoyed the characters very much and felt they were well defined only abused by the author.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: Just great stuff. As I've gotten older, and have more responsibilities during the day, it's become really rare for me to stay up past "bedtime" to read a book, but this one kept me up. The premise -- a drug that allows doctors to induce Near Death Experiences in an experimental setting -- is ambitious, and Willis handles it well. The early part of the novel, when Dr. Lander and Dr. Wright are interviewing people right after their experiences is down right frightening. I thought the book was going to turn out to be a horror story rather than sci fi. But once Dr. Lander volunteers to be a subject herself, the book changes tone and becomes more of a mystery. The characters are great -- particularly Maisie, a little girl with a heart condition who is at death's door. And the weaving in of historical information is a lot of fun too. If I have any complaint, I'd say that I would have been tempted to omit the final chapter, which I think was unnecessary and actually diminished the impact from what it would have been without it.
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Summary: Characters More Likable in "Passage" Than Previous Books
Review: Willis creates more "in-depth" characters with her latest novel,"Passage." Not that the players in "To Say Nothing of The Dog" or "Doomsday Book" are unlikable, but with "Passage" the reader more readily identifies with them. The suspense wasnt' as intense as Willis' previous novels, but fans of Connie Willis will still enjoy her latest with no doubt.
Rating:
Summary: A Not-So-Near Life Experience
Review: Alas, here's a book that "thought it could, thought it could," but couldn't. It's too long, spins its wheels on trivia, gets us lost again and again (literally) in a contemporary hospital's chaos (a major theme which works fine the first few times but is more than a distraction after a while), relies mostly on caricatures rather than genuine characters (obligatory sceptics, seriously ill children, true believers, and harried heroines), tries to be cute and serious at the same time (an unfortunate mark of Ms. Willis's past work), is much too ambitious for its form, mines the already exhausted Titanic material in a forced and less than believable manner, and is simply often childishly breathless (sorry about that). It bugs out at the end, relying on a medical miracle, stupid science, and a thinly veiled reference to something like "rising on the third day." I suppose it's a book about sending and getting messages, but the communication here is murky at best. The best thing about the book (I think) are the wonderful quotes on death and dying at each chapter head. The rest of it is deadly!
Rating: 
Summary: Great but cruel
Review: This is a terrific book but I wish I hadn't read it. Willis is a super-wonderful writer, and this book is a can't-put-it-down, breathless read. But...she seems bent on stripping away every comforting notion about death and dying. She's extremely convincing--for which I'd like to punch her in the nose! Before I read this I wasn't afraid to die, and now I am! Thanks a BUNCH, Connie Willis. I'm trying to shrug it off as fiction, but that bit about Lavoisier...aaagh! I don't know how many stars to give it, because the writing deserves 5, but I don't want to encourage people to read it. I think people need some comforting illusions. I tried to leave the stars blank, but Amazon won't let me, so I split the difference.
Rating: 
Summary: Rasberries
Review: Damn! So many pages, such a rotten payoff! This book is limp. I have loved CW's books, but this one must have been for the publisher!
Rating:
Summary: frustrating piece of writing
Review: I bought this book on impulse, never having read any of Willis' other novels, but thinking that the premise was interesting. Well, I certainly agree with the other reviewers about the fascinating ideas, the compelling characters and the gripping plot twists. But why did no one mention that the writing itself is clumsy and detracts mightily from the appeal of this book? An easy example is the (over)use of the word "confabulation" on almost every page. It gets irritating and distracting after 500 or so pages. Also, the comings and goings of the characters were repetitive and mechanical. I got completely bored with watching our heroine duck down hallways after the 10th or 12th time... and I was only on page 100! However, that being said, I was not immune to the spell of the book, which is a testament to the creativity of Willis' imagination. I too found myself compulsively gulping down huge chunks, staying awake far too late and neglecting other duties. I just wish she had a stricter editor!
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, stunning book
Review: I'll try not to give any spoilers with this review. This is a wonderful book that explores death, life, hope, and the mundaneness of everyday life. Connie Willis is always good at having a sense of humor, even when things are at their darkest (witness The Doomsday Book). This sense of light even in the darkness is present in Passage. There is a definite twist to this book, one that kept me up past 3 in the morning after I got to it. It's the kind of twist that hits you in your gut, but when you finish the book, you know it had to be there. I'll be puzzling about the last page for days. A wonderful book.
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