Passage

Rating:
Summary: Reading this book is close to having a NDE . . .
Review: I read 'Bellweather' in one night . . . lived the stereotypical "picked it up and couldn't put it down" experience. I had 'The Doomsday Book' by my side for the three days it took me to burn through it in spare moments stolen from my productive time. In short, I've enjoyed Willis's (check Strunk & White!) work a great deal.

Now that I've let you know that I'm not just a random basher, I'll take aim at 'Passage'. Bottom line - I finished it but it was a challenge. Actually, it was a bit more than a challenge; somewhere between making it past the slow parts in 'Dune' and the second LOTR book when our heroes are in a sack, actually. The plot twist that others are sure to talk about in the reviews that follow wasn't big enough to justify the effort it took to get to it. I'm sure that patient Willis readers (or even readers who are patients and thus held captive!) who don't mind the repetitive structure of the book (main character talks with sub-characters who often say the same things to her, main character has experience that may or may not be revelatory, main character talks with sub-character about the experiences that may or may not be revelatory, etc.) will be able to get through this with more of a smile on their face but I'll read reviews of her next book and see if anyone says 'If you liked "Passage" . . . '

Rating:
Summary: Her Most Profound Work
Review: This is a novel about death - in particular, the 4 to 6 minutes before brain death occurs. Dr. Joanna Lander, a cognitive psychologist at Mercy General, is taking a hard look at NDE's (near death experiences), and teams up with Dr. Richard Wright, a neurologist who has found a drug that induces NDE's in the lab.

Joanna, a sceptic and scientist, finds her subjects' suggestability exploited by Mandrake, her smarmy publicity-seeking nemesis, who plants in their minds "angels, golden light", etc. Joanna's ultimate description of NDE's is not Mandrake's passive "go into the light" scenario; rather it is a scientifically honest explanation which ennobles those experiencing NDE's, showing them to be courageous and heroic in the face of death.

A critic has complained that "running gags--the maze-like complexity of the hospital, Mandrake's oily sales pitch, and a tiresomely talkative World War II veteran--go on a little too long". On the contrary - everything is done for a reason. The "maze-like complexity" and constant referrals to beepers, voice-mail, etc reveal Joanna's experience at Mercy General (and our experience in reading it) to be a metaphor for the NDE itself. "Mandrake's oily sales pitch" and anti-science new-age leanings are a dark background to the bright heroism of Joanna's scientifically honest quest. And there's important information buried in the WWII veteran's stories.

Connie Willis understands that the self-indulgence with which new age types construct their vision of reality (believing in angels, etc because it "feels good") is ultimately harmful. This is beautifully expressed in the subplot of the dying little girl Maisie, who faces death squarely in the face, contrasted with her Pollyanna mother.

This is a novel about the courage of science, the wisdom of the body, and how the mind constructs reality. Connie Willis' vision brings science and art together in a profoundly moving work about what it means to be human. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Another great book from Connie Willis
Review: Really 4 1/2 stars. Another wonderful book from Connie Willis. Definitely reminded me of Bellweather, rather than "Doomsday Book" or "To Say Nothing of the Dog," but without the rather unsatisfying ending (IMHO) of Bellweather.

I personally would recommend one not read about the details of the plot etc. I myself pre-ordered it without any idea of the plot and thought that it was much more satisfying without any preconceptions or plot hints.

If you enjoy Connie Willis I would highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Marvelous, as usual
Review: Like every single Connie Willis book I've read, _Passage_ is a delight. Willis takes a subject that is more commonly the stuff of tabloid articles and new age tracts--near death experiences--and turns it into a gripping tale about science, love, human curiousity, and the nature of death. This is one of her more serious works (more _Doomsday Book_ than _To Say Nothing of the Dog_) but it's still infused with the slightly manic sense of humour that makes her comic stories so wonderful. The characters are sympathetically drawn and completely believable, and the book contains one of her most surprising plot twists ever. Despite its more solemn tone and subject matter, the book is reminiscent of _Bellwether_, and anyone who loved that will enjoy this equally engrossing novel. Does Connie Willis ever get tired of winning Nebulas and Hugos? Because _Passage_ may well send a few more flying her way.

Rating:
Summary: an absolute speed ride!
Review: I foolishly started this book late in the evening. Finally I was
able to go to sleep sometime around 3:00am. I could NOT put it down. I loved her idea, the way she presented it, and the characters. Every one of them were the 'average' person. Death is something that interests us all whether we like it or not. No one knows what happens and everyone is curious. Her final explanation seemed logical and believeable to me. The way she presented it was exciting. This book made me start reading all her others.

Rating:
Summary: In search of...an editor.
Review: Inside the 800 pages of Passage is a riveting story. Unfortunately, that story is only about 400 pages long.

This is a good book that desperately needed an editor. There is page after page of redundant and unnecessary details, jokes run on far too long (enough with the cafeteria hours, already!) and general bloat. The story is compelling. The ideas are intriguing. And the ending, despite being telegraphed well in advance, offers a very satisfying experience...even if it does run on and on and on and on and on until you just want it to get to the point. If she had just trimmed out the fat it would have been better. Much better.

As it stands, you'll find yourself skipping whole pages just to get on with the story...and probably not missing much, if anything at all, when you do.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother!
Review: As a fan of historical fiction, I first read Willis' "Doomsday Book" -- it was interesting, engaging and well-written. After reading it, I couldn't wait to get my hands on another Connie Willis book. Unfortunately the next one I picked up was"Passage".
It was awful -- Don't bother reading it! Some of her ideas were interesting, and at first I thought it would be quite good. But then the crazy Titanic connection came up. It was hard for me to swallow -- I found it laughable and (for lack of a better word) LAME! Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this disaster of a book--pick up Doomsday instead.

Rating:
Summary: Very interesting, but needs editing in spots
Review: It is quite gutsy of Ms Willis, in the present climate in this country, to have some very unsympathic (arrogant and/or crooked) characters whose primary business is pushing one form or another of some religious faith. I liked the book a lot, although I do think hitting the reader over and over and over with just how garrulous the World War II vet was in his absolutely endless stories about the war in the Pacific was a bit much. I wish she had tried a little harder to identify the parts where the reader's eyes would start to glaze over and cut them.

More, though, I liked her account of how difficult it would be to do serious research on just what people do experience while dying with all the pressures to make it fit into someone's pre-conceived scheme. I thought Joanne the researcher and Maisie the dying child were terrific characters I came to care about a lot!

This is not as good as Doomsday Book (her best), but a really interesting exploration of ideas about death.

A suggestion: This is worth reading, but skim over the World War II stories. They have very little to do with the story line.

Rating:
Summary: Coudn't put it down
Review: It's hard for me to identify with female characters, so I usually stay away from books that are focused on them. There are rare stories that bridge that gap, and this is one of them. I can particularly identify with this story, because the heroine is doing research, and she has to fight uphill against opininated bias, charlatans, and all kinds of assorted quackery. (Is that a word?) Anywho, this book has some great dialogue, great characters, and realistic as hell. 800 pages is a bit long, but it went too quick. Really great ending too.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I give this book 2 stars only because it is well written and a convincing portrait of what an NDE (Near Death Experience) might be to an individual incapable of belief in anything beyond scientific fact. I, personally, am a believer in the NDE experience, though certainly not in the vein that Ms. Willis presents in her book as her "villain." If you are looking for any sort of fictional spirtual enlightenment, you won't find it in this book.