I’m trying to decide if I’ll be able to finish reading Justin Cronin’s new book The Passage, a story about a little girl who is destined to save the world from a military experiment gone wrong—a virus that wipes out most of humanity but turns the survivors turn into grotesque vampires.
It’s not that the book is boring or poorly written or too long for me (766 pages), but as I read the first 100 pages, a disturbing feeling of doom settled over me. OK, I’m not sure about the vampire part, but the apocalyptic premise feels almost too real for comfort. Considering that a big part of the reason I love to read is to escape the real world, I’m not sure if I’ll finish the book (much less the two books to come in this mega-trilogy). If I want to be depressed about the future, I can watch the news on television. Maybe my emotional reaction is a testament to Cronin’s storytelling skills, or it could just be evidence of my jaded view of the world's future. If I can put my anxiety aside and reassure myself that it's just a story, I'm sure the book will be very enjoyable.
No matter how I feel about the story, there is inspirational news for writers—this doomsday sci fi is paying off for the author. Before Cronin even finished the manuscript for The Passage, Ballantine Books bought the publishing rights for $3.75 million; the movie rights went for $1.75 million. (There’s some motivation to keep writing!) Not only that, but as of today it’s #3 on The New York Times bestseller list just two weeks after being published. For a writer, this is a dream come true.
But I still can’t help wondering why many sci fi stories have to be so darned apocalyptic? Why can’t they be more like The Jetsons with a happy dog named Astro and a robot who wears an apron and cooks and cleans your house? Now there’s some science fiction that I could look forward to!
Are you reading The Passage? What’s your reaction?
--- Martha Lundin, editorial associate
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Hi Martha,
Thanks for the brief book review of The Passage by Justin Cronin. I know we have some readers out there who will enjoy reading this book. Call me boring, but I'd rather read stories/books to make me laugh. I also enjoy writing humorous pieces to share a giggle with others - maybe it's a "chick" thing?
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Hi mother's happy child,
I have no doubt that many people will enjoy this book!. Normally, I love reading thrillers and have become a fan of some of the vampire lit, so you'd think this book would be right up my alley, but The Passage's set-up situation where a military experiment goes wrong and wipes out the population seemed so real that I was instantly depressed. Kudos to Justin Cronin for striking a deep chord in me, but as I've gotten older, I find I"m getting my fill of the depressing things in this world, and I'm not as willing to read or watch movies about them as part of my entertainment. I definitely understand what you're saying about humor -- it's good for the soul! (And it could be a "chick" thing!)
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