I like Epics. As far back as I can remember the Epic has always been a favorite of mine. I remember watching "Ben-Hur", "Spartacus","Cimmaron" "How The West Was Won", "Exodus" and "EL-Cid" (to name but a few) as a kid and being swept up in the tales. The longer and more sweeping the story the better. In spite of myself I loved the mixing of melodrama, adventure and action in those stories. Everything was larger than life, but also intimate. The same was true of books which, appropriately,"The Stand" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy comes instantly to mind. Also let us not forget the classic television "mini-series" genre of the seventies and eighties - many of them based on big epic novels. There is the feeling of vastness and the covering of a life or lives (starring a cast of a thousands!) in such a massive (some might say bloated and overwrought) tale. Perhaps it ties into my fondness of history, but whatever the reason I like Epics.
It was inevitable that I would get around to reading The Passage Trilogy. It's an Epic. Even better it's a Post-Apocalyptic Vampire Epic. It's taken a tremendous amount of willpower to hold off until all three books were out. I knew that once I began I would want to read all of them and I knew that waiting for years for the next installment would mean forgetting parts of the story. Ensuring that reading the next installment would consist of confusion and irritation while I thumbed through the previous edition. So I waited........well almost. Earlier this summer I found a used hardback copy of "The Twelve". I meant to wait, but the flesh was weak and I dove into it after reading the very in-depth synopsis of "The Passage" in Wikipedia. There were aspects of it that were very well done, but other parts that didn't exactly wow me. I gave it three stars and thought that perhaps I wouldn't read the other books after all. However a few weeks ago I came across a pristine hardback copy of "The Passage" in a thrift store in Sioux City, Iowa (how appropriate considering Justin Cronin's connection with Iowa). At first I put it back on the shelf, but after a moment of contemplation I decided to buy it. Everyone knows that the second installment of a trilogy is traditionally the weakest (unless we're talking about "The Empire Strikes Back") since it serves as a bridge. The story progresses, but not too much or there won't be anything left for the big dramatic wrap-up in part three. These were the thoughts running through my mind as I gave $5.00 to the woman behind the counter in that immaculate thrift-shop in downtown Sioux City, Iowa. I'm glad that I did.
The Post-Apocalyptic Tale with Monsters Genre. If there was ever a genre that was tailor made for the Epic Story it was that one. A small cast of characters moving across a vast, desolate, land while coping with dangers of unimaginable proportions. Wow! Sure it's really nothing more than a Sword & Sorcery Fantasy, but it's better because it's set in the ruins (normally) of our world. Even better the writer can borrow elements from other genres (romance, western, action, horror, science-fiction, political thriller, techno-thriller) and it's okay. It's a huge empty world in which anything goes. Justin Cronin does just that in "The Passage". Other reviewers have pointed out that Mr. Cronin has written a western in many aspects and they're right. He also borrows heavily from "The Stand" and even aspects of "The Shining" in my opinion. You can also find elements of "I Am Legend" the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead" and a little bit of John Steinbeck. The mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke (a true story) is there and finally, not surprisingly, "The Lord Of The Rings" lends itself to the novel. It's a massive novel and could easily be three or four books in it's own right.
I found the book to be a great read. Yes it was overwritten at times and there were moments when I couldn't keep the various characters (especially at The Colony) straight. I kept mixing them up and the early action sequences were also difficult to follow. I noticed though ,as the novel moved along, the writing tightened up. The characters were easier to track and the action sequences grew more concise and clearer. Mr. Cronin does not come from a history of writing beach books with hefty amounts of blood and thunder. His previous books were notable for being quiet introspective meditations (evidently his daughter told him they were "boring") and I just chalk it up to the learning curve. If you stick with this massive tome you'll realize that the writing tightens up when it comes to the more visceral aspects. Taken on a while the story is very compelling. A mix of suspense, horror, mystery action, quiet intimate moments, protagonists moving amongst large scale ruins on a continental scale and even a little soapy melodrama.
The Epic is made up of many different elements. It has to be since it covers so much time and territory. As a result the parts are sometimes better than the sum total, but if the parts are inserted with skill then the sum total doesn't matter. You will keep returning to it for your favorite parts. Overall I really enjoyed "The Passage" and now I think I should rethink my evaluation of "The Twelve". I just got a copy of "City of Mirrors" from Amazon and I plan on diving into it this very day. Can't wait to see how this whole thing is wrapped up. Glad I waited for the entire trilogy to be finished - well sort of.
It was inevitable that I would get around to reading The Passage Trilogy. It's an Epic. Even better it's a Post-Apocalyptic Vampire Epic. It's taken a tremendous amount of willpower to hold off until all three books were out. I knew that once I began I would want to read all of them and I knew that waiting for years for the next installment would mean forgetting parts of the story. Ensuring that reading the next installment would consist of confusion and irritation while I thumbed through the previous edition. So I waited........well almost. Earlier this summer I found a used hardback copy of "The Twelve". I meant to wait, but the flesh was weak and I dove into it after reading the very in-depth synopsis of "The Passage" in Wikipedia. There were aspects of it that were very well done, but other parts that didn't exactly wow me. I gave it three stars and thought that perhaps I wouldn't read the other books after all. However a few weeks ago I came across a pristine hardback copy of "The Passage" in a thrift store in Sioux City, Iowa (how appropriate considering Justin Cronin's connection with Iowa). At first I put it back on the shelf, but after a moment of contemplation I decided to buy it. Everyone knows that the second installment of a trilogy is traditionally the weakest (unless we're talking about "The Empire Strikes Back") since it serves as a bridge. The story progresses, but not too much or there won't be anything left for the big dramatic wrap-up in part three. These were the thoughts running through my mind as I gave $5.00 to the woman behind the counter in that immaculate thrift-shop in downtown Sioux City, Iowa. I'm glad that I did.
The Post-Apocalyptic Tale with Monsters Genre. If there was ever a genre that was tailor made for the Epic Story it was that one. A small cast of characters moving across a vast, desolate, land while coping with dangers of unimaginable proportions. Wow! Sure it's really nothing more than a Sword & Sorcery Fantasy, but it's better because it's set in the ruins (normally) of our world. Even better the writer can borrow elements from other genres (romance, western, action, horror, science-fiction, political thriller, techno-thriller) and it's okay. It's a huge empty world in which anything goes. Justin Cronin does just that in "The Passage". Other reviewers have pointed out that Mr. Cronin has written a western in many aspects and they're right. He also borrows heavily from "The Stand" and even aspects of "The Shining" in my opinion. You can also find elements of "I Am Legend" the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead" and a little bit of John Steinbeck. The mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke (a true story) is there and finally, not surprisingly, "The Lord Of The Rings" lends itself to the novel. It's a massive novel and could easily be three or four books in it's own right.
I found the book to be a great read. Yes it was overwritten at times and there were moments when I couldn't keep the various characters (especially at The Colony) straight. I kept mixing them up and the early action sequences were also difficult to follow. I noticed though ,as the novel moved along, the writing tightened up. The characters were easier to track and the action sequences grew more concise and clearer. Mr. Cronin does not come from a history of writing beach books with hefty amounts of blood and thunder. His previous books were notable for being quiet introspective meditations (evidently his daughter told him they were "boring") and I just chalk it up to the learning curve. If you stick with this massive tome you'll realize that the writing tightens up when it comes to the more visceral aspects. Taken on a while the story is very compelling. A mix of suspense, horror, mystery action, quiet intimate moments, protagonists moving amongst large scale ruins on a continental scale and even a little soapy melodrama.
The Epic is made up of many different elements. It has to be since it covers so much time and territory. As a result the parts are sometimes better than the sum total, but if the parts are inserted with skill then the sum total doesn't matter. You will keep returning to it for your favorite parts. Overall I really enjoyed "The Passage" and now I think I should rethink my evaluation of "The Twelve". I just got a copy of "City of Mirrors" from Amazon and I plan on diving into it this very day. Can't wait to see how this whole thing is wrapped up. Glad I waited for the entire trilogy to be finished - well sort of.
