The City of Mirrors (Passage #3)

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Checkman

Getting older and balder
May 9, 2007
902
1,989
Idaho
For six years millions have invested themselves in Justin Cronin's very readable post-apocalyptic saga. They have followed the characters and thrown tantrums when the last installment took four years to come out. Here on Goodreads they have heaped praise and criticism on his books as well as speculated about what will come next. Well the end eventually arrived and there are those who have not been happy with the wrap-up. I am not one of those people.

Endings are hard. Both the writer and reader invest months and years of their lives following characters and the world they inhabit. For some these fictional creations become more real then the actual world that they live in. In some cases it seems that they will never end, but eventually everything comes to an end - even fictional creations. All the great mythical/literary heroes eventually have to face death. Roland, King Arthur, Gilgamesh, Samson, Hercule Poirot and Robin Hood ,to name just a few, all have endings and often those endings are unsatisfying with a great amount of pathos thrown in. There is no easy way to end the saga of a beloved hero because endings are good byes and most do not like good byes. An author writing about the end has to know that many will not be happy with the conclusion. No matter how spectacular or low key there will be those who are critical because they don't want an ending. "The City of Mirrors" is no exception to this literary conundrum.
By now it is known to most that Mr. Cronin started out as a writer of small quiet stories that focused on families, relationships, life, death and love. Not world shaking epics involving vampires and civilization destroying plagues. However ,underneath all the blood and thunder, one finds exactly that type of story. The Passage Trilogy is a tale about love, family, beginnings and endings. Mr. Cronin's characters are extraordinary people, but they are still Human, even the Vampires, and they run the gamut. Like most of us they start out doing one thing in their lives and then find themselves on a different path, but they never stop striving. They're brave, selfish, cowardly, caring, capable and incompetent. In other words they're us. They live and then they die. Humanity continues on (not a spoiler if you've read the previous two books and read the notes from the conference talking place a 1,000 years after the events of the trilogy), but their tale comes to an end.

I have read this trilogy over the past five months. It's interesting to read a series like this back to back. For one the details of the previous books are fresh and one doesn't have to keep referring back to the other books. This makes for a smoother flow and it's easier to see how the writer changes and focuses on different aspects as the tale progresses. It makes for a richer reading experience. One of the things that stands out is that Mr. Cronin's writing becomes easier to follow throughout the series. As others have pointed out it was difficult to follow all the different characters at the beginning. The action sequences were somewhat confused as well, but by chapter three these issues have been resolved. The characters are easier to follow and the action sequences are very cinematic. The events in this installment work and ,if you put them in the context of classic "monster" tales, they are very traditional. The protagonists have the big confrontation with the Big Bad in his castle (in this case the ruins of Manhattan) and there is a very satisfying conclusion to the Vampire Plague. There is a conclusion to the apocalypse ,unlike "The Walking Dead" which has offered no conclusion (or hint of) at all, and we (the readers) get to see that the trials and tribulations of our heroes did mean something....eventually. Not a tragedy but a victory. Their lives are not wasted, inconsequential, pathetic or dishonest. They are significant and don't we all wish we could leave like that.
I could go on, but I think I've covered enough. With "The City of Mirrors" Mr. Cronin wraps-up what can only be described as a modern Iliad or The Song of Roland if you prefer. Others might find different meanings, but for me Mr. Cronin has written a modern epic poem. It's made for a satisfying five month read.