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The brain cells started to die within moments of death. By the end of four to six minutes the damage was irreversible, and people brought back from death after that didn't talk about tunnels and life reviews. They didn't talk at all.... But if the dying were facing annihilation, why didn't they say, "It's over!" or, "I'm shutting down"?... Why did they say, "It's beautiful over there," and, "I'm coming, Mother!"
When Joanna decides to become a test subject and see an NDE firsthand, she discovers that death is both more and less than she expected. Telling anything at all about her experience would be spoiling the book's suspenseful buildup, but readers are in for some shocks as Willis reveals the secrets and mysteries of the afterlife. Unfortunately, several 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 and threaten the pace of the story near the middle. But don't stop reading! We expect a lot from Connie Willis because she's so good, and Passage's payoff is incredible--the ending will leave you breathless, and more than a little haunted. Passage masterfully blends tragedy, humor, and fear in an unforgettable meditation on humanity and death. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nobody expects the Titanic Inquisition,
By
This review is from: Passage (Hardcover)
As usual, Connie Willis' writing is outstanding, and the plot kept me turning the pages. I am continually impressed with how each Willis book explores new themes, uses new structures, and challanges the reader with new ideas. There is little repetitive in Willis' writing. While this book was not the overwhelming joy of TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG (and deals with much darker topics), the book really held my attention; I can see why it made the Hugo nomination list.I really like the touch of providing an alternative interpretation of the standard elements of a "near-death experience". Willis shows how they could be combined to create a different set of images without ignoring any of the classic elements. The plot turns around a pyschologist type who wants to understand what people really experience in such experiences and a neuroscientist who wants to explain what is happening in the brain during an NDE. It is really science fiction, even though it could have been a Robin Cook medical thriller. (Only the last short chapter feels like fantasy for me.) One of the few repeated elements in Willis' fiction is a well-captured characterization of a little girl who's reactions is critical to making you care about the people in the story. (I'm beginning to think these are as typical of Willis as the "Old Man" was in Heinlein novels). She treats this character with skill and uses the character well to move the plot forward and to provide sort of a happy ending. Structrually, the book reads very much like 3 related novellas, and they each have individual themes and styles. Of the three, I liked the middle story best, after the psychologist experience her own drug-induced NDEs, and as she tries to make sense of them. I think that Willis does an interesting job of presenting that difficult issue of "experiential evidence", as opposed to verifiable experimental evidence. I give the book less than 5 stars, on an admittedly personal scale, because it doesn't quite live up to its promise for me. Too much of the book led me to think the book was raising questions about the meaning of death, even though the book provides internal warnings that it is more about the methods of medical research. Despite those warnings (and given what a good writer Willis has always been), I was expecting a conclusion addressing some of the broader themes of the work. None-the-less, this is a solid 4-star book, well worth anyone's reading. It would probably appeal to an audience for medical thrillers as well as SF fans.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Connie Willis is a Topnotch Writer,
By B. Merritt "filmreviewstew.com" (WWW.FILMREVIEWSTEW.COM, Pacific Grove, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Passage (Mass Market Paperback)
Joanna Lander has an unusual medical specialty; she researches NDEs (Near Death Experiences) in patients who's hearts have stopped beating, but then are brought back from the brink. She has problems, though. An author, Mr. Mandrake, believes that NDEs are the beginning of God's heavenly message...and to prove his point he's written multiple best-selling novels on the subject and tries to beat Joanna to the interviews with patients who experience them. The trouble is, though, is that Mr. Mandrake leads his interviewees down his personalized ambrosial path by asking questions like, "So when did you see the heavenly light?" and "Was your family there waiting for you?" This really ticks off Joanna... She asks questions like, "Tell me what you saw?" and "How did you feel?" Non-leading questions, in other words. And if she get's to the patients before Mr. Mandrake does, the results are markedly different; no angels of light and no family waiting for you. Enter Dr. Richard Wright. He's also interested in NDEs. And he has medical research in mind. He's developed a drug that induces a type of artificial NDE and begins using it on volunteers (with Joanna's eventual help), trying to discover why some people have NDEs and others don't. If he can find out, maybe he can utilize his research to bring dying patients out of their NDE state and back to the living. Maisie is a ten year old child who's been brought back from death multiple times thanks to a congenital heart defect. And she's Joanna's and Dr. Wright's friend. She thinks that Mr. Mandrake is a flake (which, of course, he is) and is fascinated with disaster stories (like the Titanic and Hidenburg). She's never seen an angel or Godly light during her true NDEs, and Joanna and Dr. Wright soon come to rely on her more than they will ever know. My only beef with this novel (as many other reviewers here have pointed out) is that it's a bit wordy. At 780 pages (paperback), I began to lag a bit while reading. But only a bit! I tiny bit! Mrs. Willis' able writing abilities kept me involved in the story and I persevered. The ending: For those who enjoy everything tidied up and in one neat little plot developed package, this book is not for you. It'll leave you wondering what awaits us when we all take that final plunge into the PASSAGE of no return. B+ rating.
5.0 out of 5 stars
What is hidden behind death?,
By
This review is from: Passage (Mass Market Paperback)
I love Connie Willis. I only wish she wrote more, but the subjects she chooses always touch me. She is gifted beyond the telling of it. I've read this book several times. Each time I feel like I'm closer to a complete understanding. I like books that don't just vomit meaning onto the page, but wrap it up in beautiful words and let me do the work. I love the characters and even though it is heart-breaking, it's all worth it in the end.
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