Willis, Connie: Passage
Passage
Writer: Connie Willis
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 780
It's a funny thing that it's taken me so long to read another Willis book. I read my first one (Doomsday Book) back in 2003 for a Modern Science Fiction/Fantasy literature course at Maryville College. I loved it. I found the book to be very compelling, but for some reason, I never followed up with the author. When digitalclone provided me a list of Nebula nominees from the year 2000 and on to select our September challenge, I knew I had to pick this one. I'd seen it in stores a number of times, was drawn by the cover, and I knew Willis wouldn't let me down.
She didn't.
The premise: Dr. Joanna Lander researches near-death experiences, only good research is hard to find. She has to fight for the first chance to interview those who've coded, because if she doesn't get there first, colleague/competitor Mr. Mandrake manages to fill their heads with experiences that simply didn't happen. But when Dr. Richard Wright offers her a partnership in his study that mimics the brain at NDE, she can't help but jump at the chance. Only the project doesn't go as well as planned, and it isn't long before Joanna volunteers herself in order to gather legit data that's not tainted by outside expectations. And what she discovers isn't what anyone, least of all herself, expects.
Spoilers ahead, yo.
I've forgotten how much I really enjoy reading Willis's writing style. In fact, her premises and settings remind me, in a good way, of reading Michael Crichton's work, only Willis is a far more polished, focused, and literary writer.
One of the things I really appreciated about this novel was the attention paid to character. Each character is a distinct individual, and they come to life on the page. Whether it's the tooth-gritting irritation of Mr. Mandrake, the hysterical but dreadful accounts of Mrs. Davenport, or the earnest and sneaky Maisie, you can't help but see these characters as real people. The protagonist most of all. The book is so entrenched in Joanna's POV that when it shifts, it's something of a jarring experience, well, save for the last part of the book.
The characters are so realistic, their interactions so believable, that when Joanna got stabbed, when she died, I teared up. Almost cried, but didn't. Tearing up is more than enough.
I really, really liked the scientific, objective approach taken with NDE's in this book. It's a fascinating subject in its own right, and I loved seeing both the mystical extreme (thank you, Mr. Mandrake (isn't that a GREAT NAME?!?!? Doesn't the sound of it just make want to CRINGE?!?!!) and the scientific extreme, and the struggle to find the truth.
I have to admit, even I wasn't prepared for it, at least, not in the guise we got it. I suspected Joanna's NDE took place on the Titanic because of the cover and the quotes and references to the Titanic through-out the book, and once we saw Greg Menotti on the ship, it didn't take long to piece together the theory that the Titanic was the ship of death in so many words. Yes, I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself, but given the length of the novel and the timing of the disbursement of clues, I honestly had no idea where the story as a whole was going, but once I had enough clues, I could put it together rather quickly.
And that's a good thing. I knew that the violence in the ER would somehow have a major effect on the plot, but I didn't see it as Joanna being the one who'd take the fall. I thought perhaps it'd be her best friend Vielle, and they'd have to use NDE to either save her or find out what happened. Maisie was another obvious choice, but her story had a more direct impact on the very end, after Joanna's tragedy. And I really appreciated how even after Joanna died, her story continued. Not just in Wright's and Vielle's and Kit's desperate attempts to figure out her final message, but in the NDE, or rather, her DEATH experience. It was fascinating to read, and there's so much to those sections that I can't help but wonder if I'm missing something (the literature quotes are certainly a clue), though the most obvious take comes directly from the text as it refers to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" in that it's possible that death itself is a kind of purgatory. Or something. There's not a sense of hopelessness at the end, but there's not a sense of hope either. Joanna's dead, and the idea that her brain was still hanging on even after she's dead and buried is creepy as all hell, but how long this state she's in will last is another story. I think, based on the book, it's obvious that NDE is individual, that it's the brain working overtime to save itself, and therefore somehow constructs this reality from all its memories and knowledge. That said, there's that sense that you want it to be some kind of real place, and yet, there's not.
It's confusing. It's the kind of book that begs for discussion, in a very, very good way.
But I loved just how realistic life itself was. Yes, I had a few moments of doubt--the danger to the staff at the ER (then again, it's never something I've given thought to) as well as the security guard's inability to act until Joanna got stabbed. That was frustrating. But all the other little details of life in this book are awesome. The best part yet was the conclusion of Mr. Mandrake's and Mrs. Davenport's story. That's HILARIOUS! The whole book I was wondering just where Willis was taking us with those two, but the result was awesome. Makes me wish I could've been around for the fallout too. :)
My Rating
Must Have: it's a shame this book never won the Nebula or Hugo it was nominated for. Let me tell you how much I enjoyed this book: I started reading it on a Thursday, didn't read it AT ALL Friday-Sunday, then I returned to it Monday afternoon and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN UNTIL 2:00 AM!!! Still didn't finish because I was dead on my feet and needed some sleep, and finally finished the book Tuesday afternoon. This isn't a fast read like urban fantasies are a fast read. But it's compelling. And if you avoid the spoilery section of the review, just know that the book almost made me cry. I did tear up, but didn't cry. Still, that's damn good.
What I like about it is the single, relatively simple SF-nal premise in such a realistic world populated with such human, three-dimensional characters. These people aren't special, they're people doing their thing and working really hard for what they believe in. The story that comes out of it is thought-provoking and satisfying, and definitely worth talking about.
Next up:
Review: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Book: The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
Graphic Novel: V for Vendetta by Alan Moore