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A review by genteelblackhole
Passage by Connie Willis
4.0
Connie Willis writes long novels. Some of them, like Doomsday Book and / All Clear, manage to keep me gripped and intrigued throughout. Others, like To Say Nothing of the Dog, have strong beginnings and ends but a baggy middle. (To be fair, if you're not a fan of her style, even the ones I found gripping will probably still annoy you.)
Passage falls into the latter camp. It establishes an intriguing story, pays it off well, but meanders somewhat in the middle. Joanna's desperate search becomes repetitive. How many times do I need to read about her trying to avoid Mr Mandrake, or trying to navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the hospital? Overall I still enjoyed the book enough to give it four stars, and I found the way it handled grief quite relatable. But I think some of the near-death experiences and mad dashes around hospital corridors could've been condensed.
Passage falls into the latter camp. It establishes an intriguing story, pays it off well, but meanders somewhat in the middle. Joanna's desperate search becomes repetitive. How many times do I need to read about her trying to avoid Mr Mandrake, or trying to navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the hospital? Overall I still enjoyed the book enough to give it four stars, and I found the way it handled grief quite relatable. But I think some of the near-death experiences and mad dashes around hospital corridors could've been condensed.