Friday, April 1, 2011

The Passage

I just finished this book a few minutes ago. This is one of the best books I've ever read. I know that statement is a bit hyperbolic, but it is true. I want to start reading it again, right now. I found out about it because I read an interview with Stephen King and the person asked him his 5 favorite books from recent years. This was one of them, and I thought if he likes it, I probably will too.

It's long. It's 766 pages. It is a post-apocalyptic/vampire story. How could it not be good!?! It would be very tough to give a synopsis, because so much is involved in the story. It spans about 100 years and there are lots of different things going on, but it flows really well and is easy to follow. I'll just tell you a little bit. It begins with the Army developing a drug that they think will boost your immunity system and basically make you immune from all disease. Their theory is that people should be able to live for a very long time unless they are murdered, killed in an accident, etc. They get the drug from a species of bats in South America that attacked a group of scientists. The Army builds this huge bunker in Colorado and develops and tests the drug. The test subjects they use are death row inmates that are scheduled to die soon and have no family that will miss them. They use 12 of them and pluck them from the prisons and take them to the bunker in Colorado and inject them with the drug. And it goes very wrong. That is all I'm going to say about the plot, because it would be too spoilery if I said anything else.

I will say that the vampires or "virals" they call them are not really characters in the book. They kind of are, but they are not the narrators. The narrators are humans trying to survive and they are very likable and interesting. I hope at least one of you reads it so I can talk about it with someone. The book came out last year and is the first book of a trilogy. The second one will come out in 2012 and the third one in 2014. I'm so mad I discovered this book so early! I wish I could read the other two right now!

11 comments:

Sue said...

This posted without my paragraph spacing! I just tried to edit it and it won't post with spacing. Lame. Any suggestions Em?

Emily said...

I didn't have a problem, just went into edit. Try it yourself and see if it works nowfor you (and make different paragraphs if I got yours wrong).

Emily said...

Oh and by the way, you KNOW you can count on me reading that!

Sue said...

I did go to the edit page and tried and it didn't work. Your spacing is fine, thanks. I'm so glad you are going to read it! It is soooo good!

Pops said...

Sounds good. I'll be reading it as soon as I finish Poisonwood Bible. I'm sorry it has vampires in it. They just seem too hip for me to embrace any more of them with all the movies and Twilight.

Sue said...

I think you'll like the book dad. And let me just clarify about the vampires. They are not Edward Cullen type vampires. They are not walking around looking beautiful and wearing 18th century clothing and seducing young girls.

They call them "virals" or "smokes" in the book, but they have vampire like characteristics. They are humans that were bitten by a viral, they exist off blood from humans and animals, they sleep during the day, and they have the strength and speed of a vampire. The way they look is never really detailed in the book, just vague descriptions like their eyes have an orange glow and little things like that.

Talking about it makes me want to read it again! I better drop it off at the library today so I don't get sucked back in.

Pops said...

Okay, Sue on the Vamps. I don't remember you ever steering me wrong with a recomendation except for a movie or two. I'll go along..

W.V. whativer haha

Emily said...

I am half way through The Eyre Affair right now.

Sue said...

You are? Sweet! What do you think? Is it throwing you off a little about how they describe the ending of Jane Eyre?

Emily said...

I wasn't thrown off, more like-- hmmmm, they are going to have to fix some wrong that was done. Intriguing and can't wait till that part.

Sue said...

I was thrown a bit. I've read Jane Eyre at least twice, but it's probably been about 15 years since the last time I read it. I first thought, "I don't remember her going to India! I thought Rochester's house burned down and he went blind and crippled!" Oh, *SPOILER ALERT* for anyone who hasn't read Jane Eyre. Then I realized something was going to happen that changed it to the ending we know.

That part of the book is such a fun read. Are you liking it so far?

By the way, I'm not at home just stalking the blog. I'm at work and am painfully bored. I forgot to bring my Ipod or a book to read today.