The Passage

A Novel (Book One of The Passage Trilogy)

By: Justin Cronin

Narrated by: Scott Brick, Adenrele Ojo, Abby Craden

Length: 36 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller.

This thrilling novel kicks off what Stephen King calls “a trilogy that will stand as one of the great achievements in American fantasy fiction".

Now a FOX TV series!

Named one of Paste’s best horror books of the decade.

Named one of the 10 best novels of the year by TIME and one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, Esquire, U.S. News & World Report, NPR/On Point, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, BookPage, and Library Journal.

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born".

An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy - abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued, and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape - but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world. Look for the entire Passage trilogy:

• The Passage
• The Twelve
• The City of Mirrors

©2010 Justin Cronin (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

“[A] blockbuster.” (The New York Times)

“Mythic storytelling.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Magnificent...Cronin has taken his literary gifts, and he has weaponized them...The Passage can stand proudly next to Stephen King’s apocalyptic masterpiece The Stand, but a closer match would be Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: A story about human beings trying to generate new hope in a world from which all hope has long since been burnt.” (Time)

Hungry Vampires

Where does The Passage rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

2

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, What next? Geez Come on daylight already.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Coulda been better

Any additional comments?

The story was great. It was a bit long and drawn out though. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the next book.

It's worth a listen

Solid story and unique take on post apocalyptic world. Lots of characters and at times hard to keep track and build attachment to your favorites but overall a solid book

A true gem

I am usually outright dismissive of stories that chronicles aliens and half-humans rampaging through our streets...in 2100 AD, but I can easily surmise that Justin Cronin's The Passage is the book of the decade. The vivid imagery, the uncommon mastery of the prose manifest in the pages of the book induced a profound intrigue I've not exhibited since Mario Puzo's The Godfather, nearly 31 years ago. The Passage is a true gem deserving of nothing less than the Pulitzer.

"The Passage (Unabridged)".

Good book a little long but it keeps you at the end of your seat. I would recommend this book

His voice held me captive

I never thought I'd like audio books and I'm thankful that my first book was read by a person who held my attention and had my emotions paint the pictures in my head. I'm a bit sad that I will be starting a new book and the reader sorry to say just keeps loosing me.

Epic story , you can get immersed in it's details

Somewhat reminiscent of the Stand but bigger , great narrator, good flow. I'm going to get the next one after I finish writing this.

amazing

Loved it, after about 10hrs it seems to slow down but pay attention everything will come together. Loved it, buying part 2 now.

Entertaining, but a bit disjointed.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. However, the ending felt a little flat: 30+ hours of listening, and all of a sudden it was over. I listened to the final hour twice just to see if I had missed some key resolution, and apparently, I hadn't... Also, and this will only apply to those of you who have read this book, or will read it: I never got the initial significance of one of the main characters, Amy.

***Minor Spoiler Alert***

What brought her to the attention of the "research center" so much so that within hours of being dumped by her mother at the convent, the two "FBI" agents were ripping her out of the hands of the nun at the zoo? From the super secret "recruitment" of death row inmates to causing an Amber Alert a day later just made no sense to me...

***Spoiler finished***


Otherwise, getting a glimpse into how such a post-apocalyptic society might develop was pretty interesting. Think about it: if the lights went out today, would you, or anyone you know, be able to get them back on?

All things considered, this book is well worth a credit.

Loved it

I read the very mixed reviews on this and have never read anything by this author in the past. I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved the symbolism and the depth of the characters as they developed in the story. The elements of fear, connectedness, loss, and hope are very powerful. I look forward to the continuing story from this author. I also thought the narration was great.

Good book

Listening to this book is definitely an investment of time. However, unlike others, I was captivated by the story. It did end a little abruptly but I am not put off by a less than tidy ending. It ends with a new beginning implied. I hope Cronin continues in a new book with the rest of the story. I can see the next title as "The War." If you think of it in terms as a continuing story, the book ends at the only place it could.