This was definitely an enjoyable and educational read. I knew absolutely nothing about Catherine the Great before reading this book and I'm amazed by...moreThis was definitely an enjoyable and educational read. I knew absolutely nothing about Catherine the Great before reading this book and I'm amazed by how much more I feel I know about Russia and it's greatest empress. My only complaint is the length and that didn't even bother me until I go to around 80%. It was surprisingly a page turner up until that point and then suddenly it began to drag. It's only another 9% until the acknowledgements thankfully but I was surprised how quickly it seemed to take a turn from fun to tedious. The last 9% was mostly about Catherine's reactions to the French Revolution (which she was never directly involved in) and her art collection which compared to the first 80% seemed dull. But this being such a thorough study of her life and her reign, I can see why the author included it. Anyway, I highly recommend. Don't let the length scare you. It's a longish read but a very good one. Take into consideration that this is coming from someone who mostly reads smut and glorified porn. ;-)(less)
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. I liked it because the writing was very good in that Cronin sure does have a way with words but I didn't like...moreI would give this 3.5 stars if I could. I liked it because the writing was very good in that Cronin sure does have a way with words but I didn't like it in that it was sooooooooo long. There are books that are long but don't seem it and then there are books that you wonder, "how can I possibly have that much more to read???" The Passage fell into that second category more than I expected.
It mostly had to do with the book's uneven pacing. You have your slow build up to the big event and the action surrounding that. There is also a lot of changes in perspectives with a lot of different characters. Then the book takes an abrupt turn, slows down and starts all over with a different cast of characters far in the future. It was the nature of the story so I get it but still it felt long to me. There were also a couple of cryptic characters which tend to annoy me as a reader. Auntie who talks in circles. The nun and her "you'll know what to do when the time comes" mumbo jumbo towards the end. A lot of repetition of phrases. There was one point when he kept repeating "Who am I? Who am I? Who am I?" I thought I might have to slap someone. And towards the end when Amy is ticking off the names of the virals one by one. OMG, that was painful. This was definitely more of an annoyance of the audiobook. When you're reading, you can just skip past that nonsense. Listening to it, it's hard to skip forward without missing something and I found myself huffing and thinking, "I get it already! Let's move on!"
I also wasn't so in love with Peter as a hero, at least not initially. He improved throughout the book but I found myself rolling my eyes a bit at his obtuseness in several parts of the story. Still, the book is very interesting and I found myself wondering what will happen next. What's so special about Peter...if anything? How will Amy's character develop? What happened to their family/friends that went to Texas? A lot was left hanging and I find myself looking forward to reading the sequel when it comes out later this year. I just hope that the next book will be a little less meandering.(less)
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