November 2012 TMB Book Club Selection: The Passage by Justin Cronin

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by Arkie Proud, Oct 30, 2012.

  1. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    The girl from Kick Ass would be fucking perfect in that role. She's such a good actress.
     
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  2. Iron Mickey

    Iron Mickey a guy who posted here like five years ago hates me
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    All great casting choices. I totally agree re: the haven.
     
  3. Arkie Proud

    Arkie Proud The Dungeon Master
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    Just spitballin' here, but I wonder if there is a reason Cronin made all the "good guys" and main characters minorities, and the "bad guys" white men? Was it a subtle attack on our society now? A way to insinuate that racism and sexism had been abolished in the "Brave New World"? Or is he just an Obama supporter?

    Also, I want to reiterate. If they make this a movie, they're fucking up. This should be an HBO series, like Game of Thrones. Especially being a trilogy, it's too fucking long and deep to be condensed into an 1.5 movie. At that point, it is just a post-apocalyptic vampire movie. A mini-series would give it the depth the book gave the story.
     
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  4. Lorne Malvo

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    Would love this as a show.
     
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  5. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Obviously late to the party but I bought this as an e-book after y'alls recommendations and holy fuck is it good. The beginning was a bit tough to get through but like someone said, had to set up the world for the whole trilogy so I was good with it. I'm just starting Chapter 13 and I love the anticipation that shit is about to go down.
     
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  6. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    :loldog:

    Sorry, it's almost obligatory at this point
     
  7. Arkie Proud

    Arkie Proud The Dungeon Master
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    I came thisclose to saying the same thing, but didn't want to be mean.

    One Knight: If you need any ebooks, just let the collective know. We can get them to you.
     
  8. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    So, started off in love with the book, big fan, but then I got to the part where
    the glowsticks break out. Huge plot hole. Just install all 4 floors with crazy intense lights, automatic containment, turn them all on, flood all rooms/hallways/elevator shafts with uber bright light, completely prevents any of them from getting out even in worse case scenario.
    Just thinking about that threw the whole thing off for me. Then, I'm just at the part with
    the "first ones" getting to the California Colony and talking about how the history, etc.
    anyways, bored shit-less at 33%-35%, having a hard time getting motivated to push through. Does it get better?

    Big thanks to LKRFN88jp and The Blackfish for assistance btw.
     
  9. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    To answer you first spoiler
    While yeah that would be true, even if those were in place, Zero would just mind fuck someone to disable them, and they get out anyway

    And yes. It gets better. However, it never really dragged that bad for me. Just know there is a payoff for everythign you are reading. You are pretty close to things really picking up again.
     
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  10. Lorne Malvo

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    When everything changed and new characters were introduced, I was definitely :| for a bit. But then I figured the characters out and was all in again. First part was just so good and it was just a huge change for a little while.
     
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  11. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    maybe I dont know enough about the mind powers they have yet, but it sounded like it took time for all the Sticks to "get in the heads" of the people. Idk, it just seems like an easy prevention.
     
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  12. colonelrascals

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    my kindle broke again. I've been on the sideline for awhile now
     
  13. Truman

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    Not ideal, but just read off your laptop.
     
  14. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    It's weird, I was all into the warez scene for computer games when I was a kid (downloading them not ripping them) and never had a problem with it, now I don't even think about it when it comes to books and stuff.

    Arkie Proud, I appreciate the offer, I'll let you know once I'm done with this one to see about getting The Twelve.
     
  15. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    So I'm on Chapter 33 and its hard to put down, I find myself not as invested in the colony story line but I'm really interested to see how the rest plays out, how/if they figure out what Amy is, etc.

    Arkie Proud - Since it was brought up the other day, what ebooks do you have in your collection and what program do I need to put on my Nexus to be able to read them? I'm still catching up on the Book Club reads, so I want to get Ready Player One and The Twelve of course. Wool also looks intriguing, has Book Club read that one?
     
  16. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    I don't know what format Nexus uses but if you download the kindle app then you can email a .mobi (that we can send you) to the app (once you register your kindle app with your amazon account your kindle email will be listed under manage your devices on amazon)

    Someone may know a better route than me but that's what I use on my iPhone and iPad so they sync to my actual kindle (for when reading outside)

    Wool is good but probably my least favorite that we've read. The Twelve isn't technically a book club pick but one we'll all probably read since we read The Passage. I've already read it and liked it, but not quite as much as The Passage.
     
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  17. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Thanks, I do have the Kindle app on my Nexus and registered with Amazon so I should be good to go.
    I read the first chapter or so of Wool online and liked it a lot. Will be interesting to see if it holds up through the whole book.
     
  18. The Blackfish

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    Go to the "how do I get my hands on some free .mobis" thread and post what you need and somebody will get them to you
     
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  19. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Also download Calibre It can covert pretty much any file type to what you need
     
  20. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Thanks, I just saw that on the free .mobi's thread, going to d/l it now.
     
  21. Lorne Malvo

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    Wool started out strong, really strong in fact, but the last 25% or so really struggled.
     
  22. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    So I looked on the calibre website and it looks like they don't make it for Android? Anyone confirm, or if I'm wrong where they got it from?
     
  23. The Blackfish

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    Download Calibre for your computer
     
  24. Arkie Proud

    Arkie Proud The Dungeon Master
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    I have around 5000 ebooks, maybe more. PM me if you want a zipped file of all of them.

    And like has been said before, get Calibre.
     
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  25. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Thanks for the link to the file Arkie Proud, my computer is shit so I had to try the download three or four times and now its saying that the public link is generating too much traffic and was disabled temporarily. My bad, I'll try it again in a few days, hope I didn't goof it up for anyone.
     
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  26. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Just finished, fantastic book overall. I agree with most that The Haven portion of the book was probably the weakest, but I think it served the purpose of changing/furthering the relationship between Alicia and Peter, as well as showing more of what Babcock was all about.

    I don't know whether to love or hate the ending, definitely a :feelsbadman: moment knowing that Sara was pregnant but hadn't told Hollis yet. Can't wait to read The Twelve, but I think I will take a break for a bit, I have a ton of other books I need to finish.
     
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  27. The Blackfish

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    Now read Gone Girl
     
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  28. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Will do, can someone hook me up with it?
    I tried to download the whole library over the weekend but my tech sucks so I'm just going to have to resort for asking about individual books as they come up.
     
  29. The Blackfish

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    PM me your email
     
  30. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
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    I am 38% through and really struggling with this colony part.

    Just getting to the part where Alicia kicked Maus out of the riding group. I'm just bored by it. It will get better, right?
     
  31. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Yes. That is the slowest part of the book. It really picks up soon.
     
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  32. The Blackfish

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    Everyone felt this way, just keep going
     
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  33. Arkie Proud

    Arkie Proud The Dungeon Master
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    If you guys want to keep spoilering stuff on page five of a book we read a few months ago, by all means carry on. But at this point, nothing needs to be spoilered anymore.
     
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  34. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    So I'm working nights this month and have a huge amount of downtime at work, so I plowed through the last 50% of The Passage and finished the Twelve in about a week. The Twelve isn't bad until the last 10%, then I just got mad. Will spoiler for The Twelve talk below. Otherwise, Passage was pretty good, I enjoyed the ending and the buildup for Book 2. But, just based on the ending of Book 2 I'm not looking forward to slogging through 900 pages of book 3 just to see how it ends :/

    Although, cover to cover, The Twelve is a superior book. WAY more action. More plot advancement. Passage seemed to be all about introducing characters and environments/history and while that is still present in Twelve, most of the groundwork is already laid in place. Better book IMO, but spoilered are my frustrations with it.
    Fuck Lila, reading her thought process is a colossal waste of time. Almost always just skimmed through anytime her inner monologue went on a ramble.

    Frequent changing of POV got me out of rhythm, having to figure out who is the POV and what has happened is fine once in awhile, but by the end Cronin was switching POV every 2-3 paragraphs.

    Really annoyed by end of The Twelve, its like the author just starts making up random rules to the Universe as he please. Really annoying, randomly ghost of Wolghast comes back, Amy transformation had less explanation than season 6 of Lost, prologue Amy/Carter was cryptic and confusing. Whole last 10% was disappointing IMO. Idk, maybe I need to re-read it to understand it better.

    Also, Arkie Proud , what was your comment about Main characters being minorities? There are plenty of main characters that are white but also "good", no?
     
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  35. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Just saw this now, I would replace Peter with
    [​IMG]
    and I fucking hate Emma Stone
     
  36. Lorne Malvo

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    Re-starting The Twelve tonight after work.
     
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  37. Iron Mickey

    Iron Mickey a guy who posted here like five years ago hates me
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    So soon? But why?
     
  38. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Was thinking about the casting for the movie, I think you'd need to get a mainstream established actor to play Wolgast, and once his part of the story is done then it could transition to lesser-knowns, since most of the story from that point on is somewhat of an ensemble piece. Who would you get to play Wolgast?
     
  39. Lorne Malvo

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    I only got 20% in the first time I read it because I got super busy. Last time I read was early December. Wanted a clean start in case I forgot anything. Got 12% in last night.
     
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  40. The Blackfish

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    How old was Wolgast, I can't remember
     
  41. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    I'm not sure if they ever said but I would have to imagine mid-late 30's. Old enough to have gotten married and had a kid, I got the impression he was pretty young when he entered the academy and the story they told about him getting hurt playing basketball and meeting his wife in the hospital reinforced that.
     
  42. rv12

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    I kept picturing Damian Lewis as Wolgast.
     
  43. The Blackfish

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    I don't see that, I picture someone rougher around the edges. :idk:
     
  44. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Agreed, seems like Wolgast is a little world weary with all he's been through.
     
  45. Iron Mickey

    Iron Mickey a guy who posted here like five years ago hates me
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    young tommy lee jones in my mind

    grizzled at 38
     
  46. The Blackfish

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    So Josh Brolin, perfect
     
  47. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
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    Started The Twelve last night. Interested to see in how the story continues.
     
  48. The Blackfish

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    Not as good, but still good. There's a thread for it too
     
  49. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Yep, could definitely see that choice, but does Brolin have the acting chops to pull off the range of what Wolgast goes through? He starts out as Joe Agent regular FBI guy, then he's got the turmoil of his kid dying and still not being over it/calling his wife, and then he basically ends up as Amy's dad, that's a lot of scenarios for one character.

    Could also see this being split into two movies, you could do the first movie as the backstory and Wolgast part, second movie as the Colony stuff through the end of the book. Seems like Hollywood is in love with making two movies per book these days.