The Passage trilogy readalong discussion

So, we are approaching the middle of week 2 in our readalong and I was wondering which your favourite Point Of View* has been so far?

We've had some really great ones: Jeanette, Lear (via e-mail), Lacey, Wolgast, Carter, Grey, Richards. It's certainly a hard choice :-)

*Note: Your favourite POV doesn't have to be the same as your favourite character!

I'd have to say Richards - they remind me of watching a secret agent flick. (view spoiler)[No remorse for the lives he's taking, he's just doing his job, which means leaving no witnesses.<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

I'd have to say Wolgast and Grey. People have said something like this before but I think it's because they truly want to be better people somewhere inside but life has dealt them a bad hand. Although I guess you can say that for every character in the BV parts. They are all damaged in some way.

I was going to say Richards too, Jess. Might be because he is such a mystery though - we've seen so little of him.

I really liked Carter and Wolgast's chapters as a duo. They kind of played off each other to reveal the story of Carter and whether or not he deserved to be sentenced to death.

Lear by a mile. Good old-fashioned 'well this is a crazy idea so what can possibly go wrong' letter set-up: classic.

Loss.

I am not sure this counts as a point of view so much as a theme but this is my third reading of the Passage and the theme of loss is a lot more visceral to me.

Perhaps this is obvious, as we are dealing with something akin to the vampire archetype with a splash of zombie, but this reading has me less focused on the action and the plot and more on the relationships.

Every character has a major loss, be that of family, friend, career, or purpose, and it is fascinating to me.

Every time I've read the book I find myself empathizing with Jeanette and her story. She did the best she could with what she had. Its so sorrowful when she leaves Amy with Lacey. And how interesting that Amy, this wonderful character, comes from that background with a mom like Jeanette. I'm curious to see if there's anything more to say about Amy's childhood in CofM or if Jeanette's story is done.

Tracy wrote: "I'd have to say Wolgast and Grey. People have said something like this before but I think it's because they truly want to be better people somewhere inside but life has dealt them a bad hand. Altho..."

First-time reader here. I agree with Tracy, especially about Wolgast. He seems to be fumbling along in his pain and brokenness, almost oblivious, just following orders. But when he is ordered to bring in a child his conscience protests. The more attached to Amy he becomes, the more his inner goodness comes out; he becomes determined to protect her, no matter what. Very moving.

I like Carter's POV. He is so heartbreakingly broken, and how much of it is really his fault? He's a good guy, a victim of circumstance and birth, who just wanted to be acknowledged as a person.

Sheri wrote: "I like Carter's POV. He is so heartbreakingly broken, and how much of it is really his fault? He's a good guy, a victim of circumstance and birth, who just wanted to be acknowledged as a person."

Yes. I mean, he killed someone, but did he? I think it was really well done by the author. He took our preconceptions of a death-row inmate and punished us for having them. We are made to feel more and more guilty as the truth about what happened is unveiled.

First time around: Wolgast.
Second time around: still Wolgast.

To be honest he was why I had even wanted to read the book in the first place after reading the back of the book. I remember being sad that Amy and his story was so short. I still felt that way the second time reading the book knowing the story simply because I liked his narrative and their interaction so much.