Midnight Nation

This is not a review. Review is about telling you if something is worth reading. This is something else. But in case you havent read JMS' Midnight Nation - a story about a man who has lost his soul and has to walk from Los Angeles to New York in one year, before he turns into a monster - I definetly recommend it. It's probaply the best single story from the man who did Babylon 5, Rising Stars and a long run of Spider-Man, as well as punch of other stuff for telly, comics and printed books. Also, if you havent read Midnight Nation, and you are going to give it a try (and I assure you, it is worth the trouble to get it), I would urge you to stop reading here. Because Im going to spoil some twists in this now, and you are better off not knowing.

I want to talk to you about Laurel, you know, about the woman who walks with David Gray, the protagonist, from one shore to another. A friend of mine said that the books worst single problem was the plothole about Laurel, how she went for the "long walk", even thought she was at peace in the In-Between.

Few quotes:
[About to be called to help David, talk with God, perhaps?:]"I don't want to do this. I can't face the pain again." "PAIN IS INESCAPABLE" "Not if I stay here." "THEN YOU SUBSTITUTE ONE KIND OF PAIN FOR ANOTHER." "I dont want to die."
[Talking about her life between trips:]"I'm... at peace. But unfulfilled. Empty. Waiting. I don't want to wait, but I do. I dont't want to stay, but I do. I don't want to go, but I do. I'm In-Between. But it's better than the pain."

In a nutshell, Laurel could have stayed in the In-Between. And like my friend said, she was in peace. But it was not lasting peace, it was uneasy peace. Like when waiting for something in the receiving room. You have comfy chair, maybe some periodicals. But you know that it can't last. And while you are at peace, you know you will be called forth. It was, however, great improvement over going back into the world and having to receive the pain of the journey. The only reason why she would do this, would be, ofcourse, for the vain and nearly nonexistent hope that she might get lasting peace out of it. And as the story makes very clear, she had tried this so many times, and it was all for nothing. She didn't believe in the final peace no more.
She was doing it as a reflex, because she used to have hope in this, and while she didn't anymore, it was something she had done.. and was still doing, even thought she didnt necesarily believe in it no more.