Friday, November 25, 2011

Book Review - The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3)
Title:  The Lost Symbol

Author: Dan Brown

Review:  I really liked Da Vinci Code and Angles and Demons but the Lost Symbols I didn't like nearly as much.  Personally I felt like I was rereading Da Vinci Code all over again. Someone contacts him(Langdon), assumes he knows something he thinks he doesn't, he trusts the wrong guy, he didn't trust the cops and is on the run again. He finds truth where he thought there was none. But, I give him credit, the bad guy really freaked me out and the ending had a great twist.

I enjoyed the play on names for the fact that one of the main characters name was Solomon and that the Freemasons was supposed to have started with the building of King Solomon's temple.

What I liked about this book is that it is a very easy read and that made the book more enjoyable.  I have to admit I do like the fact that when Dan Brown jumps from story to story he does it in short chapters so the reader doesn't get lost.  The book was a page turner and sometimes I got lost in the excitement of the book and lost track of time.  Dan Brown isn't an amazing author, but he is an enjoyable story teller.
 
I loved how the author had Langdon try to understand why the forefather and others believed in God without seeing God.  I was impressed how the religious under tones in the book never once took the book to the point you felt you were being told whether to believe in God or not.

What bothered me and I am sure I am not the only one, was how fast Langdon solved all the puzzles in less than a 24 hour time frame.  This was supposed to be one of the best kept secret in American history and he was able to solve them very quickly.  I get he is smart but seriously he has to be super human to solve one of the greatest mysteries while having the weight of the government and a missing friend on his mind.

I also found this book really predictable and I knew about 60 pages in what building they were talking about and I guessed what the secret word was.

It is worth reading if you like the other books Dan Brown wrote, but I just wish it wasn't so predictable.  Like I said, there was only one really good twist in the story but other than that I figured out the end before I was half way through the book.

Thank you to our Guest Blogger Heidi for this review…thanks Heidi.

Publisher:  Published September 15th 2009 by Doubleday Books

ISBN: 9780385504225

Copyright: 2009

Pages: 509

Quick Review: 31/2 stars (out of 5)

Why I Read It:  Looking for a book with an author’s name that started with a B, a silly game I play when looking for a new book to read.

Where I Obtained the Book: At the local library.

Synopsis:  In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling--a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths... all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for... his most thrilling novel yet.


Author Biography:  Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code.

Brown is interested in cryptography, codes, and keys. Currently his novels have been translated into many languages.

Although many see Dan Brown's books as anti-Christian, Brown is a Christian who says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith".

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