The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown)
by Dan Brown
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Book Reviews of The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown)
Book Review: Some heady stuff--and not just the chase scenes
Summary: 4 Stars
After The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, Dan Brown gives us a third adventure with his popular character Robert Langdon, Harvard professor and religious history and ancient symbols expert. (Think Tom Hanks, who, with director Ron Howard, is probably gearing up for another film version as I write this). This time, Brown takes us on a nerve-wracking romp through Washington, D.C. as Langdon tries to decipher symbols and secrets of the American Masons before they can be misused by an evil force. As usual, Brown offers a virtually artless writing style, but this hardly matters because his story is completely plot-driven and this book, like his previous ones, is a real page-turner. Brown may not be a Charles Dickens or a John Steinbeck when it comes to written expression, but he does know how to construct a good story. Chapters bounce back and forth between exciting predicaments and flash back to earlier events and provide background on various characters. (There are so many cliffhangers in this story that it easily could have run as a week-to-week serial in a newspaper as was the custom for introducing numerous 19th-century novels).
As in all the Brown novels, this one has a psychotic, homicidal bad guy who is trying to foil Langdon's clever efforts to unravel perplexing clues and riddles so he can reach the treasure first and use it for his own evil purposes. This time, the nemesis is a megalomanical tattooed madman who thinks he can gain the map to the Ancient Mysteries and thereby transform himself in to a god. He is one baaaaaaad dude, and never, since I read the Left Behind series wherein the antagonist is the Antichrist himself, have I wanted so badly for the enemy to get his comeuppances. (Need I say that he does--big time?)
Some plot points call for a suspension of disbelief. For example, the nemesis first puts his evil plan in motion after he hears crucial information conveniently through a ventilation shaft. That's right. An inmate in a Turkish prison eavesdrops on a conversation from the warden's office through a ventilation shaft. Okay.
Also, would the world as we know it really be ripped asunder if, as certain characters seem to fear, a videotape of detailed secret Masonic rites--bizarre though they may be--were loosed upon the Internet? I hardly think so.
Now, a criticism on character development: Readers were given a false buildup for the big Mistaken Identity revelation toward the end. What was said in earlier chapters was not just misleading (that would have been okay), but explained in a totally false way. Oh, well.
After the nemesis is dispatched, Brown uses characters Peter Soloman, a wealthy academic and 33rd-degree Mason, and his sister Katherine Soloman, a noetic scientist, to present a thought-provoking essay about the importance for respect for ancient holy wisdom and the connection between science and spirituality. Brown focuses on the various sites in the nation's capital, in particular, the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building, to suggest an historical and ongoing connection between American historic ideals and the ultimate spiritual destiny of mankind. His assertions about the Lost Word of the ancients will spark new respect for numerous great books of philosophy from the past--one in particular--and how it contains "a collection of untapped wisdom waiting to be unveiled" (489). The main theme of the book's last three chapters is that God favors mankind's understanding and continuing intellectual and spiritual development. Katherine, who has discovered, among other startling scientific facts, a method to quantifiably weigh the human soul (that's right), continues the discussion of human apotheosis, suggesting the possibility of men reaching complete spiritual maturity (498). These last 20 pages or so are so interesting that they are worth the whole lengthy read.
Book Review: Lots of problems but 4 stars for the sheer fun of it
Summary: 4 Stars
This book ran the gamut of stars for me. If you just go with the flow and try not to get stuck on some of the questionable science and odd/illogical behavior or dialogue, you can really have fun with this book. If you get caught up with the problems, I am pretty sure this isn't the story for you. I'm usually too distracted by things like this and find them offputting, but for some reason I was able to put my doubts and criticisms on back-burner and just have fun trying to solve all the puzzles and be entertained with the cliffhangers and constant peril posed during this novel. The story timeline is just a few hours, although there are some references to things that happen before.
First, a very brief no spoiler summary:
We follow Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, as he is (quickly) summoned to give a speech at the Capital Building by his close friend and mentor, Peter Solomon . He has also been asked to carry a container that Peter always told him was precious and sacred to the Masons. Robert is not a Mason, but Peter is a very high-ranking one. From the very beginning, we know that things are going very wrong, and that there is this mysterious and obviously dangerous killer who intends on getting what's in that container. He also needs to have Peter and Robert solve the many puzzles that will lead to its use.
What's very good with this book, is that there is plenty of foreshadowing that someone may be working with the Bad Guy. But we don't know who, so we mistrust everyone. It's a fast moving book that you will hate to put down, because the short chapters end on such cliffhangers.
As with the Da Vinci Code, I love the way Dan Brown educates us to the wonders that actually exist in our everyday cities and lives. He makes the puzzles so interesting and makes us want to try to figure them out on our own. I had never thought of Washington DC as beings such a place full of esoteric temples for varied and ancient beliefs, and never realized our forefathers were so heavily involved in groups like the Masons. I learned a lot from this book. But then again, this may lead to some of my criticism.
The biggest problem with this book for me is this - there is an old expression in law enforcement that if you are in Central Park and you hear hooves, you don't think giraffes, you think horses. Well, Dan Brown thinks giraffes, and that's obviously what makes parts of the books so exciting for readers However, it can also throw others right out of the story.
Without giving anything away, I did not enjoy this book as much as The Da Vinci code, simply because I didn't think the "mystery" gelled in the same way. I was fascinating by the theories in The Da Vinci Code, and although I had a really lot of fun reading The Lost Symbol, the denouement was a very different experience for me. There was also a part of the book where the viewers are mislead, in a way that I thought was unfair. Can't say more without a spoiler, but if you read the book I think you'll know what I mean, and it has to do with the welfare of Robert Langdon.
On the whole though, despite its problems, I gave this book 4 stars because I personally had a lot of fun reading it. Also, if you are the kind of person that likes twists in their stories ( and I do), there is a great one that caught me looking near the end.
If you were a fan of The Da Vinci code, I think you will enjoy this. If you want to learn about all the hidden symbols and ancient and varied religious beliefs and structures and practices that lie at the heart of Washington DC. I think you will be delighted - provided you remember that many of these fantastical visions and theories could quite easily have different and far less exciting explanations. But where's the fun in that?
Book Review: Finally, Dan Brown writes about something I'm interested in!
Summary: 3 Stars
For years I was Dan Brown's fan, his only one. I have a first edition hardback of Angels & Demons. And when I had a whole stack of galleys of The Da Vinci Code six months before publication I couldn't give them away. Well, what a difference the better part of a decade makes. While I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, I didn't enjoy the endless over-the-top hype of the novel and the zillions of Da Vinci clones. Enough already. And, truthfully, Brown's religious subject matter really didn't interest me. So, I can't say that I've been particularly excited about the publication of The Lost Symbol.
Yeah, I bought it the day it went on sale, but I was at home sick as a dog with the flu. The price was right on Kindle, as was the convenience factor, and I was hoping to have the machine read to me as I wasn't quite well enough to tackle the task for myself. Therefore, I was disappointed after purchase to see the read aloud feature disabled for this novel. Boo hiss, Doubleday. Anyway, I eventually got healthier and began to read again and discovered that Dan Brown has finally tackled a subject of real interest to me--my hometown, Washington, DC.
As the novel opens, Robert Langdon is literally jetting to DC to give an important speech as a favor to a dear friend. Rushing to his destination in the US capitol, Langdon discovers the circumstances of his visit to DC are not what he was led to believe. Soon, he's embroiled in another elaborate, puzzle-filled, life-threatening hunt through the nation's capitol. He's dodging the CIA, while unraveling arcane Masonic clues, and sparring with a mad man. In other words, pretty much what you'd expect from Dan Brown.
For me, personally, the symbolic tour of Washington, DC was a true joy. And the ties to the Smithsonian Institution, where I once worked, were an added bonus. These plot elements had me happily flipping electronic pages all through the first half of this lengthy novel. I was enjoying The Lost Symbol significantly more than I had expected. However, the deeper I got into the novel, the less fresh it felt.
First, there is the villain, Mal'akh, or whatever he wants to call himself. It doesn't take the reader long to realize the guy is a complete and total nut job. And once you get past the more lurid aspects of his character and story, it gets kind of old. How much crazy do you have to read before it get boring and repetitive. He's nuts. We know it. Move on.
Second, Brown again falls back on all his favorite plot devices. Tricks like referring to characters without using their name, so as to obscure identity as long as possible. Or having characters have major information that is hidden from the reader. These things are tricks. They're used in a heavy-handed manner. And, again, it all just begins to feel manipulative and old. Plus, the revelations when they finally, finally come just aren't that exciting.
Third, there are plot elements that were supposed to be huge surprises that were just so obvious to me. I'm not saying that every single reader will pick up on the stuff that I did, but they might have clued into something else. I'd be surprised if they didn't.
So, a mixed reaction from me. I really enjoy Robert Langdon's lectures. I think the symbology is genuinely interesting. Having so much of it revolve around a location I'm intimately familiar with was a special treat for me. There were a lot of plot elements that were just a lot of fun, and on one level this is a light, entertaining read. The second half of the book didn't work as well for me. I think Brown returned to his bag of tricks too often and ultimately revelations disappointed. For a less critical reader simply looking for a page-turner, you could do worse.
Book Review: Why?
Summary: 2 Stars
First there was "Angels and Demons" (yes it came first in 2000), a novel by Dan Brown about Robert Langdon who is a professor of religious iconology and symbology at Harvard University. Langdon is called upon to stop a plot set in motion by the Illuminati to blow up the Vatican with something called antimatter that had been stolen from a high security research facility.
Starting in 2003, the world was bombarded with "The Da Vinci Code." This time, Robert Langdon went in search of The Holy Grail and along the way managed to upset The Knights Templar, The Priory of Sion and the Opus Dei. Somehow this book went on to sell over 80 million copies and contrary to popular belief it is NOT the #1 selling book of all time. In fact, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" outsold the "The Di Vinci Code" that year and Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" outsold it by at least 20 million copies. Websites and info pages have been updated to correct the statements that it was the #1 bestselling work of fiction of all time and is now being called "One of the most popular books of all time."
Next came two weak movies based on the books and made out of order. They got mixed reviews from fans and critics alike and both were denounced by The Vatican. Yet the movies still managed to rake in huge chunks of change. While the books and movies are entertaining, even "Angels and Demons" costar Stellan Skarsgard had an issue with the writing stating, "I think Dan Brown is a terribly bad writer, but he has cliffhangers at the end of every chapter which makes you want to continue reading," and stated that the script was significantly different from the book. "Angels and Demons", the better of Brown's work still underwent minor changes before future printings due to inaccuracies.
Now we have "The Lost Symbol." Langdon is once again called upon to find something that is hidden in codes and buildings. Set in Washington D.C. and taking place over the course of 12 hours, Langdon is trying to save his friend Peter Solomon because...are you ready?...Peter is a 33rd degree Freemason who has been kidnapped by a man covered in tattoos named Mal'akh. Mal'akh tells Robert that Peter knows the secret that would unlock the "word" that is an ancient source of power. Knowing that Peter gave part of the secret to Robert, Mal'akh tells Robert to unlock the Ancient Mysteries in exchange for Peter's life. In the meantime, Peter's sister Katherine is working on a top secret project in a pod (yes a pod) deep in a government building but Mal'akh is hell bent on destroying her too.
In the end, all is revealed; kind of. There are chases and explosions. There are symbols and monuments. There are hidden rooms, secret passageways, dead bodies, giant squids (I'm not kidding) and more importantly, there is $29.95 plus tax wasted unless you are a fan of predictable and poorly written fiction. Brown can weave an interesting story but fails in the actual execution of his ideas. I have yet to talk to a person who has read the book who didn't figure out Brown's "plot twist" before they were even half way finished with the book. There was no surprise, no real suspense and not much gusto to the story. It's starting to look like Brown may be better suited writing children's books rather than adult novels. Maybe his 1993 self titled pop music album makes up for these books, but I doubt it.
Brown's promotional website states that puzzles are present on the book jacket and you must decipher it in order to reveal the hidden message. Maybe the hidden message in "The Lost Symbol" will tell us why Brown is planning 12 more novels featuring Robert Langdon? If so, I'll figure it out so I can be ready to be disappointed again.
Book Review: Laus Deo or Praise God--is fine with me--but the thriller Brown built around it fails miserably.
Summary: 2 Stars
Robert Langdon, the Harvard Professor in symbols, is summoned by his Mason friend, Peter Solomon, to give a lecture in Washington, DC, at the National Statuary Hall inside the U. S. Capitol. As he arrives, there is nobody inside the room and he discovers he has been falsely summoned. Langdon is faced with the severed hand if his friend, Peter Solomon, with symbols on it. Langdon recognizes it as the "Hand of Mysteries," which represents an "invitation to receive secret knowledge--protected wisdom known only by an elite few."
Peter Solomon has been kidnapped, and to save him, Langdon must use his knowledge of symbols to decipher the most secretly guarded knowledge of the order of the Masons. The Ancient Mysteries refer to a body of secret knowledge that was amassed long ago. It enables its practitioners to access powerful abilities that lie dormant in the human mind. It was kept secret from the masses because it was considered far too potent and dangerous for the initiated in the Mason ways.
Langdon is shocked when inspector Inouc Sato of the CIA, a Mason herself, takes charge and calls the events a matter of national security. Apparently Langdon had a small pyramid that he brought for the lecture that when united with the golden cap provided by another Mason, would form a message that once deciphered would give immense power to the beholder. The Legend of the Masonic Pyramid states that the Masons, in order to fulfill their responsibility of protecting their great wisdom for future generations, decided to hide it in a great fortress--since the Masons has transported the secret Wisdom from the Old World to the New World in a hidden pyramid designed to protect the Ancient Mysteries until the time that all of mankind was ready to handle it.
To save his friend, and decipher the secrets of the pyramid, Langdon is aided by Katherine Solomon, Peter's sister, and many other Masons.
He is plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history--all of which leads to a single inconceivable truth: a password--verbum significatum--which is said to hold the power to lift the darkness and unlock Ancient Mysteries, opening them to all human understanding.
They face a new arch-enemy: someone by the name of Mal'akh--a Mason himself and surprisingly related to the Solomons.
The book is extremely hard to follow, new characters are introduced every chapter or two. The ridiculous amount of research at the beginning of each chapter, as we change to a new location in DC is distracting and annoying.
Brown's many references to his prior work: The da Vinci Code, are also distracting and annoying.
The revelations that Two Supreme Court Justices, the Secretary of Defense, The Speaker of the House, Several prominent Senators, including the majority leader, the secretary of Homeland Security and the director of the CIA are masons and if revealed would cause a major catastrophe is ridiculous at most, and not worth reading 509 pages to find out.
Finally, the revelation that the Bible is the encrypted text, filled with a hidden layer, a concealed message that was veiled in allegory, symbolism, and parable--again is not worth reading 509 pages to arrive to that conclusion. I really don't think this will cause the Catholic Church much furor, thus he will not get as much free publicity.
"God is very real--a mental energy that pervades everything--and it was our minds that were created in the image of God--as soon as we humans begin to harness our true power, we will have enormous control over our world."
Laus Deo or Praise God--is fine with me--but the thriller Brown built around it fails miserably.