'The Lost Symbol is the latest offering from Dan Brown featuring Harvard Symbologist Robert Langdon and like all avid readers of his work I was looking forward to reading the book. -
At 6am on a Sunday morning Robert Langdon receives a message from his mentor and friend, prominent 33rd Degree Mason Peter Solomon, to conduct a lecture in Washington’s Capitol Building and not wanting to let his friend down Langdon agrees to go and sets off for the airport where Peter’s private jet is waiting for him. However on arrival at the Rotunda area within the Capitol Building, something strikes Langdon as odd, there is nobody waiting there for the lecture. Believing he is in the wrong building Langdon is set to walk about but is interrupted by a commotion, on looking on what the problem is, it seems that somebody has left a strategically placed hand on the floor, however on closer looks Langdon receives a shock, he recognises the Masonic ring on a finger of the hand as belonging to his friend Peter Solomon. It seems an evil baddie called Mal’akh has kidnapped Solomon and has given Langdon an invitation to save his friend from death by solving a puzzle to find the Masonic legend of the Lost Symbol. .
Langdon, aided by Peter’s beautiful sister and scientist Katherine Solomon, race against the clock trying to solve puzzles, rushing from place to place, hindered by the police. Will the pair be able escape with their own lives as well as saving Peter Solomon? .
The book is set in Washington DC and features the Free Masons right through including some of their rituals, habits and legends, although I doubt such a secret society would allow these rituals and secrets to be covered fully. The story is set over a period of 12 hours and boy, does a lot happen in those 12 hours. .
Brown does a very good job of bringing the characters alive, Langdon in my minds eye, was of course Tom Hanks, having seen the Da Vinci Code film although I have yet to see Angels and Demons. In depth descriptions of the lives of Peter and Katherine Solomon make it easy to picture them along with the baddie Mal’akh. .
Even the other characters, including Sato, the Director of the CIA’s office of Security, who came across as rather scary and one of Peters Colleagues from the Masonic Lodge, Warren Bellamy, who was obviously trying to keep the Masons traditions quiet and protect the integrity of other high powered Masonic members, were very easy to picture. .
The book is fast paced with lots of twists and turns and very easy to get in to and completely unputdownable, that is until you get to the end, I found the last 50 or so pages rather slow and boring. Ok these pages finished the book off nicely but compared to the adrenaline filled rest of the book, this seemed rather a let down and left me feeling quite deflated. For me I would rather have finished the book on an exciting climax. .
A number of puzzles are drawn throughout the book to give you an idea what Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon are trying to solve although I never took any time out to try to solve the puzzles. .
If you are a Dan Brown fan then it is certainly worth the read, even if you are not it is worth reading although it may be an idea to start at the beginning and read the Da Vinci Code first followed by Angels and Demons as you don't really get too much of an insight into Robert Langdon for me it was presumed I had already read the other books. Incidently the book does refer back to the Angels and Demons storyline. .
Sorry Mr Brown I have knocked off one star for the boring ending. .
At the moment this book is only available in hardback and contains 509 pages divided into 133 nice short and easy to read chapters. If you are interested in reading it, it may be an idea to shop about to find the cheapest price as the RRP is 1p shy of £19.00 but I got mine from Tesco for £9.00 but it is available from Amazon for £7.50. .
Afterthought .
I suspect the tourist department of Washington DC are rubbing their hands together in glee awaiting the die hard Brown/Langdon fans to start visiting the buildings and monuments named within the book and I bet they can’t wait for the film to be made in a couple of years! .
Many thanks for reading Anna
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Vehicles move through the murky night, carrying highly secret material. And that ... more
clandestine material will only be available--after midnight--to those who have signed non-disclosure notices. The plot of the new Dan Brown novel? No, its actually how rev...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Vehicles move through the murky night, carrying highly secret material. And that ... more
clandestine material will only be available--after midnight--to those who have signed non-disclosure notices. The plot of the new Dan Brown novel? No, its actually how rev...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Vehicles move through the murky night, carrying highly secret material. And that ... more
clandestine material will only be available--after midnight--to those who have signed non-disclosure notices. The plot of the new Dan Brown novel? No, its actually how rev...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
Advantages: A good read with symbolic twists and turns Disadvantages: No WOW factor
Nothing-But-The-Truth 06.11.2009 (06.11.2009)
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Review of The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
Nov 9th, 2009
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