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The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
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The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown

Series: Robert Langdon (3)

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2,2821650 (3.39)40
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Showing 1-5 of 160 (next | show all)
Good. Not as good as Da Vinci code. ( )
  ini_ya | Nov 20, 2009 |
An easy read, this book is action packed with alot of suspense and details. The novel has alot of fascinating information in it that allows the imagination to run wild. The ending was rather odd and boring. The last few chapters rambled on (much like Angels and Demons.) It should have ended on a high note once everything went down. ( )
  tmasso79 | Nov 20, 2009 |
This one is action-packed and extremely fast-paced story. Again we follow professor Langdon as he tries to solve the mystery before the crack of dawn in order to save the life of his best friend (is it just me or every Brown's novel after "Da Vinci Code" has that "24" feeling :)) while being hunted by a very, very disturbed villain.

Thing i did not like that much is the fact that entire novels seems to be a commercial of sorts for Freemasons - after reading this novel man can only start to wonder why people do not like and trust that secretive society of powerful men when they only want human society to prosper and live happily.

Again, Brown describes all the locations in the book with great detail and maybe in these descriptions (together with some interesting anecdotes from history) lays the main surprise for reader. Writing style is cumbersome in some parts but all in all book succeeds in its main goal - to entertain you - plus you will hear some interesting things that will hopefully make you read some more serious works on the matter.

As one reviewer already said - read Brown's works as novels, not history works and you'll enjoy it.

Recommended. ( )
1 vote Zare | Nov 19, 2009 |
I know it has become fashionable to review wildly commercially successful novels and slam them with one or two star reviews, and I’ll be the first to admit that Dan Brown’s fiction is hardly classic literature, however the simple fact remains: I lay in bed at night reading his work and I don’t want to quit reading.

Granted, you might dislike his writing style; the short cliffhanging chapters, the preposterously indestructible and omnipotent villains (present in both Angels and Demons and The Lost Symbol), the bizarre leaps in logic and analytical processes that enable our hero (Robert Langdon, a/k/a Tom Hanks) to work his way through the maze of symbols and riddles, but again, I have to force myself to quit reading at 2 a.m., when other writing has me nodding off at 11 p.m.

As in his two most recent blockbusters, The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, Brown takes a subject matter rich in mystery, legend and symbology, and crafts an immensely interesting tale, based partly on fact and largely on logical extension of those facts. This time, his subject is the Brotherhood of Masons and their highly secretive beliefs and myths. As in his two Catholicism based predecessors, there will be numerous blogs and articles pointing out the inaccuracies in The Lost Symbol. To those, I would say: THIS IS FICTION, people, not history (though there is plentiful educational material in all of Brown’s work).

Bottom line, if you enjoyed The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, you will certainly like this novel as well. It is written on the same template and with the same style as his earlier work. I’m sure there will come a time (as it did with Grisham, Clancy and McMurtry) when the formula will get old, but in my opinion it hasn’t happened yet. I must admit that the final 20-30 pages of religious lecture and mystic spiritualism wore me down somewhat, but the action filled and highly educational preceding 400+ pages more than balance the account.

I am somewhat confused by those who vehemently dislike this novel. Not because there aren’t valid criticisms, but instead, why anyone that hated it would have read it in the first place. After all, virtually everyone that reads this book has read The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. If you hated and despised those two, why would you even read this book? I suspect many of those slamming this work, secretly enjoyed reading it, but are embarrassed to admit it. ( )
1 vote santhony | Nov 18, 2009 |
Dan Brown is a pretty known quantity at this point. He's not going to be winning any literary awards any time soon. His novels feature a heavy dose of codes, secret symbols, and obscure facts wrapped in a fast paced action thriller. You'll find short chapters, cringeworthy dialogue, and the occasional sentence fragment. I assume that anyone picking up this novel already expects this.

So the only question is: how did it stack up against expectations?

Personally, I found the subject material less enthralling than the previous Robert Langdon novels. As secret societies go, the Masons simply aren't all that interesting (or even particularly secret). Those who might have expected a grand explanation of why there are so many masonic symbols found in our nation's symbols and monuments would be disappointed - the only explanation offered is that many of the founding fathers and powerful people in general were and are masons. Again, not especially secret, and it would do nothing to dispel the many conspiracy theories relating to the subject. Whereas the code breaking done in the previous two novels took us on a tour of art history to find the clues, in this novel the codes were confined almost entirely to a single fictional pyramid. And though the action moved all over Washington DC, the settings were usually irrelevant to the progression of the mystery. The "big reveal" was delivered anticlimactically, altogether dull, and not especially believable.

Most of that is just my personal viewpoint, and others may differ. But many of the elements that I liked about the previous two novels simply weren't here.

Also, for whatever reason, I saw the final twist coming a mile away, despite the incredulity of it. His novels are so formulaic that many of the plot twists can be predicted long before they're revealed.

All that said however, if I judge it purely as a thriller, it has plenty of exciting action and it's certainly a page turner. It's not a bad bit of light reading, and one can do worse for themselves than to pass an afternoon reading it. ( )
2 vote ejp1082 | Nov 17, 2009 |
Showing 1-5 of 160 (next | show all)
In the end, as with “The Da Vinci Code,” there’s no payoff. Brown should stop worrying about unfinished pyramids and worry about unfinished novels. At least Spielberg and Lucas gave us an Ark and swirling, dissolving humans. We don’t get any ancient wisdom that “will profoundly change the world as you know it” — just a lot of New Agey piffle about how we are the gods we’ve been waiting for. (And a father-son struggle for global domination, as though we didn’t get enough of that with the Bushes.)
 
There are moments of excitement in this skilfully edited, deeply implausible thriller. At times the suspense is prolonged rather than sustained, but the 500 pages turn steadily and the overall effect is entertaining and certainly family-friendly. The Lost Symbol is violent but remarkably chaste and devoid of profanity.
added by Shortride | editThe Age, Simon Caterson (Sep 19, 2009)
 
If you hate Dan Brown, you're going to hate this book.

It seems Brown has decided to irk his critics by repeating every flaw he's been accused of. ...

No, it's not Foucault's Pendulum. It doesn't even come close. However, if you liked Dan Brown's previous books you're likely to enjoy this one. There is some interesting trivia about the history of Washington, DC which is in fact true, which is an added bonus.
added by camillahoel | editRead And Find Out, Tom (Sep 17, 2009)
 
It’s true, his style is as baldly prosaic as legend, but there remains a heft to his potboilers that is hard to imitate. He is better at conveying claustrophobia and breathlessness than, say, the explosion of a top-secret lab (“fragments of titanium mesh . . . droplets of melted silicon” etc) but the latter will make a juicier scene come the inevitable Tom Hanks movie, and the author knows this.
added by Shortride | editThe Times, Andrew Collins (Sep 16, 2009)
 
As a thriller, "The Lost Symbol" is exciting, although readers of "The Da Vinci Code" will notice that some of the same stock characters and creaky plot devices pop up... As District of Columbia resident, I must say that Mr. Brown does a first-rate job of delivering a Cook's tour with duly sinister overtones of Washington's famous sites... It's when Mr. Brown interrupts his storytelling to deliver one of his many lectures on Christian ­intolerance—with pointed digs at the American ­religious right—that "The Lost Symbol" becomes a ­didactic bore.
 
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
To live in the world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books.
Dedication
For Blythe
First words
The secret is how to die.
Quotations
Neckties had been required six days a week when Langdon attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and despite the headmaster's romantic claims that the origin of the cravat went back to the silk fascalia worn by Roman orators to warm their vocal cords, Langdon knew that, etymologically, cravat actually derived from a ruthless band of "Croat" mercenaries who donned knotted neckerchiefs before they stormed into battle. To this day, this ancient battle garb was donned by modern office warriors hoping to intimidate their enemies in daily boardroom battles.
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Reportedly haunted locations in Washington, D.C.

Book description

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0385504225, Hardcover)

Let's start with the question every Dan Brown fan wants answered: Is The Lost Symbol as good as The Da Vinci Code? Simply put, yes. Brown has mastered the art of blending nail-biting suspense with random arcana (from pop science to religion), and The Lost Symbol is an enthralling mix. And what a dazzling accomplishment that is, considering that rabid fans and skeptics alike are scrutinizing every word.

The Lost Symbol
begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters.

Nothing is as it seems in a Robert Langdon novel, and The Lost Symbol itself is no exception--a page-turner to be sure, but Brown also challenges his fans to open their minds to new information. Skeptical? Imagine how many other thrillers would spawn millions of Google searches for noetic science, superstring theory, and Apotheosis of Washington. The Lost Symbol is brain candy of the best sort--just make sure to set aside time to enjoy your meal. --Daphne Durham


More from Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code Angels & Demons Deception Point Digital Fortress


(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:53:59 -0400)

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