Book Review: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
In my current move to read and write more, I just finished the book The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Yes, that Dan Brown, the same man who authored Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and sent would-be conspiracy theorists and religious members scurrying to their nearest search engine to find out what was true and what was fiction. It is the third book starring the fictional professor/ eidetic cryptologist, Robert Langdon, and his historically based adventures, featuring codes only he can crack.
This adventure starts very quickly, and so does Brown’s successful formula of using facts and real life situations with a very believable plot, full of twists and turns to keep you hooked. If there is one thing any writer can take from his writing, it is the way he leaves every chapter as a cliff hanger, so that even at four o’clock in the morning, you find yourself saying “One more chapter, okay, one more chapter.” If you are familiar with his other books you will definitely enjoy another go round with the modern-day Indiana Jones (sans fedora and whip, sadly), and the formula he uses, still doesn’t get old. This time the plot focuses around the Freemasons, a secret society ”society with secrets” that dates back over 400 years, and has always been associated with new world orders, occult rituals, and even the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail (even though he covered this topic previously, there is not a lot of crossover between the subjects). Set in Washington D.C., the nation’s capitol and home to some very symbolic structures, and a lot of history to draw material from, it is fun to read about the United States’ interesting past, for a change. If you, for some silly reason, have not read his previous books, don’t worry, just finish this one and then go back and read the other two. The way Brown gives character background information, fills in the gaps enough without spoiling the earlier stories.
I was a little late getting to this book, since it came out in 2009, but I’m glad I finally read it. I’m sure they’ll be making a movie out of it in no time, so do yourself a favor and pick it up before Tom Hanks gets to it.
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