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Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol


Matt H

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He's one of those authors who writes a script, as if he's uber-confident that it'll be made into a film. Can't abide that sort.

 

On the contrary, reading what I have on his latest story, I was thinking to myself about the potential for a film, and how It didn't lend itself to it. Nor did the others.

 

If what you were saying was correct, then the two films that have been made wouldn't have been rubbish, and would have been as, if not more, entertaining than the books they were based on.

 

The length that Dan goes to in explaining the science and symbology in his books doesn't make for a good film. Pages of explanation just doesn't lend itself to sitting well in a film.

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  • 1 month later...

After finally getting around to reading the final 50 pages of Dan Brown's latest lightning fast trip through knowledgeable tension, I can sincerely say that I believe The Lost Symbol to be best of the five in his repertoire.

 

There’s always a twist in Dan’s Books, and you expect the usual ‘good guy is actually a bad guy’ element to rear its head, as it has done before in most of Dan’s Novels. This time, the good guys are the good guys, the bad guys the bad guys, but could the bad guys be the good guys as well? Well, there is one clear villain in this story, that doesn’t change, but while the general layout hasn’t changed – and why would it, it works well and certainly delivers again this time round; the way the villain in this story evolves is very different.

 

Not only is the villain element a refreshing alteration to the classic Angel’s & Demons, DaVinci Code and Digital Fortress plots, so is Dan’s take on his current cult of topic: Freemasonry. While Robert Langdon’s strong stance on basic religion remains, the narrative takes a surprising turn to the side of the divine creator. Not to the degree that would see us all attend church and pray every night, but for the first time, Robert Langdon is presented with an appealing argument that does a little more than make him think.

 

The book rivets you to your seat; as expected, but I do feel that this built tension and excitement is somewhat failed by the final reveal that led me to the only part of this novel that was, if anything, disappointing. Part of me expected it, the other half wanted more, but the ending left a slight bitter taste in the mouth after being promised so much.

 

Nevertheless, you will look back over the 505 pages of the Lost Symbol and find a forgiving heart as you reflect on how this story develops, the revelations, and the alternative take on Dan Browns’ standard plot generation that will make you go out and buy the next one.

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It'll be the same template as the others, the ambitious bad guy, the intellectual dark haired woman, an initially good guy character who is not who he seems, probably a character with a disability, and an improbable race against time.

 

It sells him books though, personally I think he's a terrible writer.

 

:yeahthat: Good at a 'formula'. His way of describing someone with claustrophobia was to say 'he had claustrophobia', yeah, great.

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Are you Dan's marketing PA then Matt?

 

No but I suspect that would be a highly paid job. I simply read a book that I enjoyed and reviewed it.. Shock horror!

 

oh well - enjoy :)

 

I enjoyed, thanks

 

So, was I right?

 

No, I suspect wherever you coined that from was right, in parts. There's enough in here to keep the train moving in the same direction, but also enough to take it on the scenic route via different tracks.

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:yeahthat: Good at a 'formula'. His way of describing someone with claustrophobia was to say 'he had claustrophobia', yeah, great.

 

You obviously haven't read much of the book(s), as the desriptions of Robert's death, and the especially malakhs apparent rise to the heavens at the end were more than.. he's just dead.

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