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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
In classic Dan Brown style, it managed to keep me on my toes til the very end. But I must say that this one was a little predictable (unusual for Dan Brown). Great read none the less!
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
tense
fast-paced
TL;DR: This book is SOOOOOOOOOOO DUMB!!!!
Anyway . . . strap in folks because this is gonna be a long one. Spoilers for sure.
1. The main protagonist of this book, Susan Fletcher, is a brilliant, 170 IQ, cryptographer working at the NSA. I know what you're thinking: but is she hot though? Yes, stunningly, strikingly, unbelievably attractive. Helen of Troy can suck it, she is dirt on the bottom of Susan Fletcher's Salvatore Ferragamo flats. Seriously though, every single male character in this book has a moment where they wax poetic about how INCREDIBLY gorgeous she is. It is truly stunning that she literally cannot appear in the pages of this book without one of the male characters pulling a Tex Avery wolf routine. Sometimes it's just the narrator pulling the wolf routine. I know what else you're thinking though: was she gangly and awkward in high school? OF COURSE SHE WAS!!! Because she's a fucking stereotype. Also she's a dumbass. The author harps on the fact that she is brilliant and has a 170 IQ but that does not appear in the pages of the book. Susan struggles with puzzles that a kindergartner could solve and she seems unable to follow basic conversations.
2. Dan Brown HATES Spain. I don't know if he had a bad vacation there once or if his semester abroad didn't go well but my god does this man hate Spain. Half the book takes place in Spain and Danny Boy doesn't miss a single opportunity to slam Spain into the mud. He talks about how killer the sun is, how bitter the oranges are, how terrible the healthcare system is, how bad their phones are, how dispassionate their legal system is, how they take communion, etc. It is truly unbelievable how he is able to talk mad shit about Spain in almost every chapter; he makes it sound like a war-torn, 3rd world country.
3. The politics of this book are so fucked. The heroes are the people who want the NSA to have full power and authority to snoop on literally everyone on Earth? I think? And the villains are the people that think the NSA shouldn't be able to do that? I use question marks because it is unclear. Like Strathmore is clearly a bad dude but the book makes it seem like he's a bad dude because of the murder (sure) and not at all because he wanted to spy on the entire world. The spying on the entire world part is looked at as a good thing. The characters who question the power of the NSA are looked at as naive and childish. Also the main guy who is like "maybe the NSA shouldn't have unfettered access to everyone's private information" is also a murdered but also a slimeball and serial sexual harasser. So what is the message here? The NSA is good and their ability to spy on everyone at all times is a good thing? Because that's what I got out of it and I can't say I agree.
4. Every character in this book is a genius and incredible at their jobs, unless the plot demands that they not be. Susan is the most brilliant cryptographer who has ever lived, except in all the cases that the plot needs her not to be. David is a polyglot genius, except when the plot needs him not to be. Hulohot is the world's greatest mercenary/assassin, except when trying to kill David because the plot needs David to survive.
5. Strathmore. Just his entire character, beginning to end. He is constantly referred to as the greatest man who has ever lived by Susan. Susan believes this man walks on water and is the most incredible and perfect person who has ever and will ever exist. He is literally compared to Jesus by a different character. And yet his whole life and his whole plan in this book is to create a world in which the NSA has unfettered access to everyone's private information. And pretty much everyone is like "that's super cool and we want to help you". It's only after it's revealed that he is madly in love with Susan (his EMPLOYEE who is at least TWENTY years younger then him) that people start to turn on him. Susan even refers to him as a "legend" after it is revealed that he is madly in love with her and ordered the assassination of her fiance.
6. The finale is idiotic. So, so, so, so, so, so, so, dumb. And it is spread out over 40 pages and like 35 chapters for not reason other then suspense. I guess? I didn't feel any suspense, just boredom and an overpowering desire for the book to be over.
Anyway . . . strap in folks because this is gonna be a long one. Spoilers for sure.
1. The main protagonist of this book, Susan Fletcher, is a brilliant, 170 IQ, cryptographer working at the NSA. I know what you're thinking: but is she hot though? Yes, stunningly, strikingly, unbelievably attractive. Helen of Troy can suck it, she is dirt on the bottom of Susan Fletcher's Salvatore Ferragamo flats. Seriously though, every single male character in this book has a moment where they wax poetic about how INCREDIBLY gorgeous she is. It is truly stunning that she literally cannot appear in the pages of this book without one of the male characters pulling a Tex Avery wolf routine. Sometimes it's just the narrator pulling the wolf routine. I know what else you're thinking though: was she gangly and awkward in high school? OF COURSE SHE WAS!!! Because she's a fucking stereotype. Also she's a dumbass. The author harps on the fact that she is brilliant and has a 170 IQ but that does not appear in the pages of the book. Susan struggles with puzzles that a kindergartner could solve and she seems unable to follow basic conversations.
2. Dan Brown HATES Spain. I don't know if he had a bad vacation there once or if his semester abroad didn't go well but my god does this man hate Spain. Half the book takes place in Spain and Danny Boy doesn't miss a single opportunity to slam Spain into the mud. He talks about how killer the sun is, how bitter the oranges are, how terrible the healthcare system is, how bad their phones are, how dispassionate their legal system is, how they take communion, etc. It is truly unbelievable how he is able to talk mad shit about Spain in almost every chapter; he makes it sound like a war-torn, 3rd world country.
3. The politics of this book are so fucked. The heroes are the people who want the NSA to have full power and authority to snoop on literally everyone on Earth? I think? And the villains are the people that think the NSA shouldn't be able to do that? I use question marks because it is unclear. Like Strathmore is clearly a bad dude but the book makes it seem like he's a bad dude because of the murder (sure) and not at all because he wanted to spy on the entire world. The spying on the entire world part is looked at as a good thing. The characters who question the power of the NSA are looked at as naive and childish. Also the main guy who is like "maybe the NSA shouldn't have unfettered access to everyone's private information" is also a murdered but also a slimeball and serial sexual harasser. So what is the message here? The NSA is good and their ability to spy on everyone at all times is a good thing? Because that's what I got out of it and I can't say I agree.
4. Every character in this book is a genius and incredible at their jobs, unless the plot demands that they not be. Susan is the most brilliant cryptographer who has ever lived, except in all the cases that the plot needs her not to be. David is a polyglot genius, except when the plot needs him not to be. Hulohot is the world's greatest mercenary/assassin, except when trying to kill David because the plot needs David to survive.
5. Strathmore. Just his entire character, beginning to end. He is constantly referred to as the greatest man who has ever lived by Susan. Susan believes this man walks on water and is the most incredible and perfect person who has ever and will ever exist. He is literally compared to Jesus by a different character. And yet his whole life and his whole plan in this book is to create a world in which the NSA has unfettered access to everyone's private information. And pretty much everyone is like "that's super cool and we want to help you". It's only after it's revealed that he is madly in love with Susan (his EMPLOYEE who is at least TWENTY years younger then him) that people start to turn on him. Susan even refers to him as a "legend" after it is revealed that he is madly in love with her and ordered the assassination of her fiance.
6. The finale is idiotic. So, so, so, so, so, so, so, dumb. And it is spread out over 40 pages and like 35 chapters for not reason other then suspense. I guess? I didn't feel any suspense, just boredom and an overpowering desire for the book to be over.
A literary big mac; it fills you up for a bit and it can be a guilty pleasure every now and then. I wont get into the portrayal of my home town...
I'm not a particularly hard critic. This book was recommended by a friend at the office, and it was perfect for what I was looking for - a quick, easy-to-read page turner for the pool. I have to admit, I read the second half of the book in one sitting. I wanted to know how it all turned out.
I absolutely loved this book. This is my first book I have read from Dan Brown, and I really want to read "Angels and Demons" I enjoyed the fast pace, vocabulary, and turn of events. Can't wait for more.
This one was an exciting read as the setting seemed very realistic and makes one wonder about the security of our governments data.
This book was fantastic! Suspense, romance, codes. I loved it.