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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I went into this book with fairly low expectations after reading and hearing mixed reviews and it STILL feel below my expectations. Dan Brown must use the same outline for all of his conspiracy theory books (The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, and The Lost Symbol), because TLS reads exactly the same as his other novels; all Brown seems to have done to freshen up the story is insert 'new' characters (I use the term 'new loosely because they are practically cookie cutter characters from his other books), a new overblown hidden secret, and a different setting. It's predictable and redundant if you've read his other books or even if you've just seen The Da Vinci Code movie. Brown uses so many pictures and illustrations in TLS it becomes incredibly annoying. Do I really need to see illustrations of "Pod 5", "Sending Message: 4% Complete", and pictures of a fork and knife to illustrate that Langdon found a kitchen?? It's condescending. As for Landgon himself, for someone so involved with symbolism, he sure takes a lot of things at their literal meaning. He is almost unbelievably stupid at times. It's either that or he is going off on some mental masturbatory rant whereby Brown tries to show us how ingenious Langdon is (mostly in the first 100 pages). Equally annoying is how many times Langdon ends up in confining spaces and as the reader you are constantly reminded of his claustrophobia. How many times can one guy get stuck in a confining space in a matter of hours?! As you have probably gleaned by now, TLS is not my favorite book. That being said, it was 'ok' enough to warrant 2 stars. Barely.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The first quarter of the book feels more expository than the first two books, and the middle chapters' cliffhangers start to feel clickbaity after a while. It ends with a lot of teaching that feels excessively detailed and even borders on tautology. There's just not enough of the adventure or action from the first two books. Still, it's a good mystery, and its thrilling moments are thrilling.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story wasn't as fast pace as The Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons. I didn't care about finding Peter Solomon and a few clues to major "secrets" I was able to figure out pretty early. That being said I still enjoy the historical and religious mysticism.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No