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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
If you've read any Dan Brown novels, you know what you're getting into with this. No, his writing's not very good, and it actually borders sometimes on the down-right corny. And, yes, he does expect you to suspend all sense of disbelief you've ever had to join him on the ride he's creating for you. But oh what a ride it usually turns out to be! The Lost Symbol is a good book, with a good story, and Robert Langdon is a great character, even if he is kind of cheesy. I found this particular book to be a little more formulaic than some of Brown's others--maybe the "oh boy what secrets will he give away this time" novelty has worn off a little--but I still read in about a day and a half. It's fast paced and you want to know the secret at the end. I recommend all of Brown's books if you like a good, quick thriller.
Okay, so.
This book pretty much mirrored the Da Vinci Code. Like mysterious evil man kills/kidnaps powerful dude in secret society and Robert and a pretty woman who is biologically related to this man have to solve the clues and figure out what's going on while the government tries to catch them. Still exciting and while I was reading it I did not know how similar it was actually going to be. Overall pleasant reading experience but after finishing it (and Da Vinci Code) the ending is confusing (for someone who knows nothing about the topic, aka me) and sort of mysterious and conceptual, which for a thriller is, in my opinion, too like intellectual or something. These books have cool facts about cool things, but I would not consider them intellectual because of the juvenile writing style and the fast-paced plot. Still fun, so overall worth it.
This book pretty much mirrored the Da Vinci Code. Like mysterious evil man kills/kidnaps powerful dude in secret society and Robert and a pretty woman who is biologically related to this man have to solve the clues and figure out what's going on while the government tries to catch them. Still exciting and while I was reading it I did not know how similar it was actually going to be. Overall pleasant reading experience but after finishing it (and Da Vinci Code) the ending is confusing (for someone who knows nothing about the topic, aka me) and sort of mysterious and conceptual, which for a thriller is, in my opinion, too like intellectual or something. These books have cool facts about cool things, but I would not consider them intellectual because of the juvenile writing style and the fast-paced plot. Still fun, so overall worth it.
The writing style was mediocre at best, childish at worst, but somehow the plot drove this novel along at a furious speed. “The Lost Symbol” is frustratingly hard to put down, especially when the short chapters persuaded me to stay up just a bit longer, causing me to find myself 100 pages deeper with significantly less sleep for the night. This plot, along with an interesting concoction of philosophy and history made the poor writing style forgivable. At its very least, Dan Brown’s books are a testament to the rarely paralleled research seen in modern thrillers.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
I was really enjoying this book right up until the last few chapters. The puzzles and the symbolism were very clever, but then the characters had such life changing events happen to them in the end and hardly acknowledged them. The storyline was no longer believable when SPOILER ALERT your son who you thought was dead for many years turns out to be your evil tormentor who you thought had killed your sister and your friend and then dies just a short while after this revelation, but you are able to go on to discuss ancient symbolism and show Robert Langdon around some more mysteries places and leave him with a smile. Sorry, but the lack of emotion and shallowness of relationships has turned me off reading any more Dan Brown books.
I certainly don't feel any smarter after reading a Dan Brown book, but you can't deny that they're fun.
An utter disappointment.Other than Katherine's research their was no fact in the book, all was speculation. Rapid plot change and extremely slow pace of story.one fourth of the book is over and yet Robert is not sure whether to decipher the pyramid. There's more of Malakh than of Robert.The Ancient mystery was also disappointment.
Overall, not up to the Dan Brown level.
Overall, not up to the Dan Brown level.
I find Dan Brown's stories very unrealistic in the sense of there being constant "close calls" and coincidences, but his writing is so engaging that I can't put his books down!
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No