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A review by mownon
Origin by Dan Brown
4.0
Origin, the name does justice to the new Dan Brown novel. Generally, when one opens a book from Robert Langdon series, the person expects to read a story with a thrilling plot, intertwined with classical art, symbolic codes and philosophy. The central theme for most of the series was religious cults and traditions and how a modern scientific invention threatened them and how they would do their very best to ward of science and rationale.
Origin is no different.
.
But... Plot twist. Dan Brown's last novel in the series was uncanny in many ways. The plot was extensively fast-paced, full of portions from medieval philosophy and way too much complex. The complexity alone and the equally speedy pace of that novel put it in a negative light. And to be honest, I found the second and third readings to be horribly time to consume. Origin differs in many ways from Inferno.
For instance, it dwells in the region of modern and postmodern art instead of the usual real where Robert Langdon feels at home. Many modern scientific topics are well weaved in the story, be it quantum computing or Darwinism and much more. Most importantly, a wide range of philosophical and scientific debates are mentioned and discussed relating to creationism and the origin of life on Earth. Sadly, the amount of "thrill" element is limited to a bare minimum. Same goes for "code cracking" that has been at the very center of every Langdon novel.
However, one gets to experience how Robert Langdon would spar off against an enemy when aided by a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence at most crucial moments.
That being said and done, this novel is full of picturesque description of modern art, architectures and relevant historical matters that are always a treat to the reader. And... And... If one is an avid fan of classic science fiction story, he or she would find it amusing to spot the tribute to one of Isaac Asimov's famous stories, The Last Question.
So, what would make the reader to keep the pages turning... The answer is simple enough, you would notice that Dan Brown has been playing safe, not in terms of being politically correct while writing a story that dismisses the idea of faith, but in terms of literary quality. The pace is relatively slow for a thriller, but what will keep a reader engaged is the very simple fact, how he would describe the Origin and finish the story on a good and rational note.
Origin is no different.
.
But... Plot twist. Dan Brown's last novel in the series was uncanny in many ways. The plot was extensively fast-paced, full of portions from medieval philosophy and way too much complex. The complexity alone and the equally speedy pace of that novel put it in a negative light. And to be honest, I found the second and third readings to be horribly time to consume. Origin differs in many ways from Inferno.
For instance, it dwells in the region of modern and postmodern art instead of the usual real where Robert Langdon feels at home. Many modern scientific topics are well weaved in the story, be it quantum computing or Darwinism and much more. Most importantly, a wide range of philosophical and scientific debates are mentioned and discussed relating to creationism and the origin of life on Earth. Sadly, the amount of "thrill" element is limited to a bare minimum. Same goes for "code cracking" that has been at the very center of every Langdon novel.
However, one gets to experience how Robert Langdon would spar off against an enemy when aided by a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence at most crucial moments.
That being said and done, this novel is full of picturesque description of modern art, architectures and relevant historical matters that are always a treat to the reader. And... And... If one is an avid fan of classic science fiction story, he or she would find it amusing to spot the tribute to one of Isaac Asimov's famous stories, The Last Question.
So, what would make the reader to keep the pages turning... The answer is simple enough, you would notice that Dan Brown has been playing safe, not in terms of being politically correct while writing a story that dismisses the idea of faith, but in terms of literary quality. The pace is relatively slow for a thriller, but what will keep a reader engaged is the very simple fact, how he would describe the Origin and finish the story on a good and rational note.