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A review by topdragon
Inferno by Dan Brown
3.0
I always have mixed feelings when I read a Dan Brown novel. This one was no exception.
Robert Langdon, history professor and symbologist extraordinaire, wakes up in a hospital bed in Italy with no memory of the last day and a half. He is soon launched on an adventure, chased by a mysterious assassin throughout the city of Florence and beyond, always with an overwhelming feeling of being out of control due to his lack of memory. But everything seems to surround the poet Dante and his masterwork, [b:The Divine Comedy|6656|The Divine Comedy|Dante Alighieri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624535952l/6656._SY75_.jpg|809248].
As usual for a Dan Brown novel, the plot is interesting with plenty of twists and turns. He does, however, take plenty of detours getting to it. The overarching theme in this one is the idea than mankind is dooming itself through overpopulation and a madman is out to correct the situation via the release of a catastrophic plague. We’ve seen this sort of thing before of course: we need to erase most of the human population on earth so that we can start over and do it better next time. While reading this book I spent most of my time thinking this was just another in a long line of such plots but fortunately, Brown provides an interesting twist that turns things on their head. The ending is actually pretty good and worth the time to plod through the rest of it.
However, the novel suffers from two main things, both hallmarks of Dan Brown novels. First, he can’t resist being a tour guide. A certain amount of this is fine because it adds color and its cool to see how it can relate to the unfolding plot. But he just goes overboard. A large chunk of the novel is spent with our main characters running from the people trying to catch them. But it’s as if the author planned their escape routes so they would go from one touristy spot to another merely to allow Langdon to pontificate on the artwork or architecture or history of that spot. Wouldn’t want all that author research to go to waste. It really bogs down the plot.
The second problem area is the writing itself. Unrealistic dialog, amateur phrasing, repetitive prose and massive pacing problems permeate his work. I really noticed what I call the “American Idol” syndrome at play here. The drawing out of suspense, beyond the breaking point. Like when the American Idol folks stretch out who is going home, teasing and stalling, and then going to a commercial break before the announcement. It’s like that here too. In my mind, it cheapens the story.
So, in the end, I like the plot but would prefer the book be edited down by at least twenty percent, resisting the urge to stop the action to admire yet one more sculpture.
Robert Langdon, history professor and symbologist extraordinaire, wakes up in a hospital bed in Italy with no memory of the last day and a half. He is soon launched on an adventure, chased by a mysterious assassin throughout the city of Florence and beyond, always with an overwhelming feeling of being out of control due to his lack of memory. But everything seems to surround the poet Dante and his masterwork, [b:The Divine Comedy|6656|The Divine Comedy|Dante Alighieri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624535952l/6656._SY75_.jpg|809248].
As usual for a Dan Brown novel, the plot is interesting with plenty of twists and turns. He does, however, take plenty of detours getting to it. The overarching theme in this one is the idea than mankind is dooming itself through overpopulation and a madman is out to correct the situation via the release of a catastrophic plague. We’ve seen this sort of thing before of course: we need to erase most of the human population on earth so that we can start over and do it better next time. While reading this book I spent most of my time thinking this was just another in a long line of such plots but fortunately, Brown provides an interesting twist that turns things on their head. The ending is actually pretty good and worth the time to plod through the rest of it.
However, the novel suffers from two main things, both hallmarks of Dan Brown novels. First, he can’t resist being a tour guide. A certain amount of this is fine because it adds color and its cool to see how it can relate to the unfolding plot. But he just goes overboard. A large chunk of the novel is spent with our main characters running from the people trying to catch them. But it’s as if the author planned their escape routes so they would go from one touristy spot to another merely to allow Langdon to pontificate on the artwork or architecture or history of that spot. Wouldn’t want all that author research to go to waste. It really bogs down the plot.
The second problem area is the writing itself. Unrealistic dialog, amateur phrasing, repetitive prose and massive pacing problems permeate his work. I really noticed what I call the “American Idol” syndrome at play here. The drawing out of suspense, beyond the breaking point. Like when the American Idol folks stretch out who is going home, teasing and stalling, and then going to a commercial break before the announcement. It’s like that here too. In my mind, it cheapens the story.
So, in the end, I like the plot but would prefer the book be edited down by at least twenty percent, resisting the urge to stop the action to admire yet one more sculpture.