Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol

What is lost will be found...

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

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Amazon seems to have the answer Brown readers are asking: Is The Lost Symbol as good as the The Da Vinci Code ? Amazon says yes. I say no.
My biggest pet peeve with this novel is quite that it reads like a repetition of the Da Vinci Code. Unfortunately Brown couldn't catch me with the same scheme again. Apparently the whole 528 pages plus/minus a few that go back into the past of certain characters, happens in one night, similar to the Da Vinci Code.

It is true that Brown's writing style is a bit naked, call it bland, I call it naked, but his books have gotten enough positive reviews so they can't be that bad. :-)
I liked the book but missed the references in the end. The topic Freemasons and Noetic Science is an interesting one but I guess only for those that are interested to do their research and learn or people who aren't interested in fiction and fact at all. I'm pretty sure that voices are already or will be loud about facts described wrongly etc. .
As one of Brown's characters said a few times in the ending: It's all about the perspective, from which angle you look at things. He's right with this statement when it comes to the book and in general.

So what's to wish for in the future ? Maybe, and be aware here comes a spoiler, not again the bible (thanks) in the ending, visit other places like for example Egypt, there is so much you can write about, change the storyline, the scheme, or just stay who you are, Mr. Brown, obviously your books reach readers and that's what a writer wants, that's what makes a good book. :-)

Rating:
Visit Dan Brown.

Hardcover: 528 pages
Publisher: Doubleday Books; First Edition edition (September 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385504225
ISBN-13: 978-0385504225