The Lost Symbol
By Dan Brown
(Doubleday Books)
For those who have seen The Da Vinci Code or the recent Tom Hanks film Angels and Demons, Dan Brown is likely a universal name. Creator of the Robert Langdon character, Brown has created successful novel after novel. The Lost Symbol is the third to feature the popular character and is likely to make the character even more popular–Doubleday’s printing of The Lost Symbol is their largest printing in history.
The Lost Symbol is the first book in the Langdon series that takes places in the United States. Former novels have taken place in multiple European locations. The novel takes place in our nation’s capital, Washington DC, and follows the formula of prior novels: something is amiss and Langdon and his famous background make him the only person able to help. There is a page turning, strict time schedule involved (12 hours in this case) and a mysterious hidden society. As is usual in the Brown/Langdon series, a severed body part and the identity of its owner signals the symbol Hand of the Mysteries and the involvement of the Freemasons. Another trademark is that a relative helps Langdon on his path of historical markers.
For fans of the Brown novels (not movies), the book should read like the prior two involving Langdon. For fans of the films, the novel may seem to drag on in its 500+ page length. While riveting, the book will often drag on–especially when the tattooed villain is shown. The Lost Symbol also seems to be the novel of the three that contains the least plot. Another flaw with the novel is that there are no familiar characters outside the main protagonist. While the novel may have these kinks, it is still worth the purchase for those either interested in the next Langdon drama or for anyone with a hidden passion for Freemasonry basics in the United States.
Tania Katherine
