I was stuck in the airport duty free with an hour to kill on my way to Paris and realised I desperately needed a summer book for my vacation. What could be more fitting than the latest novel by Da Vinci mater teller Dan Brown. To my surprise, right before me was a stack of paperback editions of The Lost Symbol. It was truly a sign. I had previously read all of Brown’s earlier novels so I was quite ready for a history rip apart. I mean this is Dan Brown, the book may not be as good as The Da Vinci Code but it should still be worthwhile right? Yes but that is where you would be wrong. The first hundred pages were pleasant enough, even if Brown can’t rid himself of the need of a dislocated hand. The problem s that it basically goes downhill from there until it reaches its long padded out climax (or “cry Max!”) and then tries to reach a humane conclusion that will be sure not to offend anyone alive or dead including all past and present Freemasons,  pathing the way to a non-controversial movie with the emphasis on the dollar factor. I’m not sure even the Mafia will be persuasive enough to get Tom Hanks to take on the role of symbologist Robert Langdon this time

So what do we have? The basic plot evolves around the secrets of the Freemasons, a kidnapped professor and his scientist daughter and an unlikely villain who has obviously been watching too many reruns of Christopher Nolan movies. The plot is about as believable as Mama Mia and you don’t even get any songs. There is plenty of scientific chit-chat to prove the author is hp to the changing society and some behind the scenes Washinton  gossip that the average reader can easily get from wikipedia.  All in all quite a disappointment.

© 2010 Steve Taite. All rights reserved.

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