The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters.

I purchased this book on the day it was released. I throughly enjoyed Dan Brown's other books and believe it or not, Deception Point was my favorite. I liked his writing style, I liked the fast pace of the books (which helped me to read them faster too).

Two of my sons started this book and only one finished it. Neither were too impressed with The Lost Symbol. I think that was the reason why it took so long for me to read this.

Sometimes when you read something that has high reviews, your expectations are so high that it is somewhat of a let down, but when your expectations are low, well can it go any lower?

I was grabbed right away with this book, the first half I really enjoyed. It moved fast, it had the historical aspect that I loved, there was the mystery that started out nicely. So what went wrong?

For starters I figured out the bad guy very early on and it was so logical that I was surprised I was correct (thinking maybe there was a twist coming and I might be wrong). I also came to the conclusion that Dan Brown must of had a word quota for this novel and the last half was full of meaningless words that was so distracting and of no use. Usually I love the last half of a good book, this time the only reason I liked the last half was to finish the darn thing. I must say that the only reason I finished was to see how it would end, which it could have done about 150 pages sooner. Though I must admit the ending was a letdown, just my opinion


Have updated Where Are You Reading 2011 to reflect this book.