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Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Review-a-Day

Dan Brown Does It Again -- Writes the Same Book, That Is

by Review-a-Day, September 24, 2009 12:00 AM
The Lost SymbolThe Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Reviewed by Jeff Baker

The Oregonian

Does this sound familiar?

World-renowned symbologist and all-around cool guy Robert Langdon is summoned to an Imposing Architectural Landmark, where something Really Yucky has been left in a way only he can recognize. You know, as a clue. Langdon snaps into action, and it isn't long before he's uncovered more clues that lead to a Secret Society full of Famous Dead Guys. There's a Super-Duper Secret, and the fate of the universe is at stake, but thank goodness Langdon has help from a Foxy Brainiac, which he needs because he's up against a Major Freak. Langdon and the Foxy Brainiac race through more Imposing Architectural Landmarks, pausing only to lecture each other about symbols and whatnot, and try to win a Race Against Time against the Major Freak.

That's the plot of Dan Brown's new novel, The Lost Symbol. It's also the plot of his last novel, a little number called The Da Vinci Code. It's also, more or less, the plot of the novel before that, Angels & Demons.

Now lots of people have had lots to say about The Da Vinci Code since it was published in 2003. Brown, to his great credit, has not been one of them. He's kept his head down, showing up in public only when he gets sued, and letting others blather on about the Knights Templar and the Priory of Sion and whatever else fills their conspiracy-minded heads. The pressure on him to follow up one of the most popular novels of all time must have been intense, something only J.K. Rowling can relate to.

But given all that, and with the world watching, it comes as no surprise to report that Brown has written THE SAME BOOK. The Lost Symbol might as well be called "The Da Vinci Code Goes to Washington." Same wooden dialogue, same breathless pacing, same cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, same endless mumbo-jumbo about codes and keys and other secret stuff Brown researched and just had to share.

There are differences. The setting has shifted to Washington, D.C., which Langdon assures his students "has some of the world's finest architecture, art and symbolism." (The Washington Monument? Now there's a symbol!) The Imposing Architectural Landmark is the National Statuary Hall, which Langdon considers "the best room in all of D.C." (Italics are some of Brown's best friends.) The Really Yucky item: a severed hand. The Secret Society is the Freemasons (Famous Dead Guys: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Burl Ives). The Foxy Brainiac is Katherine Solomon, and Brown assures his readers that "even at fifty years old she had a smooth olive complexion." She's the world's leading authority on noetics -- "science so advanced that it no longer even resembled science."

The Super-Duper Secret would take too long to explain, but the Major Freak really, really wants it. His name is Mal'akh -- his friends call him "Mal" -- and he's got tattoos everywhere except the top of his shaved skull, so you know he's a freak. He's one step ahead of Langdon and Katherine, until....

Look, lots of people write the same book over and over, and lots of people read them. Brown is nothing more than John Grisham with a pseudoscience-conspiracy gloss. Eighty million readers can't be wrong, but the thing to keep in mind while reading The Lost Symbol is (1) There's a lot of weird stuff on the $1 bill. (2) That's no reason to make two lousy Nicolas Cage movies.




Books mentioned in this post

Angels & Demons Movie Tie In

Dan Brown

Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown

Lost Symbol

Dan Brown
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12 Responses to "Dan Brown Does It Again -- Writes the Same Book, That Is"

Rishi June 28, 2010 at 08:13 AM
After their first book, all these famous writers become boring and repetitious. Dan's Brown's characters are totally wooden and stereotyped and the situations are boringly predictable.

Alex W September 29, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Well now. Just finished "The Lost Symbol", and thoroughly enjoyed both the story and the manner in which the author chose to portray it. Also learned some interesting information about: Washington, DC; the Masons; our Founders; noetic studies; etc. Dan Brown does his research very well s most of his presentation of that research is based on fact, plus, he entwines them into a pretty good yarn. The work is a "novel"; not an educational tome; though many readers, I suspect, will take some time to do some research on their own about several of the book's major themes. Gosh - if we're not careful, maybe some citizens just may learn a little about our history, elements that make up that history and all that jazz. Maybe some won't be so "stupid" any more. I wonder is the reviewer has ever read some of James A. Michener's works. Same premise of story-telling; Dan Brown reminds me of Michener in his early years.

Cat September 28, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Ha! I love it when people can take my thoughts and put them together in such a clever and entertaining way. I can't say I didn't enjoy the book, but I will say - I enjoyed this blog post even more.

RH September 25, 2009 at 07:35 AM
Really appreciated your review! You describe the reason I've stayed away from Brown's books.. "a deception carried out for the sake of publicity", the definition of hype.

RG September 24, 2009 at 03:13 PM
Why doesn't anyone say anything about Dan Brown's unbelievably bad writing? OK, OK his books are for the beach and vacation, but the Da Vinci Code was so hard to get through and so predictable. And yes, I am envious of his and Tom Clancy's financial success.

lisa_emily September 24, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Some people like predictability, that's why they get married.

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