false 71435287 1 6411961 0385504225 9780385504225 4562 <![CDATA[The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255568700m/6411961.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6411961-the-lost-symbol 3.34 13190 In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world’s most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling--a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown’s most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

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.

As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown’s novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown’s fans have been waiting for . . . his most thrilling novel yet.

]]> 630 3.57 504182 38703 Picked it up at the airport this weekend and am flying through. Haven't read a thriller in a while - very fun! 1 2009-09-29T12:31:22-07:00 1378326 2009-10-21T16:45:30-07:00 300 2009-09-29T12:31:22-07:00 2 2 true Mon Oct 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 16 11:09:03 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 19 11:41:41 -0700 2009
The first half of the book was really gripping, and promised big things. We were going to learn about the secrets of the Masons, and about the "ancient wisdom" that has been lost through the ages. Sounds cool - I wanted to learn more about the ancient wisdom. But the end of the book just fell really flat. The villian was predictable, and we learned nothing about this ancient wisdom.

I also have to say that I almost fell out of bed laughing with Dan Brown plugged Twitter at the end of the book. To be fair, he's right - people are excited about Twitter because it (along with many other websites) is helping cause a shift in our society. But I can't help wondering if 5 years from now, when Twitter is MySpace, people will read that and think "wtf?".]]>