Edward read and liked Natali's review of The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3):

"I'm on the verge of kind of liking this book and feeling slightly hostile about it. Even as a guilty pleasure, it was unforgivably formulaic. I rolled my eyes so many times that I might have temporary vertigo.

Dan Brown does a good job ta...more I'm on the verge of kind of liking this book and feeling slightly hostile about it. Even as a guilty pleasure, it was unforgivably formulaic. I rolled my eyes so many times that I might have temporary vertigo.

Dan Brown does a good job tapping into the public question du jour. Personal empowerment and the power of thought are tenets that are very popular these days. Brown took these philosophies and wrote an interesting novel about them. Is it plausible? No. Is it educational? Sure. Is it inspirational? Perhaps.

But couldn't Brown take his writing talent and break the mold of these characters? Couldn't he find a new plot line? Do we need 27 chapters with Robert Langdon protesting his involvement? Does every chapter have to end with a cliff hanger? I found the suspense contrived and exhausting.

I also have a slight problem with the underlying assumption that the general public is not ready for the full expression of enlightenment but I won't go into detail because I don't want to be a spoiler. It will be interesting to see how people react to Brown simultaneously challenging incumbent religions, while also appeasing their sensibilities. I found it perplexing.

I'm glad to be finished with this and I doubt I'll read another Dan Brown novel unless the formula changes. But why would he change it? This works for him. It just doesn't really work for me. (less) "