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Dan Brown Omnibus: The Da Vinci Code / The Lost Symbol
Famous for fusing symbols, codes, history, and art into thrilling fiction, Dan Brown is the author of The Da Vinci Code, one of the most widely read novels of all time, as well as these internationally bestselling Inferno, inspired by Dante's masterpiece, The Lost Symbol, Angels & Demons, Deception Point, and Digital Fortress.
- GenresFictionMystery Thriller
992 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
10 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Dan Brown
96 books110k followersDan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the best selling novels of all time as well as the subject of intellectual debate among readers and scholars. Brown’s novels are published in 56 languages around the world with over 200 million copies in print.
In 2005, Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, whose editors credited him with “keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”
The son of a mathematics teacher and a church organist, Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination with the paradoxical interplay between science and religion. These themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he later returned to teach English before focusing his attention full time to writing. He lives in New England with his yellow lab, Winston.
Brown’s latest novel, Origin, explores two of the fundamental questions of humankind: Where do we come from? Where are we going?
In 2005, Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, whose editors credited him with “keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”
The son of a mathematics teacher and a church organist, Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination with the paradoxical interplay between science and religion. These themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he later returned to teach English before focusing his attention full time to writing. He lives in New England with his yellow lab, Winston.
Brown’s latest novel, Origin, explores two of the fundamental questions of humankind: Where do we come from? Where are we going?
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 11, 2021
The Lost Symbol: This is one of my favorite book. The story is set in Washington D.C and taken place within one night. I loved this book totally. It has a lot of twists and turns which can make ones head turn in excitement. I like the way the elites of America were presented and at the same time being notorious even to one child. The story has made me adore the subject of Noetic Science too. Definitely no doubt Dan Brown’s story telling ability is just wow.
The Da Vinci Code: The story starts with a brutal murder of Jacques Saunière in a museum in the city of Paris. The body was covered by a strange symbol of a pentagon. Jacques Saunière was Pagan, sort of involved in a cult. The protagonist is Robert Langdon who is a Harvard professor, happens to be at the same time when the incident occurred. With the help of French cryptologist Sophie who was daughter of the dead man, they searched for the clue behind Jacques Saunière’s murder. While the police tried to frame them. One of the gem placed in my book nook. I remember this book was so notorious back in school times among my classmates. Still can’t get through the book’s griping magic ✨✨✨
The Da Vinci Code: The story starts with a brutal murder of Jacques Saunière in a museum in the city of Paris. The body was covered by a strange symbol of a pentagon. Jacques Saunière was Pagan, sort of involved in a cult. The protagonist is Robert Langdon who is a Harvard professor, happens to be at the same time when the incident occurred. With the help of French cryptologist Sophie who was daughter of the dead man, they searched for the clue behind Jacques Saunière’s murder. While the police tried to frame them. One of the gem placed in my book nook. I remember this book was so notorious back in school times among my classmates. Still can’t get through the book’s griping magic ✨✨✨
October 16, 2023
Have you ever really liked a book and then upon rereading, have no idea what your former self was thinking?
I loved The Da Vinci Code back when I first read it in high school. Having read it again several years later, I remember still really liking it but being able to notice flaws - the short chapters that ALL end in cliffhangers in an extremely contrived way, the way even the POV character's inner monologue will continue to deliberately withhold information, the very of-the-time sexism even though the book focuses heavily on The Divine Feminine and essentially how it's the church and patriarchy to blame for men and women not being equal - except it's the straight middle aged rich white man who condescendingly explains this to the only woman with a role in the story and all the male characters refer to themselves and each other by last names but the women by first names, weird move, even the ridiculousness of Sophie being so horrified at seeing her grandfather as part of a group sex experience that she stops speaking to him - yeah ok maybe you can't make eye contact with the man for a bit, but the way she refers to the incident makes it sound like she walked in on a ritual murder rather than some extra kinky sex - aren't the French supposed to be more blase about that kind of thing? The myriad of times Robert chuckles - the most condescending of laughs - makes me want to poke out my eye. But it's still a very readable story.
The Last Symbol, on the other hand, does not hold up. Apparently I liked it? But this reread....just ugh. Now bc this copy starts with book 2, I didn't go back and reread Angels and Demons, but I remember that one being different enough from DVC that it didn't feel like a copy/paste even though it was still pretty formulaic. But this one is so much worse. Langdon unexpectedly gets called to the scene of a brutal crime in a famous location where the victim's body has clues only a symbologist could decipher, he teams up with a younger female relative of the victim, the authorities are shady but turn out to be on the good side, the murders are carried out by a zealot with a serious skin condition, the victim is the head of a secret society that hides a secret that would change the world that the zealot wants to expose, the woman falls for Langdon and even though theoretically is brilliant in their own field, are useless for the most part, the zealot dies, and then the secret is revealed to Langdon. That is the plot of both books only the plot in Lost Symbol is a worse interpretation. Malak or whatever Zach renamed himself to - why was he running around in a loin cloth and what is the deal with castrating himself? This made no sense. Also his fixation on the lost word and his evil plot make no sense. Who even cares? I enjoy a sci Fi/fantasy story line but only when it makes sense in the context of a novel and it doesn't here - noetic science and being able to cure cancer by thinking about it does not fit in.
The most egregious line "the intoxicating feeling of control derived from physical transformation had addicted millions to flesh-altering practices...cosmetic surgery, body piercing, body-building and steroids...even bulimia and transgendering. The human spirit craves mastery over its carnal shell." Just no. You're trying too hard and have well overshot it.
I'd give da Vinci Code 4 stars, LS 1.5, and rounding up to a joint score of 3 bc this copy is very beautiful. But I look forward to reading something where the main character isn't such a pedantic condescending jackass who is constantly chuckling.
I loved The Da Vinci Code back when I first read it in high school. Having read it again several years later, I remember still really liking it but being able to notice flaws - the short chapters that ALL end in cliffhangers in an extremely contrived way, the way even the POV character's inner monologue will continue to deliberately withhold information, the very of-the-time sexism even though the book focuses heavily on The Divine Feminine and essentially how it's the church and patriarchy to blame for men and women not being equal - except it's the straight middle aged rich white man who condescendingly explains this to the only woman with a role in the story and all the male characters refer to themselves and each other by last names but the women by first names, weird move, even the ridiculousness of Sophie being so horrified at seeing her grandfather as part of a group sex experience that she stops speaking to him - yeah ok maybe you can't make eye contact with the man for a bit, but the way she refers to the incident makes it sound like she walked in on a ritual murder rather than some extra kinky sex - aren't the French supposed to be more blase about that kind of thing? The myriad of times Robert chuckles - the most condescending of laughs - makes me want to poke out my eye. But it's still a very readable story.
The Last Symbol, on the other hand, does not hold up. Apparently I liked it? But this reread....just ugh. Now bc this copy starts with book 2, I didn't go back and reread Angels and Demons, but I remember that one being different enough from DVC that it didn't feel like a copy/paste even though it was still pretty formulaic. But this one is so much worse. Langdon unexpectedly gets called to the scene of a brutal crime in a famous location where the victim's body has clues only a symbologist could decipher, he teams up with a younger female relative of the victim, the authorities are shady but turn out to be on the good side, the murders are carried out by a zealot with a serious skin condition, the victim is the head of a secret society that hides a secret that would change the world that the zealot wants to expose, the woman falls for Langdon and even though theoretically is brilliant in their own field, are useless for the most part, the zealot dies, and then the secret is revealed to Langdon. That is the plot of both books only the plot in Lost Symbol is a worse interpretation. Malak or whatever Zach renamed himself to - why was he running around in a loin cloth and what is the deal with castrating himself? This made no sense. Also his fixation on the lost word and his evil plot make no sense. Who even cares? I enjoy a sci Fi/fantasy story line but only when it makes sense in the context of a novel and it doesn't here - noetic science and being able to cure cancer by thinking about it does not fit in.
The most egregious line "the intoxicating feeling of control derived from physical transformation had addicted millions to flesh-altering practices...cosmetic surgery, body piercing, body-building and steroids...even bulimia and transgendering. The human spirit craves mastery over its carnal shell." Just no. You're trying too hard and have well overshot it.
I'd give da Vinci Code 4 stars, LS 1.5, and rounding up to a joint score of 3 bc this copy is very beautiful. But I look forward to reading something where the main character isn't such a pedantic condescending jackass who is constantly chuckling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2018
Da Vinci code
I absolutely loved this book. The plot and scenes it creates in your head is amazing and if you’ve been to the places it's even better then. Like Angel and Demons it's a work of FICTION and if your going to over analyse this book then dissect it for all the stuff you think is wrong with it then just don't bother reading it. I loved it. No great romance which is usually a must for me but cos the story's so good I can let it go.
Lost Symbols
Book 3 of the Robert Langdon series
Robert is phoned my his very close friend Peter Solomon assistant who is a Mason and very close friend of Robert's. He asks him to come to Washington with a artefact he left in Roberts safe keeping.
Robert come thinking he's presenting at the Capital building but things start going terribly wrong. Peters hand is found in the middle of the main hall with his Masonic ring still on his finger.
Robert and peters sister Katherine join together to find the answer to the artefact left in Roberts safe keeping and the secret map to the lost world kept secret from the world by the Masons.
I did enjoy this book not as much as Angels and Demons or Di Vinci.
At times this book slowed a lot for me especially when you were skipping between different members CIA or Mason brother's and then what Robert/Katherine get up to.
I did feel this book is even more Wikipedia then previous books. I did feel it did at times make some sections boring for me and the end was ok but not eye opening. A little anticlimactic but overall story was good.
I absolutely loved this book. The plot and scenes it creates in your head is amazing and if you’ve been to the places it's even better then. Like Angel and Demons it's a work of FICTION and if your going to over analyse this book then dissect it for all the stuff you think is wrong with it then just don't bother reading it. I loved it. No great romance which is usually a must for me but cos the story's so good I can let it go.
Lost Symbols
Book 3 of the Robert Langdon series
Robert is phoned my his very close friend Peter Solomon assistant who is a Mason and very close friend of Robert's. He asks him to come to Washington with a artefact he left in Roberts safe keeping.
Robert come thinking he's presenting at the Capital building but things start going terribly wrong. Peters hand is found in the middle of the main hall with his Masonic ring still on his finger.
Robert and peters sister Katherine join together to find the answer to the artefact left in Roberts safe keeping and the secret map to the lost world kept secret from the world by the Masons.
I did enjoy this book not as much as Angels and Demons or Di Vinci.
At times this book slowed a lot for me especially when you were skipping between different members CIA or Mason brother's and then what Robert/Katherine get up to.
I did feel this book is even more Wikipedia then previous books. I did feel it did at times make some sections boring for me and the end was ok but not eye opening. A little anticlimactic but overall story was good.
May 18, 2019
While I love the leather bound edition, I can't stress enough what a piece of garbage these books are. Endless ramblings about masons, Illuminati, popes, signs - and patterns in and on everything. No famous musician, artist or scientist escapes being slandered and of course, the outcome is utterly predictable.
July 24, 2019
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June 4, 2020
Geweldig mooi boek, spannend!!!!
April 16, 2022
The writing is both riveting and educational. You're caught between the desire to skip ahead and fully absorb every word. A writing style to aspire to.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews