The Lost Symbol
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Are any of you tired of the same "Dan Brown formula"?
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Probably yes. I have read all 3 of his Langdon's books. Loved the first two, The lost symbol, not so much. Yet I don't feel like going for his latest book.
It's high time he moved away from Langdon!
Rahul wrote: "Probably yes. I have read all 3 of his Langdon's books. Loved the first two, The lost symbol, not so much. Yet I don't feel like going for his latest book.
It's high time he moved away from Langdon!"
I agree, enough with Langdon.
Jake wrote: "the mysterious secret society, chapter 1 begins with a murder, Langdon gets called in, etc..It all seems very formulaic. Believe me, I loved The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, but The Lost ..."
I felt the same way about this book. I felt like it started out strong but then kind of plateaued. I couldn't even finish it :( sad because I like Dan Brown.
Pretty much every techno-thriller has the same formula of progression of events that makes its drama very repetitive and borderline cliche. What makes the difference is the integration of the 'techno' part to the 'thriller' part.
Thirusha wrote: "yes. the books are becoming monotonous, always getting in trouble and escaping in the nick of time, not to mention that he always gets frisky with the female counterpart in the end. the world is al..."I agree! Let's hope Mr. Brown is getting bored with it too! That way he'll at least CONSIDER something fresh the next go-around!
i don`t think i could ever get bored of his formula ...... no matter how many times i read his books or watch its movies , i just get more fascinated with his creativity
It got so boring that Langdon actually slept off right before the ending/revealation. I really do not remember seeing that happening in any book, leave alone thrillers.
yup its starting to get pretty boring especially now that Mr. Brown himself seems to be drawing blanks with The Lost Symbol.
The problem is that sometimes we expect too much. An author can't keeping turning out a block buster so whenever I read, I simply go with the story, let it unfold and if it has some wow then all to the good.
Nope, looking forward to this one!
I find his books very intriguing, and they end up opening a whole new world before my eyes. And the thought of knowing that every society described exists...oh, it just makes it more interesting to read!! I keep looking forward to his new creations, just started reading Inferno, and let me tell you, it is worth reading. !
And de main problem is, if one famous author changes his writing style , then almost 90% of his fans will not get their expectation satisfied. The once famous author have to follow certain similarities whether he likes or not.
All that is true, but at the same time if you are writing a thriller, you need to give it a proper climax and a satisfying ending. If you are building up suspense, you ought to dissipate it at the end or leave for a sequel. And if you are making your hero run all around DC, it may better serve some meaningful purpose.
Here is the review I wrote just after finishing the book:http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...
This is difficult for me to write, for two reasons. First, I am loath to give any attention whatsoever to a talentless hack posing as a writer. Second, I am frankly ashamed to admit that I actually read this piece of garbage. Let me explain by noting that my time at the library that week was curtailed by an important appointment, and the selection was sparse indeed. The book was a new release, and having read Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code, I figured it would be a relatively painless way to kill a few hours. I was so wrong. As it turned out, I could have spent a less painful few hours trying to kill myself.
I now realize that Brown's books result in cumulative damage - each one is more hazardous than the last. The DaVinci Code? Relatively harmless, if pretentious, fluff. Angels and Demons upped the ante for inane absurdity with a plot that posited antimatter... in the Vatican! The latest opus demonstrates that Brown's hero, symbology Professor Robert Langdon, sees more action than Jessica Fletcher - which makes sense because that kind of stuff happens to college professors all the time. (Just the other day, I heard, Noam Chomsky singlehandedly foiled a bunch of Christian Scientists trying to blow up Mount Rushmore with a viral meme.) The suspension of disbelief required by the sum total of these stories is more than ridiculous - its insulting.
I won't waste any time on the "plot", which is essentially a retread of the earlier books. This time, the intrepid Langdon is again called in to consult on a violent crime, associated with - wait for it - a symbolic clue to a hidden treasure. Here it's Freemasons instead of Templars, but the song remains the same - a pretty girl, a twisted villain (tattooed with arcane symbols all over his body!), another scavenger hunt for the "Lost Treasure" of the Masons. More "astounding" plot twists, that only a reader in a persistent vegetative state could fail to see coming. And a panoply of shallow, mono-dimensional supporting characters that might as well be identified as "Plot point #2" or "Comic Interlude #5". It's like a book-length Betty Crocker recipe.
Here's something else - Gee, Dan, do you recall a little picture that came out a few years ago? Nicholas Cage, scholar, pretty girl, Freemasons, Washington DC, lost treasure? In fact, I think it was called National Treasure, wasn't it? Yes, yes it was. News flash, Dan - its been done before! And as bad as that movie was (not to mention the sequel), your book is worse.
At least National Treasure had a national treasure - a big cave packed full of neat stuff made out of solid gold. When it comes to eventually finding the long sought object of history's desire, you always disappoint. When I read a long, poorly written book about finding the Holy Grail, I damn well want to see a cup at the end of it. And when I struggle fruitlessly through this latest tome about the lost treasure of the Freemasons, I expect to see some gold, not some con about the wisdom of the Bible.
Finally, stay the Hell away from science, Dan - you don't know anything about it, and since your books are not being marketed as Science Fiction, your know-nothing insights about noetics, telepathy, antimatter, hypersonic planes, and genetics have no place in the narrative. Keep your gullible enthusiasm over "cutting-edge science" to yourself. In fact, please keep all further writing that you do out of the public sphere. I beg you.
Completely agree!This book didn't come close to the first two Langdon books.. It just wasn't as good, the formula felt overused, and the ending was insanely cheesy.
Haven't read Inferno yet, but I've been told it's better.. :P One can only hope!
No..I love it.. Dan Brown writing is very distinguishing....It's a style all his own and it WORKS....all his books are fantastic.Keep them coming .. Prof. Langdon is fun to take those interesting,code deciphering roller-coaster rides with !
Yes, I was tired of the same plot repeating in most of his novels. but The lost symbol is a lot different (bad different mostly but different) i talk about the difference in my review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I think the fact that he still manages to write mind-blowing books despite said 'pattern' demonstrates that he is just that good. It's clearly working for him Still, The Lost Symbol wasn't exactly my favorite.
No I still enjoy his books, even if it is a "formula".
I love his books, its formula is perfect
Sounds like a good reason to stop reading his books. You always know what to expect, so if you don't enjoy it anymore, than read something else.I think his formula is fine. He's not a great writer. His plot development and character development are both weak. But that's not why I read his books. What he does well is bring the real mysteries of the world to the forefront of your mind. He shines a light on things we routinely take for granted and leave his readers thinking about things a little bit differently.
The formulaic plot and characters are just a vehicle for the history, science, symbolism, speculation, and imagination.
I still enjoy his books, but I do have to admit I'm not in a big hurry to read the next one (only finished The Lost Symbol in the last month or so). If I wait awhile before reading the next one, I'll enjoy it more.
Personally, I love Dan Brown's writing!Yes, he has the same formula all these years but he is still successfull because of it! I understand that people might think that he is "boring" but I like every single book of his because, even though he follows the same formula, his subjects are different. He makes me think of a lot of things and I search for a lot of them, so, I learn a lot! But if he runs out of subjects...yes, that will be the end of him, I think... :/
The next book might very well take place in the Netherlands/Amsterdam so I probably will read the next one as well.
Over the years I have read a lot. I often develop favorite authors, and read everything they write. Heck, I'm getting old enough to have many of these favorite authors die on me .. and I am continually seeking replacements.Dan Brown was one of these guys. I bought and read everything that he wrote. Over time I recognized his "Formula" that everybody is referring to here. Quite honestly, I was disappointed and a but put off that these many books that he has written are so very similar -- again referring to the "Formula".
This is weird, in that I have purchased the 150 books of the Destroyer series. Remo and Chuin are in such an evident formula and pattern in these books that it should be boring after a time. But for these guys, and the author Warren Murphy (and others) I just like the repetition. This repetition, formula or whatever you like to call it is comforting to me for this type of reading.
However, when I realized this was happening with the Dan Brown stuff, I felt rather cheated. That's a weird feeling, in that I read and enjoy the Destroyer books.... but Brown, obviously doing a similar thing albeit in a longer more mainstream book, well I was miffed at this realization. I find that interesting that I feel that way.
Maybe, with all the volume of words and "size of the story" Brown provides.... well the pattern just works better in a 250 page book rather than the size of book Brown writes.
The destroyer series has ended, and I am saddened about that. There are kind of spinoffs, but I must be a bit of a purist when I read my junky literature.....
I will most likely though, never read another Dan Brown book again.
That's just me.
If you like him, keep reading him, as the alternatives are much, much worse. KEEP READING!
I'm getting used to it, but not getting tired of it. Still love Dan Brown.
I'm not so much tired of the formula as I am tired of his undeveloped characters. Robert Langdon hasn't grown as a character in any significant way IMO. The whole confirmed bachelor thing is silly. Grown up already and have an adult relationship. And before I get blasted, I only say that as a character in a book, his character lacks growth that an actual adult relationship could help solve.
His antagonists are comic bookish villains. This is the absolute worst part of his books. They are just so ridiculous it makes the books difficult to read.
The descriptions of locals and symbology are interesting enough.
His antagonists are comic bookish villains. This is the absolute worst part of his books. They are just so ridiculous it makes the books difficult to read.
The descriptions of locals and symbology are interesting enough.
I'm tired of the same formula but if you focus on the 'twist', 'turns' and revelations you'll forget about the similarities between his past novels.
Yes, it's the same, but NO, I'm not tired at all!!! I love it and I'm sure if he changed sth people would have said oh no why did he do this, so there will always be something people don't like... whatever
Same formula but I still love his books.
Dan Brown always amazes me and make me feel so excited from the begening of the novel to the end, I enjoyed "The lost symbol" so much and it's one of the best books I ever read. these days, I read "deception point" it's really amazing, I would read all Dan brown's books as soon as I can.
No. Each book is different. Wasn't keen on 'The Lost Symbol' so hope Inferno is better.
Yes definitely... Its been the same kind of books all along...
I'll probably buy his next novel anyhow, and if Amsterdam is in it I most certainly will buy it.
I love the "same" formula! And I love the books. It's definitely a read-again for me!
I have read everyone but the last one -- Inferno -- will maybe listen to it one day while I am cleaning the garage.His books have a formula. They do give an occasional pause of thought, but then one moves on to better authors and stories.
TBH I think the Langdon books are his worst Deception Point is a masterpiece.
they are a fun break for the intensity of other mysteries/thrillers. They are predictable but some days I can use predictable. I like the familial sense of his characters.
If you really like dan brown books this means you really undestand nothing about "a good book" or "a great writer".
Yes. It is boring. I would like to see more of the likes of Digital fortress and Deception point from Dan Brown.
Ending was a huge disappointment according to me
Yes! I just finished this and I'm all done with Robert Langdon.
Yeah,I think he must change his "formula".
The Lost Symbol is my least favorite Dan Brown book.
No..I rather eagerly wait to go through his "same" formula.
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sad but true