Book Review / Origin by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.


As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself... and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery... and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.


Published:     3rd October 2017
Publisher:  Doubleday
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 5, Robert Langdon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

Dan Brown is one of my favourite authors of all time so it is not a surprise to me that I loved this book.  His writing style always draws me in each and every time (but, to be honest, the image of Tom Hanks as the Robert Langton character pictured in my head certainly helps me connect to this character even more because Tom Hanks is just brilliant!).  Also, Dan Brown is one of those authors for me that I really like the fact that he writes similar stories (not the same but has the same theme of conspiracy and mystery) so I know that when I want to read that type of book I know to pick up a Dan Brown book.  I love that about an author.  I always find it confusing when authors change what they write and I don't know what to expect (sometimes it is good and sometimes not).

Even at 461 pages, with smallish font, I didn't envisage reading this in one day, but I did!  It was a quiet Sunday and all I wanted to do was read so I did.  I started reading when I got up in the morning at about 7am and only really stopped for breakfast and dinner and the obligatory bathroom breaks!  I finished it just after 8pm.  I wasn't rush reading or anything like that, I just read at my normal pace but I just could not put it down!  I had to know what was happening.

I was very surprised by the ending of this book and the various twists and turns that come up as well.  There's more than one 'reveal' in the story line that I was not expecting and I loved that!  This is also a book that does make you think about the consequences afterwards.  If you haven't picked this up yet you need to!!!

Book Review / The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe. An astonishing truth concealed for centuries . . . unveiled at last.

While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion—a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci—and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.

Published:     1st March 2004
Publisher:  Corgi Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Book 2,  Robert Langdon
Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW    (5 out of 5)

What I loved about this story...

I had watched the movie of this story, with Tom Hanks in it, so many times I thought it was about time I read the book and I was glad that I did.  It definitely did not disappoint both in respect of being better than the movie and in respect of giving me newly found respect for the movie now that I had read the book.

The story in the books is virtually the same as the story in the movie so there were no hidden surprises, what I had expected to happen did and the 'grand reveal' at the end was just as good in both the movie and the book.

By far the best aspect of this book is the suspense and build up.  You have this scene at the beginning where the curator has been murdered and the way that he chose to deliver his final message before death, which starts the book off with a piece of a massive puzzle that gradually comes together, piece after piece, as the story goes on. 

What I was not fond of this story...

I have to be honest and say that there is absolutely nothing I could say under this heading, I loved this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dan 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 52 languages around the world with 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.
Brown is currently at work on a new book as well as the Columbia Pictures film version of his most recent novel.

Author Website:  http://www.danbrown.com/

Book Review - (Read in 2010) Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

Hey guys,

Here is my last review for 2010 (sorry for posting it late as I have been so busy for the past few weeks with Christmas and New Years and many other things as well as not being well for a while)...... 



Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Deception Point by Dan Brown

Hey guys,

I have just finished the most amazing book, Deception Point by Dan Brown.  After reading The Lost Symbol a few months ago, I knew I had to pick up this book and give it a read....  

Here is my review:



Best wishes

Debs

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

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.

This book has to be one of the most amazingly brilliant books I have read so far this year...  I had this book bought for me as a present so I have got the hardback version which is hefty at 509 pages (and the print smallish).  Having absolutely loved the Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons I was excited to read this book.

One thing I loved about this book was the fact that the chapters were really small ranging from anywhere between 1 to 5ish pages long which helped me keep going through this really long book. 

The twists and turns that this story takes the main character, Robert Langdon is just brilliant and I have to admit that I also liked the fact that when picturing Robert Langdon in my head I was picturing Tom Hanks playing the character that is in the movies...  Loved it!

An absolute must read.... 

1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 out of 10