THE LOST SYMBOL. A hardcover book written by Dan Brown, published by Transworld Publisher

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I enjoyed Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, read in that order so thought this might be worth ago. However, from page 1 I struggled to get into it but a guy in the book club said it was his best yet and he couldn't put it down, so I thought I must carry on and see what I'm missing. When I got to the last page I was just relieved as I was irritated all the way through. It was by far 300 pages too long. It was almost like it was his first book by the way it was written and the shallowness and predictability of his characters. The baddie was evil but I never totally got the point of what he was after and why. Robert Langdon wasn't very likeable as wouldn't believe anything he was being told. I don't want to give anything away, but the rest of the characters annoyed me too. I'm done with Dan Brown. It's a shame as I enjoy this type of mystery book but there seem to be a few more writers on the block now so move over Robert Langdon, you're old news!

The final book in the Robert Langdon trilogy (one can only hope) tries to jump the shark even more than before. This time Brown ventures too far into the realms of fantasy for my liking in what should be a mystery thriller.

Langdon is caught up in a bizarre and intricate plot to uncover the deepest secrets of the Freemasons, which apparently include ancient mysteries of telekinesis.

Unfortunately, Brown seems only able to replicate what he's done before. Racing around Washington DC is just reminiscent of racing around Paris and Rome in the previous novels, and the bad guy is a merger of the earlier albino monk and camerlengo.

My biggest problem though was the focus on pseudoscience and religion. The scientific claims made about kind control are clearly ludicrous, and Brown's idea of the scientific process seems lacking in awareness of key aspects such as collaboration and peer review. His views on religion are condescending and most likely offensive to the relevant believers as well as to me.

Overall, the writing style has improved a little, though the chapters are all about four pages long, which means that as soon as something interesting happens in a scene we cut away. There is also a really annoying tendency to describe a big reveal to one of the characters and peeve the reader hanging, unaware of what it is. Once would be okay, but Brown does it again and again.

Not as enthralling as his two previous books The Da Vinci Code & Angels & Demons, felt it lost pace / interest for a short while, approximately two thirds into the book then picked up again. However in saying that still a worth while read.

... so you really should know what you're going to get by now.

If not, well it's more of the same - average writing, and (almost certainly) full of historical inaccuracies, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Proper Popcorn reading, and that's not a bad thing.

Very well written and did not disapoint. it was almost of a similar standard to his previuos novels, perhaps just a notch below! But when they are some of the most read ever the standard must be hard to maintain.

Story flows with some unexpected twists. Recommended.

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