The Lost Symbol

Going straight to the point, I'm so glad that I didn't spend 800php on buying  a hardbound copy of Dan Brown's latest creation. As much as I've grown up reading his action-packed novels, this time, all the hype, I thought,  was too much for the storyline to handle. After reading about the alleged mysteries of the Holy Grail and the possible annihilation of the whole of the city of Vatican, I thought The Lost Symbol centered on a weak subject matter that many people could not care less about.

Another disappointing part is how half of the book felt like you're reading transcripts from Wikipedia.com. Too much information about people and places not that relevant to the plot. Sometimes, these lectures can go on and on and I found myself scanning the page to find where the litany eventually ended.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if creators of iPhone, Blackberry, Twitter and Google paid Dan Brown to feature their products over and over throughout the 100+ chapters the book has to offer. Once or twice is enough, I think. He didn't have to reiterate to the readers that Solomon uses an iPhone and the Director of the Special Operations of the CIA has a Blackberry. We. Dont. Care.

Now, I must admit, that the author did write a few good twists and unexpected sharp turns. Without them, the book would have failed completely. However, like I've said, the plot was bland and the mighty bomb you're waiting to explode in the end turned out to just be a puff of disappointing smoke.

End Rant: Dan Brown should be very thankful that he is Dan Brown. Without the fame and the buzz that he received from his past two books, this installment of Robert Langdon's latest adventure, I daresay, would be unnoticed by readers and critics alike.