The Lost Symbol

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

#1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • An intelligent, lightning-paced thriller set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., with surprises at every turn.

“Impossible to put down.... Another mind-blowing Robert Langdon story.” —The New York Times

Famed Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon answers an unexpected summons to appear at the U.S. Capitol Building. His plans are interrupted when a disturbing object—artfully encoded with five symbols—is discovered in the building. Langdon recognizes in the find an ancient invitation into a lost world of esoteric, potentially dangerous wisdom.

When his mentor Peter Solomon—a long-standing Mason and beloved philanthropist—is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that the only way to save Solomon is to accept the mystical invitation and plunge headlong into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and one inconceivable truth... all under the watchful eye of Dan Brown's most terrifying villain to date.

©2009 Dan Brown (P)2009 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[I]mpossible to put down....Mr. Brown was writing sensational visual scenarios long before his books became movie material. This time he again enlivens his story with amazing imagery....Thanks to him, picture postcards of the capital's most famous monuments will never be the same....In the end it is Mr. Brown's sweet optimism, even more than Langdon's sleuthing and explicating, that may amaze his readers most." ( The New York Times)
"Thrilling, entertaining....Robert Langdon goes for another roller-coaster ride - this time in a hunt for a Masonic treasure in Washington, D.C." ( Los Angeles Times)

Contrived

I could not think of the proper way to express my reservations about this book. When talking to a friend of mine she said that she found the book to be contrived. I think that is an excellent way of expressing my critique. Typical of Dan Brown, there is a load of information, perhaps too much arcane information. However, that is the most interesting aspect of the book. I found myself being lectured way too often or as another friend said "speechifying". I was also troubled about the repetitive nature of some of the lecturing which talks place in the form of an explanation. I swear it is almost cut and past from one section of the book to another.

By the end of the book I was happy that it had finally finished and felt that the work to get through it was really not worth the effort.

An intellectual roller coaster ride!

I love the fast pace of this book and the mix of history and fiction. Lots of unexpected twist,turns and surprises. The ending could have explored some of the characters a little more but a great read never the less. I highly recommend this book.

Entertaining, but predictable

Entertaining and credit-worthy, but predictable. That about sums it up. I thought the narration was great, but I was rarely surprised as the story unfolded. I do like all the history, art and architecture references in the book and the occasional insights into the Masons.

Educational

The book was not only excellent but also educational. I enjoyed being able to go on-line and verify actual history subjects that Dan Brown refered to in this book - really adds to the adventure.

Brilliant

I have to tell my friends that just because a book is a best seller doesn't mean it's not great.
Puzzles, a fascinating (and real) environment, maybe the most sinister villan ever devised, a harrowing chase, and true enlightment all wrapped up into one novel - brilliant.

Below Average Brown

Although an enterraining listen, this book bored me through big portions of it. As usual, Brown creates both weirdly intriguing settings, and creative solutions to seemingly hopeless situations. However, in this book, I also had to endure long, boring ramblings, where Langdon's views on religion were constantly challenged, by himself and others. To me, this did nothing for the story, and made the experience long and at times boring.

Shorten by 40%

An interesting and engaging story with historical context. Unnecessarily long. Listened to unabridged version; have not listened to abridged version, but would recommend anything to shorten the story. An average to good read - in fact other than entertainment the book has little merit.

History and Etymology Lessons, plus a great read

Each time I finish a Dan Brown novel, I think it's the best one he has written. The Lost Symbol is no exception. It is terrific. Readers who seek the perfect story will find flaws in this novel, however, Dan Brown offers much more, including a detailed history of Washington, DC that should be required reading for all students of American history. Plus, the etymology lessons that are woven nicely into the story are stimulants for the mind that make it a worthy read alone. The audio version is superb. Go for it.

Another Great Book By Dan Brown

This is an exciting trip through symbolism, and gathers art and architecture in our United States Capital, insight into our founding fathers, with connections to the Free Masons, and the illuminati, a tale of suspense and intrigue that produces a history and art lesson that we all should know about our own capital and heritage. I was spell bound and could not wait to find out what happened in the next chapter. Dan Brown is a teacher and a fiction writer, combining the two we always learn from his books, and the story is compelling and exciting.

Great puzzle-mystery

While I find some of Dan Brown's commentary on religious symbolism annoying - he occasionally wildly misinterprets Jewish symbolism, I don't know enough about the other types to say - the book itself is a fabulous blend of action, mystery and puzzle-solving. You just have to either not know enough symbolism to know when he's wrong or be relaxed enough to not care.