Origin by Dan Brown

Here we have another entry into the saga of Robert Langdon, the renowned Harvard professor. We have met him in the Da Vinci Code, the Inferno, The Lost Symbol- all recorded by Dan Brown.

This time we have Langdon interfacing with his former student, Edmund Kirsch, who is revealing to the world his take on the origin of man. This is information that could reshape the religious world. The question he is dealing with is; Where Do We Come From ?  And Where Are We Going? Before Kirsch can revel completely what he has deduced he is assassinated.  Langdon must run, and his guide is a computer hookup called Winston.

Technology plays a big part om this story.

This is a plot driven tale. The characters are shallow with action pulsating throughout.

For some reason, Brown enjoys writing in this realm.  He seems to like writing tales that concern the Catholic mind set. He enjoys tweaking them.

It doesn’t take place in Vatican City. It starts in Spain and moves around. The so-called discovery of our origin, so Brown would have us believe, is important enough to base a whole 461 pages on.

Brown, as a writer, can grab the reader and pull him along. The problem with this one is, does it really matter? The ending is weak.

But what can we say about it in a positive light? It has a different kind of villain It has a different feel than his other books concerning Langdon.

For the reader who can really suspend unbelief this will be one to read. For fans of Langdon it will also satisfy.

It is published by Doubleday and retails for$29.95.

Inferno by Dan Brown

           It has been on the best sellers list for a few weeks and is no longer there. I decided  to see what it was that was so attractive about it. I had read his earlier work The Da Vinci Code   which was a stretch but also a good read.

            In this book Brown tells a fast paced ever moving tense tale. It is plot driven not character driven. He seems to be a one theme writer.

            Once again Professor Robert Langdon is involved. In The Da Vinci Code the main  clue was a panting of the Mona Lisa. Here Brown uses the poem The Inferno by Dante Alighieri as the focal point.

            The story moves disjointedly from scene to scene. The use of flashbacks slows the story and is not very well executed. The plot is thin but for people who like action it may not be noticed.   Unbelief has to be suspended too far.  The ending is unsatisfactory.

            Brown is a formula writer and I think he has reduplicated what little fame he got with The Da Vinci Code. .  He will not be remembered years after he dies. But then how many writers really survive?

I would suggest that a person check it out of the library and save their money. That is if they want to read it. There must be people out there who do or else he wouldn’t have been on the best sellers list for a while.