This is a really great reading, exspecially when you are relaxing. also the speedy service of amonzon was great. I got my book in no time at all.

one of the hardest books for me to put down. i don't read a whole lot or very often and found myself reading nonstop, just wasn't able to put the book down.

Here is the formula to writing a Dan Brown Novel. First one must pick a group of a million or more to offend, here are some examples: the Catholic Church, the Freemasons or heck why not just go for all Christians, good PR. Second you've got to make the whole book span about twelve hours then add an amazing revelation destroying previous beliefs. Don't forget to add a devious villian who is not who everyone thinks he is.Then you add about 400 pages of useless or false information and about ten pages of useful facts. Finally you add an anticlimax at the end and you have your Dan Brown novel.

Great book on CD. Kept you suprised until the end. Amazon had great price and quick delivery.

The Lost Symbol is The Da Vinci Code is Angel's and Demons is Deception Point. Unfortunately the novelty of the of super smart symbology sleuth solving impossible-to-solve ancient mysteries has really run it's course. The result: The Lost Symbol is just plain dull.

If you've read any of Brown's other books, you know before opening this book that Robert Langdon will pull off the impossible, he will partner with an intellectual female, there will be some sort of uber zealous secret society, and the secret society will not want whatever secrets Langon will uncover to see the light of day (or in this case, see the light of day in someone else's hands).

And between learning valuable information from THE ONLY people on the planet that can provide that key info (darn lucky for Langdon) there is a bit of action with generally predictable outcomes.

But the biggest "things that make you go 'huh'" moment has got to be the ending. After expending the energy to slog through hundreds of pages of numerous "Oh, I get it now" moments where Langon has some partial epiphany that leads him to the next clue, you are rewarded with fizzle.

I may have given The Lost Symbol an extra star if the ending were a bit more interesting and less preachy. However, it wasn't so 2 stars is as good as it gets.

The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were fair escapist stories and worth reading. The Lost Symbol has some fun Dan Brown moments (specifically insights into real or make-believe facts about our nation's capital), but mostly it's just not very fun to read.

Many friends and colleagues who I consider to be both intelligent and conscious have recommended this book. I finally had time to read it during a recent beach vacation and agree that it is both entertaining, thought-provoking and action-packed. I enjoyed learning about the rich histories of the monuments and buildings in Washington DC which are so nicely woven into the mystical underlying story. Dan Brown treats us to fiction loaded with rich descriptions, places and facts. I loved the book because it emphasizes the power of human thought and the power of love to conquer fear. It also reminds the reader of the powerful force of emerging human consciousness that is possible in this age though globalization and technological innovation.

I didn't give it a five because the characters and situations described in the story are extreme and a bit hard to believe. Nevertheless, it makes for a good escape -- just what I was looking for on the beach.

Dan Brown's latest novel is a true thriller, filled with mysticism, enigmas, puzzles, suspense, and intrigue. All the good stuff that makes reading delightful.

I enjoyed its precision both in describing the Capitol, where I once worked, and the Masonic craft, to which my father belonged. I am the son of a widow's son. And I have personal knowledge of Noetics and AMORC Rosicrucianism.

But the marvel is how Brown knits the various themes together to make an exciting, coherent whole, so that the reader anxiously keeps on turning the page, panting for what comes next.

This book is less doctrinaire than "The DaVinci Code" and likely steps on fewer toes. But it is no less compelling, exciting, and fascinating.

Great reading!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", as well as his other two novels, so I was excited to read "The Lost Symbol". While Brown weaves his mystery, intrigue, secret societies, symbols, and villains as expertly as ever, I think the novel was too long, with a lot of fillers.

Harvard symbology professor (by the way, there is no such position at Harvard) Robert Langdon returns to solve another mystery. Langdon is invited to deliver a speech in Washington, D.C., at the Capitol. Upon arriving, Langdon realizes that there is no speech to be given, and witnesses a shocking event that sends him running through D.C., sometimes with and sometimes away from, the CIA. Robert's millionaire friend Peter Solomon has disappeared, and seems to be in the hands of a lunatic who calls himself "Ma'lakh". Langdon also seems to believe that there is a government cover up of something, and Langdon does not know who to trust, apart from Solomon's sister Katherine, a scientist who is about to have a breakthrough in a new science of noetics. However, she also seems to be a target, as her science seems to be dangerous.

Let me first say that Brown has not lost any of his story-telling charm. However, "The Lost Symbol" does not even begin to approach the novels that made Brown a household name. While we have the same protagonist and similar twists and turns, "The Lost Symbol" gets really slow at times. It took me two days each to read "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons". It took me two weeks to read "The Lost Symbol", as I often had to force myself to trudge through the middle of the novel, telling myself that it must get better. Get better it does, but at the very end. It seemed like Brown had a good idea, rested on his laurels, did a lot of research, then wrote a novel haphazardly.

All in all, I am quite disappointed with "The Lost Symbol". While there is a lot of information in the novel about Freemasonry, as well as history behind the secret society, making me search further about the subjects, they were not well incorporated into the story line. It almost seems that it would have been better if Brown wrote a history of Freemasonry, and not a mystery novel. Recommended with caution.

*** This review also published on Epinions.

I thought it was the perfect balance between captivating action and philosophy/spirituality. Thanks for a great read that got me thinking more deeply about deep matters, Dan!

I kicked myself after reading The DaVinci Code. Although the line up of historical facts and ancient secrets lying beneath our contemporary noses and strung into a surprising hypothesis was playfully engaging, the ridiculous thriller rendered in cardboard characters and graceless prose that showcased the facts were hard to take. I had sworn I would not spend time on another one, but the facts The Lost Symbol promised to knit into more historical revelations, about Washington, DC no less, were irresistible, so I signed on and read it. Am I sorry? Not quite as sorry as I thought I would be, but can't say anything has changed.

The facts that Brown plays with surround the history of the Masons in Washington, DC. Much secrecy is associated with the Masonic order by design and thus there are a lot of misconceptions out there. Brown gets in a lot of clarifications about the Masons and their mission, as well as basic information about the science of symbols and a new, out-there field called Noetics. Of Noetics, I left the book knowing less than what was introduced at the beginning, especially how it relates to the other arcane knowledge that is presented. That fuzziness is probably induced by the endless, maddening chase scenes through DC at night, and the equally maddening lack of character development or any resemblance of reality. Readers of The DaVinci Code will see that formula beaten into the ground here, not to mention a range of stereotypical characters. The only difference is, The Lost Symbol rips right up to a roaring climax, after which it drops the action entirely and continues on at length about symbols and "what the Masons really mean" kind of revelations. I'm still not sure what they really mean after reading this.

The book does offer a different kind of tour of Washington, and Brown makes a valid point when his professor hero Robert Langdon addresses a class of Harvard freshmen asking how many have actually visited DC and a few hands go up. Then he asks, how many have been to capital cities in Europe. All hands go up. It's time to take another look at DC, but when I do, it won't be with Dan Brown. We've had our second date which just proved we have no chemistry.

This novel is paced well and has its exciting parts but I think the story is a little weak and lacking. Plus, it trails off into absolute drivel. I may skip his next book if he bothers to write another.

Overall, a good tale told by Mr. Brown. However, he could have stopped and deleted the last chapter as I didn't think it added much except maybe as a lead in to the follow-up novel.

definitely the worst of Dan Brown
not interesting
very similar to previous books
in the end, the author has tried too hard to present his own philosophy
disappointing end.

it is a book probably written to ride the 'wave'

SG

I loved the Da Vinci Code. I really liked Angels and Demons. The Lost Symbol was ... eh (shoulder shrug). This book seemed very formulaic (in a complex, convoluted, hard to follow sense of the term formula). There were some interesting twists that I was surprised by, but overall, this just seemed forced to me. Maybe I had overly high expectations, but I was rather disappointed by this book. It is a read-once-only book, whereas the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are re-readable many times.

I purchased this product and it was delivered in the condition described. It shipped out very quickly as well, a nice bonus.

this book couldn't hold a candle to the davinci code. it seemed slow and lacked originality. if this had been the only book by this author i had read, i wouldn't buy another and i probably wont read future books unless they are free

I'm only 1/5 of the way through this book, yet I can hardly put it down and have to recommend it. If I could only read this 1/5 of it, it would have been worth the price of the book alone! That tells you something. I'm upset that I started this book on Sunday evening, therefore can only read snippets of it through the work week rather than one thoroughly long, enjoyable reading period over the weekend! I had my doubts about this book, I tend to only read non-ficion these days (and I've also read The Da Vinci Code which I absolutely loved), and yet Dan Brown has proven himself once again. To those naysayers, obviously this book is going to be different from The Da Vinci Code! He can't write the same book!

*Update*
I finished the book! Loved it! Almost wanted to miss a day of work just so I could finish it! Who cares if he isn't Charles Dickens or Leo Tolstoy- Dan Brown inspires and captures your heart and imagination! It's the content that matters, not the form! I recommend this to everyone! :)

Packed with action and a little history of Washington D.C. I really enjoyed this book

Okay, so Brown is a millionaire author and I'm not. I've read his earlier four books twice each and enjoyed them. And enjoyed this one too, to a point. No spoilers here but he does save some punches for the end. Yes it does seem at times formulaic and repetitive, as others have stated quite well, and so be it; he makes the millions not me.

Here's my gripe. When Brown mixes fact with fiction he creates a lot of interest, sells a lot of books, confuses a lot of people, and causes them to go to their libraries and look up their history. All to the good. So he buries fake meteorites upside down in the ice in Deception Point; not impossible but nearly pointless in fact. He has batteries run down in Angels & Demons so predictably that you could set your watches to them; why should any battery run out of juice so absolutely perfectly? Well never mind - I'm getting off track here.

But when he mentions "noetics" a dozen times, he's strongly suggesting to his readers that this element of his novel is really factual. Balderdash. I would have given this novel 4 stars, but his dumbing-down and mushing-up of the public's understanding of science is a real minus. The public at large is already confused and bewildered at the amazing complexity of science in today's world; this psycho-babble nonesense is junk. And harmful. His characters actually say that wishful thinking can alter probabilities in the real world; woe to the Vegas casino owners!

Would that it were not so. Huge areas of uncertainty and vagueness remain in our scientific understanding; perhaps some type of so-called psychic phenonenmon will documented and studied in the future. But not the way Brown describes it. That's fiction within fiction, though he suggests it's fact. As of 2010, we're still waiting for the very first positive results in a properly designed and administered test of psychic mental abilities. So far we have exactly zero results from such properly conducted experiments; throughout the world; to date. Maybe in 2011, or 2050, or the year 3000; I'm not holding my breath. But I wish Brown had kept his fiction more believable and left his wishful thinking for magical mental powers out of it.

Mark

With regards to the negative reviews, I am amazed at all these bozos that think what they say on Amazon means diddly. I've read some of these negative reviews and I can't believe the hard time they give Dan Brown. The guy wrote a fun, interesting, and entertaining book. For anyone that takes the time to write a long critical review......get a life. OR better yet, see if you can write a better book than Dan Brown and then you'll have room to talk.

Dan Brown has given us an excellent book. I learned more about symbols that I really wanted to, but inorder to get through the book and find the answers at the end of it you have to read through the symbols.


This is an outstanding book which is fascinating to the end. Some books seem to quit on you before the end or the last few chapers are just add ons. Not in this case. Is does get a little dry towards the end but that ismore than made up for by the interest formed in reading the book and following the plot.

Mystery readers will enjoy this book.

J. Robert Ewbank, author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

As always, Brown has done a masterful job. Fast moving, complex, interesting -- he done good.

OK, so Dan Brown has an episodic tendency. So what? So does Tom Clancy. They have a favorite character that they throw into many situations. Yes, Dan Brown does seem to have a formula for telling the story. But I liked it. I like that the stories cover different secret societies and legends. I think they are fun to read. Just buy it, and enjoy the story. I think this story is good and I enjoyed going along for the ride.

I loved this book. I have read several of Dan Brown's books and this has been my favorite so far. I look foward to reading the rest of his books.

Well, Dan Brown has stuck to his formula and taken us on another rollicking and exhausting adventure (a year's worth of action in less than 24 hours)with Harvard symbologist Robert Landon as he managed to get himself in the crosshairs of both the CIA and a demented psychopath. The psychopath thinks Langdon can help him find an ancient Masonic symbol hidden somewhere in Washington, DC. He wants it to achieve ultimate wisdom and power he believes are promised in Ancient Wisdom writings passed down through the elite leadership of the Masonic order. He has kidnapped Masonic leader and Langdon mentor, Peter Solomon, and Langdon, in concert with Peter's scientist sister, Katherine, must try to stay ahead of the killer and find their own answers to the puzzle.

What redeems this otherwise unlikely drama is the interesting weaving of supposedly factual information about the Masons, their secrets and hidden history, and a tantalizing array of theological and mystical truths and legends about symbols, mathematical puzzles and riddles, and the role they played in the lives of actual people such as George Washington, Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, and others.

If you liked the Da Vinci code, you'll probably like this too.

I was somewhat disappointed. It was action packed, but I felt it wasn't as good as The DaVinci Code. I would have liked to learn more about the symbols and how they interacted with the plot.

As it turned out, Dan Brown had squandered a golden opportunity to enthrall his readers with this much anticipated Robert Langdon novel. He also managed to mar his reputation as a serious writer and entertainer with the exceedingly bad characters, including Robert Langdon's, with which this book is rife. As much as I enjoyed reading Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, I'm afraid Mr. Brown has "lost" me with this one.

With that said, I did enjoy some aspects of the book. I'll start with what I liked first.

Dan Brown is known to load up his books with a ton of research on the subjects in question (i.e. Vatican, Rome and Catholicism in Angels and Demons; Christianity, Paris, Jesus and Knights Templar in The Da Vinci Code) and this book is no exception. I really enjoyed reading about the Masons and their history and rituals. I also got to learn about Noetic Science, which I didn't realize existed prior to reading this book. Brown's descriptions of Washington D.C. and the Capitol were immersive and fascinating in the same measure.

But then we had to deal with characters and plot, which brings us to the portion of this review where I get to tell you what I didn't like about the book.

Aside from the fascinating research, everything else was one bad joke after another. The characters, especially Robert Langdon's, were vapid to put it lightly and sadly inconsequential. For the better half of the book, Langdon was inexplicably balking at concepts that a man with his experience (from Angels and Demons and Da Vinci Code) would simply not have. Seriously, most of Robert Langdon's lines were a variation of, "yes, but that doesn't make sense" that's shortly thereafter followed by, "God, now it all makes sense."

And to add insult to injury, the plot was a mess. It was too predictable, weak and embarrassingly contrived.

I was really disheartened to see such cheap and amateurish work put out by a writer with such a huge platform. You may enjoy reading this book just for the research that's put into it. But if good character development and believable plots are important to you, The Lost Symbol will end up being lost time you wish you get back.

I'm a Dan Brown fan. I really like his other books (with the exception of the so-so Digital Fortress). I also like Dan Brown's writing for the most part.I read this book and was quite entertained for the first two thirds of it. It had lots of interesting stuff, clever twists, and decent pacing. Unfortunately after that the plot holes were just so unbelievably huge (I actually can't believe an editor let this go, a high school writing student wouldn't make these mistakes), that it left a bad taste in my mouth. There were tons of things that ignore the painfully obvious and things that just could not and would not happen (and character stupidity that's inconsistent with who they are). Oh yeah the climax was utterly anticlimatic. Really shocking this passed the tests before it was published. I will read future books by Dan brown but I sure hope both he and his editors never make these worse than rookie mistakes again.If there is a movie I'm sure they'll make big changes to the story. Not his best work, his worst in fact. Im usually ok with books that are entertaining, unique and decently written and I'm not normally real critical, but there were too many big flaws in this one to not mention them.

This is the first Dan Brown novel I haven't loved. The history is interesting, but the story is tedious, unbelievable, unpalatable. Holy BS. Too many dead trees for not enough satisfaction.

The Lost Symbol started out well, but kind of out stayed it's welcome. The god mumbo-jumbo towards the end was a bit hard to take. And the apologetics for Freemasonry was just bizarre. Ultimately, what is this book about except the triumph of censorship?

I loved Angels & Demons, thought DVC was ok, but this is a rung below those two.

This is an entertaining, quick read. But, if you are hoping for a revelation that will knock your socks off, forget it. Dan Brown authors another story with the same footprint as his previous works. Nothing new.

I read this book purely for entertainment purposes, and I was mildly entertained. Sure the story is somewhat like the others (I knew it would be), and my only complaint was that the book was too long. Seems to me that the book could be cut in half if the CIA director had told the truth from the beginning, but I'm not one to make much of a stink over the actions of fictional characters.

There was, this time, a little twist that I wasn't expecting and found myself reading with my jaw hanging wide open and over what special kind of crazy the villain was and wondering what was going to happen next, but that was near the end of the book and it took too long to get there.

Still, if I had the choice between 'buy this book' or 'borrow it from the library', this would be a 'borrow'.

I love to read Dan Brown novels, the are intrigue and the always make me go to the encyclopedia to see if some of his writings are fiction or facts. Even though I enjoy this novel, this time I was a bit puzzle since he make the character of Robert a bit shaky, insecure and I did not have that sensation in the other books, however the twist at the end is priceless.
Over all I have to say that I like very much this book.

After the events of ANGELS AND DEMONS and the DaVINCI CODE Robert Langdon has returned to the quiet world of academia. When a long time friend contacts him with a request to deliver a lecture for him in Washington DC Langdon is happy to oblige even though it is rather short notice. Once he arrives in Washington though Langdon once again finds himself swept up in yet another desperate race through a famous city deciphering clues left on famous landmarks by their long dead architect. This time the secret society behind all the action is that long time favorite of conspiracy theorists, the Masons.

If you like ANGELS AND DEMONS and/or the DaVINCI CODE you will probably also enjoy this latest novel although it is not quite on a par with the previous two. Brown's style of short chapters filled with action and two or three threads of the plot occurring concurrently makes for an exciting read, even if a predictable one. This is not a great novel that will become a classic but it is a fun way to spend a few hours.

What a surprise ending. I listened to the last CD at least five times. It is candy for the brain and food for the seeking soul.

Pablito

After The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, Dan Brown gives us a third adventure with his popular character Robert Langdon, Harvard professor and religious history and ancient symbols expert. (Think Tom Hanks, who, with director Ron Howard, is probably gearing up for another film version as I write this). This time, Brown takes us on a nerve-wracking romp through Washington, D.C. as Langdon tries to decipher symbols and secrets of the American Masons before they can be misused by an evil force. As usual, Brown offers a virtually artless writing style, but this hardly matters because his story is completely plot-driven and this book, like his previous ones, is a real page-turner. Brown may not be a Charles Dickens or a John Steinbeck when it comes to written expression, but he does know how to construct a good story. Chapters bounce back and forth between exciting predicaments and flash back to earlier events and provide background on various characters. (There are so many cliffhangers in this story that it easily could have run as a week-to-week serial in a newspaper as was the custom for introducing numerous 19th-century novels).
As in all the Brown novels, this one has a psychotic, homicidal bad guy who is trying to foil Langdon's clever efforts to unravel perplexing clues and riddles so he can reach the treasure first and use it for his own evil purposes. This time, the nemesis is a megalomanical tattooed madman who thinks he can gain the map to the Ancient Mysteries and thereby transform himself in to a god. He is one baaaaaaad dude, and never, since I read the Left Behind series wherein the antagonist is the Antichrist himself, have I wanted so badly for the enemy to get his comeuppances. (Need I say that he does--big time?)
Some plot points call for a suspension of disbelief. For example, the nemesis first puts his evil plan in motion after he hears crucial information conveniently through a ventilation shaft. That's right. An inmate in a Turkish prison eavesdrops on a conversation from the warden's office through a ventilation shaft. Okay.
Also, would the world as we know it really be ripped asunder if, as certain characters seem to fear, a videotape of detailed secret Masonic rites--bizarre though they may be--were loosed upon the Internet? I hardly think so.
Now, a criticism on character development: Readers were given a false buildup for the big Mistaken Identity revelation toward the end. What was said in earlier chapters was not just misleading (that would have been okay), but explained in a totally false way. Oh, well.
After the nemesis is dispatched, Brown uses characters Peter Soloman, a wealthy academic and 33rd-degree Mason, and his sister Katherine Soloman, a noetic scientist, to present a thought-provoking essay about the importance for respect for ancient holy wisdom and the connection between science and spirituality. Brown focuses on the various sites in the nation's capital, in particular, the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building, to suggest an historical and ongoing connection between American historic ideals and the ultimate spiritual destiny of mankind. His assertions about the Lost Word of the ancients will spark new respect for numerous great books of philosophy from the past--one in particular--and how it contains "a collection of untapped wisdom waiting to be unveiled" (489). The main theme of the book's last three chapters is that God favors mankind's understanding and continuing intellectual and spiritual development. Katherine, who has discovered, among other startling scientific facts, a method to quantifiably weigh the human soul (that's right), continues the discussion of human apotheosis, suggesting the possibility of men reaching complete spiritual maturity (498). These last 20 pages or so are so interesting that they are worth the whole lengthy read.

The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown has very little idea of Self, Mind, Ego and Consciousness as explained in the Vedas. Mental power being material is only as good as physical power, if a comparison could be made. Spiritual strength arising from understanding and realizing one's own Self is what is called the Secret Science by Krsna is Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 7). Mere thoughts, and the mind which is built of these thoughts, are just impediments. Misplaced ego and intellect further contributes to binding one in darkness.

That apart, Dan Brown drags in Noetic Science to state that the Spirit Soul, encased by physical body, has weight. Spirit is not matter and hence has no weight. Brown could have referred to NDEs (Near Death Experiences) which has a more acceptable basis in science.

The villain, curiously named Mal'ak (angel in Hebrew), was a former drug addict with no initiation whatsoever into the world of the Left Path. He has no master, no guide and no book. He has a lot of Internet material for guidance. Mal'aks and fallen Mal'aks are realized souls, Grand Masters, not de-natured body builders clothed with tattoos. In normal case he will not be acceptable even in the Hell.

Free Masons, as any other similar sect of spiritualists, try to break free for the written word of the scriptures. Masons use rich symbolism. Vedic Masters use aphorisms and ecstatic love expressed by elevated songs and dances. Others use various other constructs. They don't try to decipher the secrets of the scriptures and reach heaven-ward. On the contrary, they aim to transcend the written word and reach inward. For it is often said "Your friend can help point your attention towards the full moon, framed by branches of a tree. Seeing has to be done by you and only you".

I hope Dan Brown will attempt to "see" before he writes his next book.

One Line Summary: A murky version of the same kind of thing as The Da Vinci Code.

This is typical Dan Brown...some mind-boggling, world-changing secret needs to be solved by the world's expert...some really insane evil guy wants this secret for himself/herself and has kidnapped etc people close to world expert and needs help from kidnapped person's family etc, namely a brilliant female costar.

It was still an interesting story for the most part. I enjoyed learning a bit more about the Masons and some historical aspects of America's Capital. But overall, it was a disappointment. It was cliche, the story didn't grip me. I pretty much knew what was going to happen before it happened and I never really felt for any of the characters. And the big mystery at the end wasn't that big of a mystery or eureka type moment. I was thinking...that's it? Plus, it was way too long. It could have been at least a hundred pages shorter and the climax wasn't that climatic and the ending kept going and going and going....

I was hoping for more after a fun ride with The Da Vinci Code, but all I got was a boring version of the same thing.

Dan Brown's latest "masterpiece" started out so well. The first 80% of the book was standard Dan Brown fare: mysteries wrapped in enigmas hidden inside secret panels, and all with esoteric meaning, known not to we the readers, but only to the ancients and to Robert Langdon.

I thought the book had a great bad guy, and lots of surprising twists and turns, and one very important twist that blew me away -- that I never saw coming.

So, I suggest that IF you buy the book, you stop reading about page 500 in this 530 page book. (The page numbers are total guesses, since I read the Kindle edition which has no page numbers). But somewhere around page 490-510 things start turning positive in the cat and mouse game. I give the book a 4-star rating to this point, and Brown should have taken another 10 pages to put a finish to the action and the book.

Sadly, shortly thereafter, everybody who is a hero (or heroine) figure starts preaching new-age, noetic science, the-bible-is-code, drivel to each other and to the reader for 20-40 pages, although it seemed more like 100 pages.

However, this section reads very fast, because you can read 3-4 pages of drivel-speak in about 5 seconds as you search for more action scenes. Sadly, there are none.

So, this last section rates a one or two stars, overall worth a weak 3-star rating.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

I don't like reading other people's reviews on such subjective topics as books or movies but the negative reviews I have seen about The Lost Symbol are about as redundant as their claims about Brown's plots. We all know Brown's formula and method of operation and we either love it or hate it. I wish the people who hate it would stop reading his books expecting some miraculous change and read authors that they know and love.

The Lost Symbol is exciting and entertaining and was hard for me to put down. I didn't spend my reading time psychoanalyzing characters or plot holes, I just took it for what I believe it is meant to be: ENTERTAINMENT. I watch movies and read books to escape reality and that's what The Lost Symbol did for me. If you want to be entertained and slightly educated, read the book and ignore the naysayers.

I feverishly read this novel in one sitting.. well almost. I couldn't bring myself to get past the dry rubbish in the last 20-30 pages after the rescue.. It was so absolutely painful to complete reading this book. I'd recommend to another to read until the point of rescue and forgo the rest.

The Lost Symbol is definitely a Dan Brown book. It breaks everything into short chapters that constantly switch scenes, has a plot twist, and has its archetypal super-nasty bad guy. It uses action at a frenetic pace to cover any weakness in facts or plot (like Star Wars). This is what one expects from Brown, and he doesn't fail us in this book if that's why you read his novels. As usual, he goes way out on a limb with some of the information he presents, but this time around, the limb breaks.

Except for the villain, the characters in the book are suffering from some brain-crippling disease. This makes them easy pickings for the puppet-master, who knows just how to play them until the plot twist, when he also succumbs to the same brain freeze as everyone else. I hoped for better, but I'll accept what I got.

Rather than trying to describe what I thought was wrong, I'll let the book speak for itself. All bracketed entries are mine, either to put the quote in context or to make some snide remark. The first quote, I liked, but after that, they go downhill rapidly.

p10: I am a masterpiece. [Mal'akh is indeed a piece of work.]

p34: The truth was that Katherine was doing science so advanced [Noetic Science - more advanced than Creation Science or even Homeopathic Science] that it no longer even resembled science. [The resemblance is indeed faint.]

p148: An unusual, fetid odor wafted out of the darkness. [Elemental sulfur smells fetid?]

p152: Ethanol fumes wafted out as she reached down into the [specimen preservation] tank and flipped a switch just above the liquid line. [It must be a special switch not to ignite the fumes. (Ethanol fumes burn violently with just a spark.)]

p182: Seventy-five feet overhead, stained-glass skylights glistened between paneled beams adorned with rare "aluminum leaf" - a metal that was considered more precious than gold at one time. [The Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson building) was completed in 1897, when Alcoa was producing cheap aluminum using the Hall-Héroult process - far less than the price of silver and nowhere near the price of gold.]

p185: The security guard was on his way, and for some unknown reason, her attacker smelled strongly of ethanol. [Ethanol smells vaguely sweet (if you can smell it at all); water has a much stronger smell. Any other odors come from contaminants.]

p200: Normally, a two-inch-tall object would not be an issue of national security unless it was made of enriched plutonium. [Who isotopically enriches plutonium? It's useful because it's already enriched when it's created.]

p208: Katherine's work here had begun using modern science to answer ancient philosophical questions. Does anyone hear our prayers? Is there Life after death? Do humans have souls? [Does this have anything to do with science?]

p209: Mal'akh hurried now into the lab and retrieved the Pyrex jug of Bunsen-burner fuel - a viscous, highly flammable, yet noncombustible oil. [Will fuel oil also work with a Meker-Fischer burner? How do you convert it from using natural gas? And do they use Pyrex because they heat the jug rapidly?]

p268: He felt pure again, having washed off the last remaining scent of ethanol. [He probably thought that smelling sweet clashed with his personality.]

p313: Science and mysticism are very closely related, distinguishable only by their approaches. They have identical goals...but different methods. [PZ Myers needs to be notified.]

p335: Different substances incandesce at different temperatures. ... Think of a mood ring. Just put it on your finger, and it changes color from body heat. [This is incandescence?]

p335: The early alchemists used organic phosphors all the time as thermal markers. [Because they incandesce so readily?]

p392: Noetic Science clearly suggested that thoughts had mass, and so it stood to reason, then, that the human soul might therefore also have mass. [Of course!]

p495: The results were conclusive and irrefutable, with the potential to transform skeptics into believers and affect global consciousness on a massive scale. [...and any concerns about her methods would evaporate.]

p498: Katherine was apparently familiar with the [Capitol] dome's startling acoustical properties...because the wall whispered back. [The focal points of a sphere are at its edge?]

p498: The science of Noetics may be new, but it's actually the oldest science on earth - the study of human thought. ..."And we're learning that the ancients actually understood thought more profoundly than we do today."

p499: "Your brother tried to convince me that the Bible is encoded with scientific information." "It certainly is," she said... [Anyone who has seen the movie Time Changer already knows that "the only science worth knowing is in the Bible". After all, the Bible has all the details for building a time machine.]

p499 - p500: The human brain, in advanced states of focus, will physically create a waxlike substance from the pineal gland. This brain secretion is unlike anything else in the body. It has an incredible healing effect, can literally regenerate cells, and may be one of the reasons yogis live so long. This is real science. [How do you recognize fake science? Ask a fakir?]

p500: The Bible, like many ancient texts, is a detailed exposition of the most sophisticated machine ever created...the human mind.

p500: Within a matter of years, modern man will be forced to accept what is now unthinkable: our minds can generate energy capable of transforming physical matter. [Better than a philosopher's stone.]

p501: God is very real - a mental energy that pervades everything. And we, as human beings, have been created in that image[.]

I read the The Da Vinci Code book first and that has turned into one of my favorite books of all time, then naturally I bought this one, because now I am a huge Dan Brown fan. So here is what I have to say about this book, DO NOT think that this book is fact, it's a fiction novel, if you want to learn more about the topics and history that are referenced in the book then do your own research. With that being said, this book is a great FICTION novel. Dan Browns writing is still average, but he still has the ability to grab your attention and just take you for a fun ride. He really should get a new editor though, because his descriptions of the environment that characters are in, is kind of bland for some reason, I don't know why. Other then that he is a good writer and this book is so worthy of buying and reading. His Da Vinci code book had a slightly better ending, but this one was awesome too. The only thing that was a little disappointing was the drag that it took to get there, and the extra dribble after the ending climax. Again, that shouldn't over shadow the overall pleasure I had reading this book!! So go read it now!! You will like it !

Dan Brown is searching for symbols that lead us to greater truths - he searched too hard and found to little truth that is new or unusual. SPOILER - really - as though we already don't realize we have untapped mental powers, that the grace of God is within us all - that we have great potential we have not reached. He took a bunch of symbols apparently placed around DC like a high school scavenger hunt that made our forefathers look like they had nothing better to do than act like an elitiest boyscout secret society that hid secret messages in an attempt to make themselves feel more special and intelligent that the rest of us. And at the end of the night a man who had just been tortured and had his hand cut off and a woman who had a vein opened to bleed to death just hop around DC as though they just woke up from a nap. I want the past few hours back.

I, like most Dan Brown fans, was excited when The Lost Symbol went on sale. The book started off at a good pace and kept my interest but somewhere around the middle of the book the momentum came to a screeching halt. The book is wrought with pointless bantering back and forth about absolutely nothing. I agree with several other reviewers...Langdon is a useless ninny in this book, whole chapters could have and should have been done away with and the ending was a huge letdown. While I don't expect any writer to crank out a literary masterpiece everytime he/she sits down to write a book, I have to admit I expected more from Mr. Brown.

This highly anticipated book was a slow and gradual let down. I was caught up in the excitment and drama all the way until the last few chapeters. The characters had me interested enough in the plot and having been to DC, it was fun to think about all the landmarks and hidden possibilites of the city. I thought the Noetic lab was interesting but we never fully understand the science and the "proven" research that is is often mentioned. Dan Brown had me all the way until the end, where the big secret was elusive and unfulfilling. I felt a bit preached to about religious beliefs, bringing the last few chapeters to an outdated and uninteresting ending. I actually forced myself to read the epilogue; at that point I just didn't care anymore and wanted to wrap up the Lost Symbol. If there was an actual point behind the drama and excitment of the book I know this would have been as successful as The Da Vinci Code.

The Lost Symbol has got to be the worst book I have ever read.
It is the last Brown book I ever read. You know your in trouble when their is a
status bar telling you how exited you should be as your reading the book.
Lame.

but loved this book - i usually read self-help books (Live Like A Fruit Fly - just got it on amazon - simply awesome) - but Lost Symbol was intriguing and even addicting...

This has become my favorite book of all time. Fantastic read! Kept me going from page 1 to the very end. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!!! Just ordered 2 more of his books!!!

Joanne Capouch
jcapouch@wolfmtnlaw.com

Not the DaVinci Code to be sure, but better than a lot of the stuff out there.
A few thoughts:
Factual errors: Bell did not invent wireless (DUH!) he invented the telephone.
Slow start. It takes a long time to get going. But then the pace is frantic. Almost impossible.
Slow end. Drags on and is very philosphical and actually pretty pointless.
A lot of speculative science, and a lot of interesting historical facts.
But the middle is pretty good and fun. Classic Dan Brown. Don't miss it.