Book 38 - The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

No preamble - let's go straight to the review!

Book 38 - The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol, the latest book from Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, is a fast paced thriller that in order to be enjoyed requires from the reader a vast suspension of disbelief, because at the beginning of the book, set in Washington, D.C., most of the town is watching a Redskins NFC playoff game.

Seriously, the setting is D.C., but the belief we as readers are asked to embrace is the notion that the Masons run everything. They are in all positions of power. They protect secrets which if known could change the world as we know it. They built the Nation's Capital, and embedded their symbology throughout the city.

OK, so maybe the last part isn't such a stretch. It's been pretty well established that many of the Founding Fathers were Masons, and so it is not really much of a surprise that they would embed their imagery in the buildings of D.C., and it is this fact that allows Brown to draw the reader into his broader intrigue. He is able to point to specific buildings and point out where these symbols really exist and say, "see, I told you it was there," which gives him credibility and allows the reader to at least temporarily believe in the broader conspiracy.

The other major thing we are asked to believe in is noetic science. This the science of trying to prove some of the metaphysical questions that everybody asks. Does God hear our prayers? Do we have a soul? What happens to the soul when we die? It is the combination of ancient mysticism and science, and plays heavily into the secrets that the Masons are supposedly trying to protect.

Brown weaves a fast-paced tale of suspense, involving kidnapping, dismemberment, puzzle solving, and a lot of chasing. It feels like an episode of 24, and it should, as the entire story takes place in less than 24 hours. Robert Langdon, famed symbologist and the protagonist from Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, has been asked by his friend, Peter Solomon, a high-ranking Mason, to speak at a Smithsonian event to take place at the U.S. Capitol Building. However, in reality, Solomon has been kidnapped, and it is his captor, the evil Mal'akh, who has lured Langdon to D.C.. Mal'akh wants to force Langdon to decode Masonic symbology that will lead him to the secrets of the Ancient Mysteries, which Mal'akh believes will bring him enormous power. But before Langdon can even unravel the first clue, the CIA becomes involved, as does the Architect of the Capitol, who is himself a high-ranking Mason.

What ensues is a hurried combination of chase and treasure hunt, as Langdon races to unlock the Masonic mysteries and free Solomon before Mal'akh kills him. It is difficult to know who to trust. The Masons are conflicted between saving their brother and keeping the secrets entrusted to them. The CIA's motive in trying to stop Mal'akh is unclear. The only person it seems Langdon can trust is Solomon's sister Katherine, a noetic scientist who has made incredible advances in a secret research lab set up by her brother. After her lab is destroyed by Mal'akh, she joins forces with Langdon to attempt to free her brother.

I loved the fact that this novel takes place in my backyard. As I was reading, I was intimately familiar with many of the streets and buildings they went to. When one of the scenes takes the action to Franklin Square, the CIA lands on top of 1301 K Street NW, where my office used to be.

Anyway, I don't want to give too much of the book away. I thought it was thrilling escapist fiction, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Give it a try!