Presenting Author - Dan Brown

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Dan Brown

Main genre: Adventure / Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
Main audience: Young Adult on

Dan Brown writes books that usually (to me anyway) have themes which are not of the usual fare. Often they have a basis in science fact, or of events which have happened and have been covered up by 'the powers that be'. Entertaining and well-written, his stories are crafted so that his speculations of 'what might be so' have, at the least, a viable basis in fact. Some of his books have been made into movies.

Main Books
Digital Fortress (1998)
Deception Point (2001)

Robert Langdon books
Angels & Demons (2000)
The Da Vinci Code (2003)
The Lost Symbol (2009)
Inferno (2013)

Short summary of the author: Well researched, the books often have some kind of historical theme or have passages in them which go back to historical times. He uses fact and fiction, combining them into a rousing good story. He has no difficulty in writing stories which might provoke debate and/or discussion and in fact, seems to delight in doing so. I really enjoy the character Robert Langdon. I just read The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, and find the idea of a main character who is smart, well-read, a teacher and just a regular guy in a non-regular setting, is greatly appealing.

Good points / bad points: Good points - his stories either grab you and swing you into the story, so that you want to read the book in its entirety right now ~ ~ or ~ ~ Bad points - the main theme of the story just doesn't jell into something that you want to read.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Title of the Book: Origin (2017)
Author: Dan Brown
Series: Yes - Robert Langdon
Main genre: Adventure / Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Fiction
Main audience: Young Adult on

Short summary of the story: Robert Langdon meets a former-student-turned-friend of his and is tumbled headlong into another adventure. Again, the story all takes place within a short time period albeit this time over 24 hours passes from the beginning of the story to the final pages.

This book was just published; don't read the spoiler stuff if you are intending to read it! His friend, Edmond Kirsch, has made a discovery which he says will change the face of science forever. Again, as in other of the Langdon books, articles of 'faith' are challenged and there is, again, a mysterious 'Regent' controlling things, political shenanigans going on and a romance which oddly doesn't involve Langdon (or does it?). But before the announcement of the discovery can be made (and oh, by the way, it was arranged that it would be broadcast live around the world) -- just before he unveils it --Edmond Kirsch is murdered. Live and on camera. And thus the story continues. I'm not writing more because some folks might read this and then go get the book. I don't want to say 'the butler did it' in here.

Good points / bad points:
'Bad' points -- this book will not be everyone's cup of tea. If you liked his other books, then you will probably enjoy this one. If you don't like his other books -- read something you will enjoy more.
'Good' points -- wow. This is one very good story, with a lot of twists and turns which I didn't expect (as usual with the Langdon stories). I think I was, on first finishing it, sort of puzzled.Where is the big denouement? The huge monkey wrench, the explosive finale which makes sense of all the rest of the book? Then, after a while, I realized that the whole STORY was the denouement. Well well well.Well done, Dan Brown. Yes, indeed, well done.

Goodreads write-up

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.

As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery . . . and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

Title of the Book: Digital Fortress (1998)
Author: Dan Brown
Series: No
Main genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Fiction
Main audience: Young Adult on

Short summary of the story (from Goodreads):

When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant and beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power.

Good Points: This book is great if you are a first time reader of Dan Brown books and do not want to delve into the maze that is Robert Langdon series. This book has a lot of action and twists that will keep you glued to the pages until the very end. It also has a love story and a struggle of the characters between what is right and what is wrong, should the public be protected or its privacy preserved, so it is not just a brain-dead action thriller.

Bad Points: This is Dan Brown’s first book and it shows. The writing might not be the best and you might catch on to plot twists or at least anticipate them if you are familiar with his writing formula. I was told that some of his research about cryptology and computer science is not the best either, or right down unbelievable. However, I personally was not bothered by that, since I am not an expert in either.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Title of the Book: The Da Vinci Code
Author: Dan Brown
Series: Yes - Robert Langdon
Main genre: Adventure / Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Fiction / Historical / Historical Fiction
Main audience: Young Adult on

This is a re-read for me, and I really enjoyed it. It seems each time I read it, I get more out of it. In between readings of the book, I might watch the movies too ...

Robert Langdon's story continues. We met him in Angels & Demons and now find him immersed in another mystery where, this time, he is the one who the officials think is the culprit. He meets the granddaughter (Sophie) of a murdered man, a highly respected man who inadvertently, when passing along a dying message, pointed at Robert as his killer. Robert and Sophie go off on a wild hunt based on informations that Sophie's grandfather left for her. Somehow this all becomes entangled in a mystery which is thousands of years old and yet has reverberations through to current days. The plot thickens as all the people of the story go from France to England and a final denouement.

Goodreads writeup:

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

The Da Vinci Code heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.

My library has this to say about The Da Vinci Code:

Any book that can logically mentionMary Magdalene and Mickey Mouse as important plot developments deserves attention from librarians and listeners alike. Brown presents a literate, highly complex, and thoroughly fascinating novel dealing with shadowy aspects of the Catholic Church. Cryptology expert Robert Langdon is in Paris to attend a conference and to meet with an old colleague who happens to be the curator of the Louvre Museum. When the curator is found dead, the French police seek Robert for questioning, but a young female officer, the granddaughter of the curator, believes that sinister forces are behind her grandfather's death and enlists Robert's help in finding the real killer. What follows is a wonderfully plotted story that ranges from Paris and London to Scotland, with several sidetracks along the way.[ ] A thoroughly enjoyable mystery that will prove popular with patrons who enjoy a darn good game of cat and mouse.

My library write-up says this about the Illustrated Edition

From secrets embedded in the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, to the symbols of ancient Egypt, to the architecture of landmarks such as the Louvre, Westminster Abbey, Rosslyn Chapel, and more, this fully illustrated collector's edition delivers the complete reading experience of Dan Brown's riveting novel, from the opening pages to the unpredictable and stunning conclusion.

I read the library's illustrated edition and immediately wanted it on my own shelves. It's so great and gorgeous. However, now I have both The Da Vinci Code - Special Illustrated Edition, as well as a paperback copy of The Da Vinci Code. While I really enjoy the extra information which is given in the illustrated edition, I got the paperback when I found out that it is just too heavy to hold comfortably when plopped on a couch and reading the story.

As I've said above, his stories either grab you from the first pages to where you have to find out what comes next - OR - you don't like his style of writing and/or the subject matter and choose not to read the book at all. There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground in the ratings from readers on Goodreads! It mostly either receive 4-5 stars or 1-2 stars.

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

Title of the Book: Deception Point (2001)
Author: Dan Brown
Series: No
Main genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Fiction
Main audience: Young Adult on

Short summary of the story (from Goodreads):

When a new NASA satellite spots evidence of an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory...a victory that has profound implications for U.S. space policy and the impending presidential election.

Good Points: I like how, in comparison to his other books, like Digital Fortress, Deception Point start out slower, or maybe less dramatic. Some might think this is a bad thing (and maybe for them it is), but I like how we are not immediately plunged into a crime or other detailed scenes right off the bat. Deception Point also has a great deal more action than Brown's other books (that I have read), although some of the scenes might need a suspension of belief, but in my opinion that makes it even better. The characters are also great, nicely fleshed out, at least to the point that we can understand most of their motives.

Bad Points: While the book certainly had me gripped all along the way, there were certain moments in the chapters were the story was dragged out too much for my opinion, which I call a case of Tolkien-ism. Some chapters could be shortened without any fuss and the story would still be strong.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Title of the Book: Angels & Demons
Author: Dan Brown
Series: Yes - Robert Langdon
Main genre: Adventure / Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Fiction
Main audience: Young Adult on

Short summary of the story: Robert Langdon is a world-renowned Harvard symbologist. He's summoned to a Swiss research facility (CERN) because of a cryptic symbol which the director of CERN hopes Langdon can decipher. It's a very fast paced story -- the events of the whole book take place in a little over 24 hours. The story is rather fascinating as well as filled with a lot of information.

On the whole, I could see the events of this story actually happening, which is sort of scary to contemplate.

Dan Brown wrote, at the back of this story, an entire page of Acknowledgements and thanks for those who helped him with his research into the actual workings of CERN and the Vatican and other items mentioned in the book.

This is the first Robert Langdon book written. It's followed by The Da Vinci Code and then by others. (The movies show The Da Vinci Code as happening before Angels & Demons so there is some discontinuity there but it's not hard to figure it out if you've seen the movies but not read the books.)

Goodreads has this

World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization--- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on the earth... the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.

[Amy Smith]

Title : Inferno
Arthur : Dan Brown
Series : Yes - Robert Langdon
Genre : Fiction, Thriller,Mystery and Suspense
Short summary of the story:
As this is the fourth book of the Robert Langdon series it gets more interesting .So in this book Robert Langdon, a symbology professor at Harvard university he is kind of drawn into the hallowing world in the centre of one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpiece which is Dante's Inferno.Now Langdon must unravel a series of codes with the help of a brilliant scientist Sienna Brooks.

This is what goodreads has to say:

Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings. With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee. Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri's The Inferno.

Good points:
I really like the books which Dan Brown writes they are intense and they kind of really make you curious and this was one good book.There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and the plot it also very good.