Anyone read the new Dan Brown nove, "Inferno?" It another ongoing saga apparently related to Robert Langston
I've liked the other ones despite their faults, but it seems rather soon to be returning back to Italy. Unless it's really good, I might sit this one out.
Just about anything's better than A) trying to make Washington, DC seem mysterious and intriguing, and B) that New Age crap ending of The Lost Symbol. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the producers behind the films skip over Symbol (currently still in the scripting phase) entirely and go straight to Inferno.
Does it have anything to do with Dante? Because if so, forget it, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle got there first.
I'm more than likely won't ever read this. The Da Vinci Code was very enjoyable but flawed while The Lost Symbol was godawful. I still haven't gotten around to reading Angels & Demons although I enjoyed the film somewhat.
Thematically, I found the story more interesting in Angels & Demons than in the Da Vinci Code, though that might have something to do with the fact that I was reading the novel just as Pope JP II had passed away, which enhanced it. The spooky thing is, I had started the novel long before he was gone, then the news hits and the timing coincided with what I had been reading in the book.
I actually liked Angels & Demons (the book) better than The Da Vinci Code, but it's the other way around with the movies. The Lost Symbol...I wouldn't exactly call it disappointing, since my expectations weren't that high, but it was pretty much a big 'meh' for me. I'll wait for Inferno to hit paperback before I read it, I think.
It would have been much more interesting if "Inferno" wasn't its full name... [insert "Coupling" reference here]
Agreed. Lost Symbol was terrible - I didn't even finish. Da Vinci Code was great and I enjoyed Angels and Deamons. I read the synopsis of Inferno on Wiki and it sounds interesting. I spoiled myself on the surprise ending though.
I think the movies, in the order they were produced likely added to the punch they had considering the Da Vinci Code is the one that gave him worldwide attention. But yeah, while I liked the A&D movie, you're right that the Da Vinci Code was the better movie. It was executed in a better manner. I think the problem with The Lost Symbol is that it's ultimately unsatisfying. Dan Brown is not a great writer, and he seemed lost writing this. The concept was sound, and it could have been so much better if a better writer had undertaken it. As it is, it just fizzled.
I read it. It was okay, if not predictably formulaic. The ending left a lot to be desired for me. I thought Lost Symbol was better. Then again, that book resonated with me more, being a Mason, than this one. Didn't really relate much to the Florentine references outside the work by Dante and, even then, I realized I didn't know much about the Divine Comedy until I read this, which was good. Overall, I'd give it a C-.
In June, I wrote: Well, y'all may file this one under "Gaith calls it again!", because Deadline (via The AV Club) is reporting that that's exactly how things are going down over at Sony. Take that, Washington, DC! No (movie) shoot for you!
i thought Inferno was alright. it was better than The Lost Symbol, but then i'm not one of those who hated that novel.
I enjoyed Inferno. It's a fast read good for summer reading. I thought Angels and Demons was the best of the Langdon stories. The Lost Symbol seemed a bit silly at times but I didn't mind it as much as others seem to. But Dan Brown seems to be falling into the Dean Koontz trap where the characters are the same in each novel with just different set ups and locales.
Yes, he has always been quite formulaic. Wasn't too bad in his early books, as he was still relatively new. Also liked his non-Langdon books a lot, like Deception Point and Digital Fortress, the former containing the most graphic and (from what I've heard) most technically accurate literary representation of what happens to someone when they freeze/drown to death. It was truly creepy and an excellent read. His most recent books, though, yeah, are getting a bit tiresome. He really needs a new pattern and material. Perhaps he should give Langdon a rest for a while.