Results tagged “Lee Child”

I assume Dan Brown has made a fortune from the royalties for The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons and the other novels and their film versions. That he's managed to add to his wealth with the release of The Lost Symbol is inevitable.

But is it truly deserving?

The Lost Symbol is not a great work of literature. Sure, it is readable, but so is the back of some cereal packs. Readibility is not the best barometer.

Langdon, who previously appeared in both The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, makes another appearance in The Lost Symbol.

This time round he's exploring the Masonic world in the US capital - Washington DC.

(On a positive note I suspect the tourist office in Washington will probably be thanking Dan Brown for the boost in visitor numbers.)

Langdon is summoned to Washington to give a lecture at short notice. When he arrives he finds himself pulled into the intricate web of an evil mastermind who is hellbent on unravelling the Masons' greatest secret.

The problem is that Brown prefaces the book by stating that all the symbols, science, organisations and rites he describes are real. So he's trying to base a work of fiction on scientific and cultural fact. However his "facts" are, in many cases, more "fantasy" than "reality".
Be that as it may, if the thriller were a wonderful read you'd be able to forgive him.
Unfortunately that's not the case.
Like a bad Hollywood film, Brown is incapable of writing a thriller that actually keeps you on your toes. After the first few chapters you've probably already worked out who the mystery man really is, though you have to patiently wait until the final part of the book for confirmation. When it comes you aren't surprised or even relieved. It's more a sensation of amazement. Not amazement at his skillful prose, but more his complete inability to withhold the surprise.  I don't know about you, but I like thrillers that have surprising twists. The Lost Symbol really doesn't

If you like a fairly pacy read and can't get your hands on a Cussler or Lee Child, then maybe The Lost Symbol is a good option to kill a few hours. It would be perfect fare for holiday reading, as you won't feel guilty if you forget the book in the hotel.

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• Tom Hanks Ready To Return For A Third Da Vinci Code (cinemablend.com)
• Brown tops Christmas book chart (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol' Rocks Freemasons (abcnews.go.com)
• The Mystery at St Ives - Dan Brown's next novel? (telegraph.co.uk)

Practically every book's dustjacket is covered with reviews and hyperbole. It's refreshing when the book actually lives up to the hyped reviews on the cover.

In the case of Lee Child's "Without Fail" it is truly gripping.

Child is one of those writers that I wish I'd started reading earlier. I like a good thriller, so I have to admit that the character of Jack Reacher really struck a chord with me. He's an oddball character. You know he's got a past and that he's very dangerous, but Child doesn't spell it out for you. Unlike so many Hollywood style novels, Child leaves nice gaps open to your imagination.

So what of the plot itself?

Basic plot is that the vice president elect is under threat from some kind of danger. What type of danger it is isn't 100% clear, but as the plot develops and twists the number of possible sources are eliminated until the book culminates in yet another twist.

Reacher's character is dark and dangerous and thus perfectly fit for the shadowy world he inhabits.

Child populates his "world" with characters set against backdrops that are described in such detail that you can practically smell them

Overall a great read and now I have to admit to being possibly "hooked"