Meg's Fiction in A Flash

Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol

I've been avoiding this book review because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to say partially because I'm not sure how I feel about this book and partially because my opinions of this book have been influenced by some of my trusted literary friends' opinions. You know who you are. But here goes...

I really wanted to like this book because I really liked The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. However, I think this one is the worst of the three. There were points in the middle of the novel, where I closed the book to marvel at its thickness, and thus, the large amount of pages I had left to read. There were also points in this book where I wanted to roll my eyes and go, "Okay, Dan Brown, we get it. Masonic symbolism is everywhere. How many different ways can you really say that?"

On a positive note, though, I did enjoy this book for entertainment purposes. The plot was large and very detailed, per Dan Brown's style, so there was a lot to hold onto in the front of your brain. This is not a bad thing. There is something to be said for a writer who can expertly weave so many details throughout the entirity of the novel. I know. I've tried. And this kind of mystery novel is extremely difficult to write as I have said before because you have to keep juggling a lot of balls from the start to the finish of the novel. My hat is off to any writer who can do that, much less do it well.

Dan Brown also is good at portraying the love interest. It's not too much, and it does add something useful to the book.