Reviews with content warning for Violence - El Simbolo Perdido

Seemed very long and drawn out for what it was. Brown seemed to try and overcomplicate most plot points. Just doesn’t pack the punch that both Angels & Demons and the DaVinci Code did very well. However, I did like the character of Katharine Solomon even though she was somewhat emotionally flat.

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peachani's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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gail_dancer's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Another gem from my new favourite author Dan Brown. Intricate plot twists leave the reader riveted until the end. Enemies and heroes are never as clear cut as they seem in Browns books. Can’t wait to read the next instalment on the adventures of Robert Langdon 4.75 ⭐️

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kerfuffle87's review against another edition

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It was just so bad.

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ricksilva's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

This earns an extra star for Dan Brown's usual array of historical and architectural details. Beyond that it's pretty weak. Symbologist Robert Langdon is tricked into coming to Washington DC by a man who has kidnapped one of Langdon's best friends, a high ranking Freemason. The usual mayhem ensues, in the same kind of frantic race of chases and puzzle-solving that we see in the other entries in this series.

The pacing (another specialty of Brown; the entire novel takes place over twenty-four hours, aside from some flashbacks) is used to obscure a whole range of plot holes, eventually leading to a big disappointment of a climax, followed by about four more chapters of philosophical debate on hidden meanings in the Bible and the power of positive thinking.

The noetic science that's a huge plot point in the story isn't really a science. It's repackaged new-age pseudoscience. The massive threat to national security that has the CIA involved in the case turns out to be

a video that would be embarrassing to important politicians

, and it's never made clear why the villain waits to go forward with that part of his "evil" plan.

An early murder in the story, one of those "just to make sure everyone knows the villain is a really bad guy" killings reads like incel fanservice (the only things we know about the victim are that she's smart, she's overweight, and a computer nerd can't figure out why she possibly would have turned him down for a date).

Potentially world-changing discoveries that are referenced don't end up changing anything, and the story's teased revelations about the secrets of Freemasonry don't really amount to much in the way of revelations at all.

But I do now have some ideas of places I'd like to visit and take photos next time I'm in DC. So there's that.

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katrinarose's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Exact same formula as his previous books except the stakes of this book were much lower and less thrilling than previous books. Entertaining nonetheless.

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marianneiriss's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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