Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Origin by Dan Brown

8 reviews

renpuspita's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 NANGGUNG

Itulah perasaan yang gue rasakan abis baca Origin. Walau banyak mutual Goodreads yang suka dan menyanjung, tapi review Qui dan Mba Astrid seengganya mewakili apa yang gue pikirkan. Tidak ada yang benar - benar baru dari apa yang ditawarkan Dan Brown pada novel terakhirnya ini karena walau Brown mengulik sebuah pertanyaan yang menggelitik pada dasarnya temanya tuh ya sama aja. Agama vs Sains. Tema yang udah dipake di Angels and Demons (sama plek ketiplek malah), The Da Vinci Code dll.

Tidak cuma tema, tapi arketipe dasar dari novel - novel yang ada Robert Langdon ya dipake lagi sama Brown. Topik yang mencengangkan (kali ini tentang teori evolusi dan asal mula), terbunuhnya karakter yang penting (Edmond Kirsch, sang futuris yang mengemukakan teori tentang asal mula kehidupan), tokoh wanita pendamping (Ambra Vidal, yang juga tunangan calon Raja Spanyol), pembunuh fanatik (yang mengingatkan pada Silas di The Da Vinci Code), peran gereja, kejar - kejaran berpacu dengan waktu, jalan - jalan menyelusuri taman, eh museum dan bangunan bersejarah di Spanyol, pencarian password dan kode - kode serta simbol yang sayangnya itu kode dan simbol kayaknya makin sedikit saja. Tak lupa penjelasan panjang lebar sangat scientific yang bikin gue bengong abis baca.

Too ambitious, itu yang gue rasakan dari Origin. Sayangnya ambisi Dan Brown terkesan nanggung. Setelah menggebu - gebu perdebatan sains vs agama dan kali ini juga Edmond itu orangnya atheis, om Brown seakan malu-malu ingin bilang "eh walau aku nulis ini dengan mengecam agama - agama (terutama agama Samawi) dan kesannya sains itu lebih unggul, sebenarnya agama dan sains itu saling melengkapi kok." Yah, persis kayak Angels and Demons. Ini apa Dan Brown udah kehabisan bensin atau ide lagi gue udah ga tahu deh. Penemuan Edmond tentang dua pertanyaan penting "Darimana kita berasal?" dan "Kemana kita akan pergi?" pada akhirnya hanya mengutarakan apa yang sebenarnya sudah pasti arahnya kemana. Jadi bisa dibilang antiklimaks? Ya bisa jadi, meski gue sendiri mengagumi cara - cara Dan Brown mengecam fanatisme agama dan juga pandangan utopianya akan keberlangsungan manusia yang nantinya akan berdampingan dengan teknologi. Apakah yang ditulis sama Dan Brown di Origin akan jadi kenyataan? Apalagi tentang teknologi A.I? Ya bisa jadi sih. Headset konduksi tulang yang dipakai Langdon yang menghubungkannya dengan Winston, A.I cerdas buatan Edmond itu juga sudah sering dipakai sekarang. Tapi apakah visi utopia yang ditulis Dan Brown akan benar - benar TERWUJUD? Mungkin kalau di dunia maju ya gue bisa bilang iya, tapi kalau di negara Konoha, eh, Indonesia mungkin kita akan cemas dulu menuju masa depan :P.

Gue ngerasa Langdon lama - lama berasa kayak Gary Stu, paham segala hal. Gue tahu bahwa Dan Brown menulis Langdon karena dia merasa Langdon itu ya dirinya, tapi Langdon yang aslinya Professor ahli Bahasa dan Simbol tahu - tahu paham fisika itu gue kayak err gimana ya. Jadi berasa serba tahu? Jujur gue lebih pengen lihat Langdon bahas tentang simbol - simbol atau interpretasi lukisan, karya seni, etc. Makanya perjalanannya ke Casa Mila dan Sangrada Familia itu bikin gue merasakan "ah, ini lho yang gue cari dari cerita - cerita Langdon. Jalan-jalannya!" Deskripsi tentang beberapa bangunan sejarah di Spanyol memang sangat kaya dan walau jadi kayak berasa baca wiki untuk beberapa bagian, toh tetap tidak menghilangkan rasa penasaran dan ingin siapa tahu suatu saat bisa kesana. Sayangnya, chemistry Langdon sama sidechicknya terasa kurang. Gue kayak merasa Ambra ada hanya karena situasi saja dan bahkan perasaan Ambra yang tiba - tiba muncul ke Langdon menjelang akhir cerita bikin gue "Apaan nih? Stockholm syndrome kah?"

Sayangnya lagi nih, gue ngerasa buku ini muter - muter ga karuan. Awal Origin itu sangat lambat dan bahkan bikin gue kesal. Presentasi Edmond di awal bahkan memakan hampir seperempat bab yang bikin gue teriak "Janc*k, kapan iki presentasine mulai he???". Oke, I just let my inner jancukism to come out, lel. Baru setelah huru hara dimana Edmond tewas terbunuh (bukan spoiler, emang ada di blurb bukunya), pace cerita mulai cepat. Untuk konspirasinya sendiri ya khas Dan Brown dan twistnya...hmm ga bisa gue bilang brilliant sih. Malah udah kayak ketebak termasuk ke endingnya. Walau menurut gue, cara pelakunya merancang semua kejadian di Origin ini emang agak - agak outlandish.

Jadi, "dari mana kita bermula?" dan "kemana kita akan pergi?" Bagi gue jawabannya cuma satu yaitu "MBUH"; XD. Karena toh setelah berharap ada sesuatu yang spektakuler dari penemuan Edmond, yang gue dapat ternyata penjelasan dari eksperimen yang sebenarnya sudah pernah dilakukan dengan teori - teori yang sudah banyak beredar namun keabsahannya pun masih tanda tanya. Bahkan untuk jawaban "kemana kita akan pergi" menurut gue juga terlalu utopia. Bukannya ga mungkin, bisa aja terjadi, tapi kemungkinannya ya 50:50. Origin ini ditulis 2017 dan sampai sekarang di tahun gue baca buku ini yaitu di 2024, Dan Brown belum mengeluarkan buku baru (selain buku anak - anak yang dia tulis). Infonya sih om Brown lagi menulis kisah Langdon yang baru tapi jujur gue ga terlalu excited buat baca kalau - kalau tema yang diusung masih sama. Masih mengusung sains vs agama dan kecaman serta harapan Om Brown terhadap agama - agama di dunia ini sehingga ga ada yang benar - benar baru.

Semoga aja kalau ada buku baru tentang Robert Langdon, jangan Europe-centric lagi lah Om Brown. Masa kagak bosen bahas tentang negara - negara Eropa mulu sementara kekayaan budaya dari negara lain yang di luar benua Eropa itu buanyaaak banget. 

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nicoletiff's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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bella_01's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book certainly surprised me. I loved how each chapter wrapped up leaving you wanting to read more. The descriptions within the book are incredible, the places you imagine are practically identical to the real places being described. I also loved how the book jumps between different perspectives for each chapter too, so you get an idea of everything that is happening simultaneously. 

I absolutely loved reading this book, and I'm now hoping to visit Spain some day to see some of these places in real life. 

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raypaws's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The Robert Langdon books are hit or miss, some of them are incredibly good and others are disappointing. The concept behind Origin was interesting, but the ending failed to live up to the dramatics of its hype. For me, I’d write origin somewhere similar to The da Vinci Code. It’s not as good as Angels and Demons or Inferno, but it’s certainly better than The Lost Symbol.

There’s a certain challenge with keeping thrillers fresh. Dan Brown has fallen into a predictable pattern — his character responds similarly to every situation, and the cast of characters and themselves are repetitive. I’m a bit bored by the female sidekick who doesn’t really have a roll. How about a male sidekick? How about Landon being the sidekick for once?

Origin attempts to offer an explanation on the creation and the future of the human species. It’s a great philosophical question, and I wish that the revelation had been more interesting. The puzzle, usually the most interesting part of a thriller, was absolutely predictable. Better luck next time?

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konstantina's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This book is a prime example of how I adore Dan Brown as an author so much. The way he combines storytelling with real information, historical facts, and actual places, is remarkable and it's done so effortlessly that it merges well with the plot.
Another Robert Langdon book that mentions religious issues, something that I deeply appreciate, as an atheist myself, and as a person who holds a grunge, let's say, towards Christianity first, and organised religion second. Great plot twist at the end, although some parts of it were kind of predictable.

The last scenes with the King and Bishop Valdespino really touched me, and I'm glad Brown added this plot point so beautifully.

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mscalls's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5


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meganpbennett's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Origin is a fast-paced thriller, covering less than 24 hours in Spain. Robert Langdon has been invited to see a presentation by a noted-futurist, who plans to reveal to the world something that would undermine every religion in the world, and change the world in the same fundamental way that scientists always have. Except he's shot and killed during his presentation, forcing Langdon to try to find his work and release it to the world.

Origin ventures very far from the earlier books, with less emphasis on art and history, and more emphasis on religion and futurism. It's a very quick read, and it's a nail-biter all the way through. There's an AI - think JARVIS - and some very heavy topics hidden within the fast-paced thriller. Something that I found very interesting is that no mention was made of Inferno, the
virus designed to render one third of the world sterile to prevent over-population
from Inferno

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