Topic: The Lost Symbol

[Eternally Learning]

Despite all the shit surrounding it, I really enjoyed reading The Da Vinci Code.  It kept me on the edge of my seat and the puzzles in it and exploration of symbolism realy gripped me.  Less than 100 pages into The Lost Symbol though, and all the fuzziness of Brown's fact-checking/skepticism in The Da Vinci Code seems to pale in comparison.  He's already dove into Noetic science and global consciousnes as if it were a real thing and I have to admit it's irking me a bit and taking me out of the story.  Now, for all I know he'll end up saying that it's all bunk and it's just the characters who believe it, not him but I'm not holding out much hope.

Just finished a chapter where one character is relating to another how all the advanced scientific theories we have now, were actually previously part of ancient wisdom about the way the universe worked, we just forgot about it.  He even says that String Theory was conceived in ancient Hebrew texts.  He's also saying that trust in science is taking us away from enlightenment as it's forgoing the spiritual aspects of the world.  Now, I don't know a lot about these ancient texts he's talking about, but statements vaguely similar to modern scientific theories being found in some text among probably billions of others that got it completely wrong is not that spectacular as even something as innocuous as Monty Python's dead parrot sketch was shown to have a precursor who basically made the same joke thousands of years ago.  It's also very reminiscent of people trying to apply vague prophesies to modern events by shoe-horning them in.  On top of all that, some reference to the 11 levels of reality being similar to String Theory's 11 dimensions may sound like someone had access to advanced knowledge when they shouldn't have, but it neglects the worlds of precise information contained in String Theory not found in such texts.

On top of all that, String Theory may yet be proven to be incorrect so any ancient wisdom that is similar would be shown to be incorrect and the idea of having the "inside scoop" somehow, to the universe's workings being proved by knowing String Theory before we postulated it scientifically becomes completely idiotic.

[Paddyjack]

Looking back on that book, I disliked it. I usually write a review of each book I read on Goodreads (so that I remember what I thought about it), but since my opinion was exactly the same as everyone else (crappy) I did not bother that time.

I just wrote the following: "First I don't like a book with 133 chapters over about 400 pages. It's silly. It is a somewhat unoriginal page turner that becomes a phylosophical study of religions in the last 5 chapters. I don't mind such discussion usually but in this case it bored me. Go figure. "

[Eternally Learning]

Looking back on that book, I disliked it. I usually write a review of each book I read on Goodreads (so that I remember what I thought about it), but since my opinion was exactly the same as everyone else (crappy) I did not bother that time.

I just wrote the following: "First I don't like a book with 133 chapters over about 400 pages. It's silly. It is a somewhat unoriginal page turner that becomes a phylosophical study of religions in the last 5 chapters. I don't mind such discussion usually but in this case it bored me. Go figure. "

Well, I'll keep pressing on.  Hopefully this shit doesn't get too unbearable for me.  Does Brown actually support Noetics and this ancient wisdom crap or is it just the characters?

[Neon Genesis]

Brown claimed all the lies he spread about Gnosticism and the Priory of Sion was real in the introduction page of The Da Vinci Code so I wouldn't be surprised if he did believe it this time too.

[Frank]

Go try and read Foucault's Pendulum. I loved it to bits, but I can understand why other people loathed it.

The Da Vinci Code merely bored me. I mean, I raced through it, but it didn't drag me in. FP, though, blimey. It's impressive, at the very least. It's like TDVC on crack. With none of the pacing. And less of the coherence. But it's very rewardingly written (well, translated). A pleasure to read, if you don't throw it across the room too often.

[Eternally Learning]

Go try and read Foucault's Pendulum. I loved it to bits, but I can understand why other people loathed it.

The Da Vinci Code merely bored me. I mean, I raced through it, but it didn't drag me in. FP, though, blimey. It's impressive, at the very least. It's like TDVC on crack. With none of the pacing. And less of the coherence. But it's very rewardingly written (well, translated). A pleasure to read, if you don't throw it across the room too often.

LOL.  So what you're saying is that I'll like the book as long as I don't dislike it? 

JK, I'll have to check it out.  Thanks!

[Eternally Learning]

And speaking of racing through it, I hadn't read any again until Friday night and just finished it this morning.  It is a page turner, but the last chapter or two was really preachy though and I had to force my way through them.  All-in-all though, despite being able to predict some key revelations of the book I enjoyed it and despite disagreeing with the message of the book, it made me think.

(click to show/hide)

So did anyone else see the villain being Zach a mile away?  How about the Washington Monument being the winding staircase?  As for the message of the book, I think it's way too clear that Brown is into some serious woo.  I can accept that there might be some hidden ancient wisdom within most holy books as part of the story, and though all the Noetic Stuff being proven was a tad much for me in general, I just about gave up reading when Katherine said she proved faith healers actually had energy build up in their bodies and transferred it the person being healed.  I raged at that point.

[Eternally Learning]

Read a nice review that pretty well sums up my feelings on the book.

Conclusion

In The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown does his best to make his spiritual message non-denominational, not favoring any sacred text over others (well, okay, The Bible is pretty prominent), and definitely preaching an allegorical interpretation of the scriptures. Frankly, I was very, very underwhelmed by The Big Secret that the whole book is about chasing. Let’s just say it was the spiritual equivalent of  Ralphie using his  Secret Society decoder ring to decode the Little Orphan Annie secret code, only to discover that the code translated to “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine!”

[Pscheptyck]

I also enjoyed the Da Vinci Code, but when the Lost Symbol started talking about Noetic science and the like I gently closed the book and said, "Aaaand we're done." I then set the book aside and read something else. I think it was a biography of E=MC².

[Daniel]

This was my reaction too, this is one of the few times a subject has jarred with me so much that I had to stop. I thought the Da Vinci Code was ok, much prefered Deception Point & Digital Fortress.

[Skeptress]

Yep I couldn't finish another Dan Brown after the Code.

[Neon Genesis]

So what's going to be the conspiracy theorist theme for Dan Brown's next book if he does one?  Truthers, Muslim extremist cults, Satanist child killers, Nessie?

[Eternally Learning]

IDK, The Lost Symbol wasn't really a conspiracy theory.  It more explored Masonic mythology and the pseudoscience of Noetics.  Somehow I think he'll leave Islam alone, but maybe he'll explore some aspect of Hindu mythology.  Seems like something different enough for him.

[Neon Genesis]

Maybe he'll write "The Lost Documents" where Robert Langdon discovers Obama was secretly born in Kenya and brought over to America to be raised by a cult of Marxist college professors to take over the world but this secret has been covered up by the evil liberal media and it's up to Robert Langdon to team up with token academic heroine and potential love interest, Oraily Taitz, to stop the evil liberals from covering up the truth?

[Eternally Learning]

Maybe he'll write "The Lost Documents" where Robert Langdon discovers Obama was secretly born in Kenya and brought over to America to be raised by a cult of Marxist college professors to take over the world but this secret has been covered up by the evil liberal media and it's up to Robert Langdon to team up with token academic heroine and potential love interest, Oraily Taitz, to stop the evil liberals from covering up the truth?

Opening scene is Obama drinking the blood of aborted fetuses from a ritualistic hollow head of Ronald Reagan and taking an oath to take away America from it's conservative Christian roots by supporting homosexuals, terrorists, and George Soros.