Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code caused a stir in the Christian world with its 2003 release. Critics pointed out inaccuracies in the text, and objected to the way it described the Catholic Church. Although it is a work of fiction, many readers were bothered by the religious subject matter.
The Da Vinci Code is actually the second book featuring symbologist Robert Langdon. Angels and Demons was published in 2000. It was made into a film 3 years after The Da Vinci Code, even though it is the prequel. Each of Brown's books revolve around a secret or mysterious real-world group.
Robert Langdon novels
The Da Vinci Code tells the story of an alternate meaning of the Holy Grail. Langdon is called in to The Louvre to decipher a code found on a dead body. He is accused of committing the murder, and spends the rest of the novel deciphering codes along with French cryptographer Sophie Neveu. Brown makes many interesting stories about the Catholic Church and the real history of the Holy Grail. This novel features the mysterious group the Priory of Sion.
The first novel, Angels and Demons, has a more scientific basis. A murder is discovered at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Langdon is called in as an expert on the Illuminati, after the word is found on the dead body. A canister containing antimatter is discovered missing. Eventually a plot against the Vatican is uncovered.
The Lost Symbol
The Lost Symbol is the third book featuring Robert Langdon. Langdon is a Harvard professor who is the world's foremost expert on symbols and codes. His classes have a focus on religious themes. Single, Langdon has a photographic memory and swims in the indoor Harvard pool regularly.
Robert Langdon is asked by his friend and mentor, Peter Solomon, to present a lecture in Washiington, D.C. at the last minute. After arriving in D.C. that same evening, Langdon discovers he was lured tghere under false pretences. Backstory reveals that Langdon was asked by Solomon to keep and protect a small, wrapped parcel. What is in the box remains a mystery, although Langdon figures out it is related to the ancient fraternal organization of Freemasonry. A maniac is terrorizing Langdon and Solomon's family members in order to discover the secret the Freemasons hold.
The Lost Symbol was released on September 15, 2009. According to the New York Times, it sold 1 million copies the first day it was available, and 2 million copies the first week. The Lost Symbol has had mixed reviews, with the negative reviews criticizing the somewhat formulaic plots of all Brown's novels. However, Brown writes an exciting thriller that will cause the reader to wonder whether certain aspects of the book, such as the Masons and the idea of Noetics, are real.
Allison Russo - Allison Russo holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Most recently she ...
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