The Lost Symbol

After the stupendous success of  The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown has again come up trumps with another bestseller in “The Lost Symbol.” The novel broke all the sales records on the day it was published (15th September 2009), and continues to be at the top (or near the top) of bestseller lists.

Robert Langdon features as the male protagonist for the third time ( he was seen earlier in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, aided by a researcher in ‘noetic sciences’ (admittedly I heard of this term the first time I read the book), Katherine. Dan Brown’s penchant for power centers and secret societies continues. Angels & Demons had CERN-Vatican and Illuminati; The Da Vinci Code had The Church and Priory of Sion; Deception Point had NASA; and Digital Fortress had NSA. The Lost Symbol features Freemasons and the narrative takes place in the heart of Washington, D.C : the US Capitol Building itself.

Antagonist is a lone figure, but a unique one at that.

So, what works in the novel?

Definitely the trademark Dan Brownian blend of fact and fiction and fast paced plot. At the end of every chapter (they are short and many); you are on the edge to know what happens next. Brown presents the all-so-familiar artifacts (the Capitol building, the Smithsonian Museum) and objects (the dollar currency) in such a startling manner that one keeps on reading out of sheer curiosity and amazement.

What doesn’t work?

The plot, though interesting in specifics, is a bit repetitive overall. Also, dialogs could have been better. At times they seem too artificial and a bit overdramatic.

Overall…

It’s definitely worth a read. The book succeeds in arousing our curiosity about Freemasons and also makes us think about the potential of humand mind and body.

Personally, I enjoyed Angels and Demons the most, closely followed by The Da Vinci Code, with the  Digital Fortress trailing a short distance behind. I would place The Lost Symbol a notch above Digital Fortress, because it ends so beautifully, on a positive note.

[Movie] Da Vinci Code

Well, Yesterday night I watched the movie "Da Vinci Code" with my office pals.

The movie is based upon best-seller book of same name by Dan Brown. The star-cast consists of Tom Hanks (as Robert Langdon, the symbologist), Audrey Tautou (as Sophie Neveu, the French cryptographer) and Alfred Molina (as Aringarosa, the priest) apart from others.

Movie is about two-and-half hour’s duration. It is directed by Ron Howard (Academy award- winning director of Academy award-wining film "A Beautiful Mind").


Plus Points:

1. Tom Hanks fits perfectly with my own image of Robert Langdon. He has the right bearing, the body language, and doesn’t go over the top.
2. Unlike other movies based on novels (Devdas), here the director has stuck faithfully to the book right from first page to the last, with minor modifications. Even dialogues are mostly from the book.
3. Most of the shooting has been done on authentic locations, be it Louvre Museum, or St Sulpice Church. Only the Westminster Abbey has been filmed from outside.

Minus Points:

1. The character of Sophie Neveu.... While reading the book, I had pictured her as an introvert, with a round face and bright eyes. However, Audrey Tautou who plays the character is miles away from this image. She has an aquiline face, with a hard-set jaw-line. Moreover, she fails to emote well. Just imagine... one fine evening, you come to know that you are the direct descendant of Jesus Christ, and she appears to take it very casually!
2. It is quite clear that director has assumed viewers must have read the book. So the movie rushes at a breakneck pace, and sometimes many points are not properly explained. Unless one has read the book, it would be difficult for someone to understand the sequence of events on screen.
3. In spite of technical finesse, the movie somehow fails to make an impact. When you have watched something like "Titanic", or our very own "Lagaan” you take the movie home alongwith you and live in the atmosphere for next few hours, even a few days perhaps. "Da Vinci Code" failed to have this kind of after-movie impact, at least in my case.

In Conclusion,If I had to rate "Da Vinci Code" (movie-version) on a scale 1 to 10, I would put it at 6. It doesn’t disappoint you, but it doesn’t excite you either!!
My suggestion would be, do watch it if you get a chance, but in case you can't make it, don’t fret yourself... you wouldn’t be missing out on too much.