Inferno

A Novel

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings.

“One hell of a good read.... As close as a book can come to a summertime cinematic blockbuster.” —USA Today

“A diverting thriller.” —Entertainment Weekly

With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee.

Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri's The Inferno.

Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again, combining classical Italian art, history, and literature with cutting-edge science in this captivating thriller.

©2013 Dan Brown (P)2013 Random House Audio

I want to go to Florence!

What did you love best about Inferno?

A riveting story and a beautifully described tour of Florence and the history of Dante. I listen in the car and I found myself not wanting to come to the end of my daily commute, so that I could listen to more.
Thoroughly great read (listen!)

What other book might you compare Inferno to and why?

better than the Da Vinci code I thought in terms of historic fact and imagery

Which character – as performed by Paul Michael – was your favorite?

Robert Langdon

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

definitely

Any additional comments?

don't miss it

Picturesque, exciting, but repetitive.

Dan Brown does a wonderful job of taking us to the most beautiful parts of Europe and intertwining descriptions of important works of art into the plot. From time to time he revisits plot elements through flashbacks or differing perspectives on a single event that seemed a bit superfluous. Thoroughly enjoyed another clue solving adventure, though!

Excellent Dan Brown story

very true to Browns writing style. Langdon, meets an mystery woman who helps him solve a global mystery while still being taken back by Langdon. it does have a slightly different twist.

amazing book. I highly recommend it

great novel. lots of plot twits and turns.

recommended to Nyone who likes Dan Brown's style.

will keep you guessing until the end.

Great start to my first audio book...great story

Would you listen to Inferno: A Novel again? Why?

I would, there is a ton of fact checked information and history to learn. Retaining it all is not possible in one listen

What other book might you compare Inferno: A Novel to and why?

This was my first audio book. The comparison for me would be the movies bases on two of his other books.

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

He did a great job. Easy to follow and not over dramatic. I was able to follow the story and really painted it well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Way to long for that. I did a lot of driving and listened to this in a few days.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the fact base and history of this book. In my book; this is a great book.

good

super duper good can't wait for the next one comes out and I read it.

OK but tried too hard

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Make it more believable. Dan Brown tries too hard to duplicate his earlier books--needs to move on.

Would you ever listen to anything by Dan Brown again?

Probably not unless reviewers said not a rehash of Angels&Demons. I was a big fan of Dan Brown but he needs to break the mold.

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

very good

Did Inferno inspire you to do anything?

nope--toss up between driving 7 hours down I5 in silence or listening

A Serious Page Turner

I really enjoyed this audio book. Dan Brown does a masterful job of creating a complex mystery that is hard to put down, woven with fascinating historical and architectural details and Christian religious mythology. I love books where you that are so entertaining, while educational as well.

Propaganda Lecture on a Tour

I doubt that anybody will be able to resist buying Dan Brown's latest book because of my review, but I'll still call it like I see it. The most amazing thing about Dan Brown is his ability to turn a propaganda piece into a book that keeps you turning the pages. Well, this book kept me turning the pages, but the danger was not keenly felt because there was seldom very much personal risk. As the book progresses, you discover that nothing was ever at risk and subconsciously, this knowledge is felt throughout the book. It definitely dulls the impetus to keep turning pages when you realize that there is only perceived danger--not real. I was genuinely horrified when Dan Brown created his first gay character who turns out to be part of a conspiracy to infect the world with a virus. Incidentally, this particular piece of the plot is left as a dangling string and one can only guess that something must have been edited out. That's probably just as well. Meanwhile, there are whole sections of the book that read like a lecture or tour guide--many of which are apparently extraneous to the plot--and these *should* have been edited out. (Editing FAIL) The ending is a bit anticlimactic and if you are paying close attention, you will see it from miles away--in spite of the fact that Brown does his best to lead you down all the wrong paths in order to save your surprise. I won't say that he deliberately deceives the reader, but I'd say his toes would cross the line if he were any closer. It will be of no surprise to you that the two heroes of this book are people who are suspiciously gifted. Brown's lead characters always seem to have genius intelligence combined with considerable physical prowess. Normally you would have to either spend all your time in a library or conversely, all your time in a gym to reach this level, but his characters are able to easily do both--besides keeping up countless professional relationships at every odd museum in the world. My guess is that Mr. Brown has confused his personal fantasies with his writing--imagining a world in which a hot younger woman falls in love with an older professor... It's suspicious to say the least! In addition, they always have witty come-backs, although this was a bit lacking in this latest book. More than anything I feel like Dan Brown's intellect and research are very much on display here--a bit masturbatory in my opinion. The most annoying thing is that in the dialogue between the two main characters, each of them is only brilliant when s/he is doing the explaining. The one listening is dumber than a box of rocks and requires endless clarification. Obviously Dan Brown has no faith that his readers might have even a fraction of the intelligence that his lead characters possess in spades. Still, there is no denying that it is a fun and easy read and even at his worst, Dan Brown can still sell copies!

Great idea. Plot and characters not so much.

I enjoyed the book immensely. The philosophical questions were intriguing, the art was stunning and the settings were lush and well described. The characters, even Langdon, seemed somewht flat, however. They did not have enough complexity to match the twists and reversals of the story. Despite Paul Michael's excellent narration, it was hard to credit the protagonists with their revelations and backstories. Because of the excellent narration, on the other hand, their voices were easily distinguished and their dialogue believable.