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

Dante's probably spinning in his grave

but, what the "Hell", it's Dan Brown!

How to relate a literary classic about sin to the problem of population control? Ignore the fact that there is no real connection, supply non-stop action, and manipulate your readers til their minds boggle! That's the Dan Brown way, and he has returned more or less to form in "Inferno".

It's been pointed out by many (including me) that this author is not a stellar writer, improbabilities-to-impossibilities abound in all his books, and he pulls all kinds of unfair tricks on the reader. But here's a guy who knows how find an intriguing premise, then how to grab and hold your attention throughout a longish book.

If you like Brown in top form (as in "DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons"), then you will almost certainly like "Inferno". At times infuriating, this is still a fun and diverting ride! And Paul Michael delivers it with authority and enthusiasm.

Nothing is what it seems

I was a fan of Dan Brown's before the Da Vinci Code took off and catapulted him to the literary stratosphere. Brown is an intelligent writer who is a master of intricate plot development. Inferno is perhaps his best novel yet.

The action takes place over a very short period of time and starts with Robert Langdon (Harvard symbologist and art history professor) waking up with amnesia in an Italian hospital and narrowly escaping an attempt on his life. Langdon soon finds himself fleeing with Dr. Sienna Brooks as he tries to unravel the mystery of why he is being chased, why he has retrograde amnesia, and why he is having visions of Dante's Inferno.

The people chasing Langdon are members of the shadowy Consortium, and it takes a while to determine why they are chasing him and what it is they are looking for.

Nothing is what it seems in Inferno and no one is what s/he seems.

One of the many joys of Dan Brown's works is his meticulous attention to detail and the wealth of knowledge he imparts about a subject area. His ability to bring Washington DC alive is paralleled in Inferno with all the information about Florence, and to a lesser degree, Venice. Brown's knowledge of Dante and all the art inspired by Dante's works is similarly encyclopedic, but he never conveys the information in a pedantic way. It took me about 4 hours of listening before I realized that the portrait on the book cover is Dante himself.

Brown makes the reader (or listener) want to go out and explore in depth the things he's describing.

All of that is background to a taut thrilling story. The twists and turns in Inferno are incredible, and the reader / listener is often surprised by what is really going on. This is a many-layered masterpiece and has none of the preachiness of some of the earlier Langdon novels.

This is a well-crafted thriller with vaguely apocalyptic overtones. Langdon still comes across as a bit of a superhero, but the other characters are painted in shades of grey and are more multi-dimensional than in previous Brown novels.

Brown's philosophical musing in Inferno revolves around overpopulation and its effect on humanity. However, it's not heavy-handed.

I'd describe this as a literary thriller. It's a great blend of art, literature and a cracking adventure / mystery story. Hopefully this will win Brown back some of his earlier fans.

Paul Michael does an exceptional job narrating the story again.

Great story; great narration. Two thumbs up.

Did not make it to the finish line

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Great pace and good plot all the way to the third quarter, after that it gets pretty thin.

What could Dan Brown have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

more credible plot,a bit complicated yet predictable.

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

Siena

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

Its a good read, but not as good as the first. Move on

symbology professor saves the world again

honestly the story line is getting a bit old. How many crazy people really want to destroy the world and leave behind a trail of obscure clues that only a Harvard symbology professor can decypher?

Underwhelming.

At this point it seems to me that Dan's approach to writing these books is largely paint-by-numbers. This iteration had a few high points (first time in a while I've understood and somewhat agreed with "the bad guy") but for the most part it feels almost contrived, like someone held a gun to his head and forced him to write it for a fast-closing deadline. I made myself finish listening to it on general principle, but this will probably be the last Dan Brown book I buy. There's too many good options out there to waste your time on this kind of mediocrity.

Inferno is warm, but never fires me up.

What did you love best about Inferno?

I like the continuing adventures of Robert and this one had a unique twist considering the injury he had sustained before the book even begins.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I was unsure who to trust, but at times I felt like it was a bit too much. In the end it all pans out logically, but for a minute or two audiances are left to wonder.

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

Great.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Find the Dante within.

Any additional comments?

Enjoyed the book, but Brown's previous entries into the saga were better.

Another Twist and Turn by Dan Brown

If you could sum up Inferno in three words, what would they be?

unexpected, historical, interesting

What was one of the most memorable moments of Inferno?

When the illusion was revealed.

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

Paul Michael does a great job. He sounds like what I think Robert Langdon should sound like.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Brown creates another yawner.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Well. I did recommend this book to a doctor friend in order that we might discuss the matter of overpopulation. Otherwise, I found the book to be disappointing. The information about historic sites was good, particularly for one who is not apt to travel to Florence or Istanbul. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to keep me awake. I will say that this book is much, much better than the last one. (The Lost Symbol.)

Would you be willing to try another book from Dan Brown? Why or why not?

I'll give the guy one more chance.

How could the performance have been better?

I literally hated the narrators "soft girlie voice." It irritated me tremendously.

Did Inferno inspire you to do anything?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Any additional comments?

I loved The Da Vinci Code. Everything since then has been downhill. Too bad.

Entertaining, but a bit predictable

Worth the credit and if I didn't have audible I'd read it in book form. This book like the other Dan Brown books is very entertaining and kept my attention. It was a bit predictable and had the exact same formula as all the other Dan Brown Novels.

The perfect distraction

Where does Inferno: A Novel rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Nothing extraordinary, just simply enjoyable.

Would you recommend Inferno: A Novel to your friends? Why or why not?

I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to make a mindless task less mindless. It isn't a great literary achievement, but it is greatly entertaining.

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

Yes! Fast-paced and intriguing.