The Lost Symbol

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The Lost Symbol, the stunning follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, is a masterstroke of storytelling - a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes and unseen truths...all under the watchful eye of a terrifying villain. Set within the unseen tunnels and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object - artfully encoded with five ancient symbols - is discovered in the Capitol Building. The object is an ancient invitation, meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of hidden esoteric wisdom. And when Langdon's mentor Peter Solomon - prominent Mason and philanthropist - is kidnapped, Langdon's only hope of saving Peter is to accept this invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon finds himself plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations...all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

The Lost Symbol is exactly what Dan Brown's fans have been waiting for...his most thrilling novel yet.

©2009 Dan Brown (P)2009 Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"[I]mpossible to put down....Mr. Brown was writing sensational visual scenarios long before his books became movie material. This time he again enlivens his story with amazing imagery....Thanks to him, picture postcards of the capital's most famous monuments will never be the same....In the end it is Mr. Brown's sweet optimism, even more than Langdon's sleuthing and explicating, that may amaze his readers most." ( The New York Times)
"Thrilling, entertaining....Robert Langdon goes for another roller-coaster ride - this time in a hunt for a Masonic treasure in Washington, D.C." ( Los Angeles Times)

Wondrous

Dan has, once again, managed to write a work that elicits introspection, whilst taking the reader on a thrilling adventure. Beautifully narrated by Paul Michael.

What more can be said

Dan Brown is the best!

His books are fantastic!

I've recently been able to introduce my fiance to audio books as he reads all day and find "leisure reading" tedious.... Now we spend evenings listening to books before snuggling up for the night!


Dan Brown needs to give us more!!

An adventure, real fun

Loved this book. Well read, it stays interesting to the end. If you're a sucker for symbolism and old world mysteries you'll enjoy this one

Very typical of Dan Brown. Easy brilliance.

If you are a fan of Dan Brown then you won't be disappointed with this volume either. Holds your interest and has good solid info presented in his riveting style.

Ending drags on too long

The ending drags on too long. The narrator did an excellent job though. Hope the next book is better.

Best book yet!

What did you love best about The Lost Symbol?

the story, and the hidden DC history

What did you like best about this story?

the ending was a surprise

Have you listened to any of Paul Michael’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but he was great

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

lots of laughs and some damns too

Really a 3.75

It's always hard to review books like this one. It's not meant to be literature, so you don't want to measure it on that scale, but it's not (intended) trash either. In this pseudo cerebral, pseudo-action come whodunnit genre, it is above average, but not as good as, say, his "The Da Vinci Code". It's not at the top of the tree with some of Le Carre's classics, but it's better than the Gabriel Allon series (in my opinion, although to be fair, that's more espionage than cerebral). In the end, I've opted for the upper end, although in truth I should have "split the difference" (if that were possible) overall.
Basically, this conforms to all of the formulaic traditions common to these books. There is a protagonist and an attractive assistant. there is a constant threat from a very scary individual whom appears to have no moral compass. The Chapters all end on a cliff's edge, making them perfect for serialisation (and, for that matter, for motion pictures). There is a wicked twist (although the astute of this genre will pick it early) in the tale (and tail); and there is the declamation of the little know, but startling, in the true habit of a a conspiracy theory. For all that, it is a page turner and, given its Masonic underpinning, a vaguely interesting yarn.
I thought Paul Michael did a sterling job, too, especially with the evil one (Mulah) and the snaky one (Kato). The latter reminded me of the boss lady from Monsters Inc! Good fun listening.

Very enjoyable story

If you loved Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons then you will love this one also. An excellent and interesting plot which is beautifully written. Paul Michael does a terrific narration.

A must read

For the open minded. Cermented my curiosity about we humans..our purpose here on earth..what we are capable of and how lost we all are. My journey for enlightenment and apotheosis has began

Preposterous, in a good way

Well, the hype surrounding "the next Da Vinci Code" actually detracted from the experience for me.

I enjoyed this book none the less, as it was pure unadulterated pulp, and pretty self aware. It didn't set out to climb literary mountains, or be worthy or clever. I seemed to be content with just telling a ripping, and totally preposterous story and trying to be entertaining with it.

I was entertained. The story was read very well, and the sound and quality were excellent.