Inferno

A Novel

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

THE #1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER FROM THE ICONIC AUTHOR OF THE DA VINCI CODE AND THE NEW ROBERT LANGDON THRILLER, THE SECRET OF SECRETS

“A book-length scavenger hunt . . . jam-packed with tricks.” —The New York Times

“[A] cinematic blockbuster.” —USA Today

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. 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.

Look for more Robert Langdon novels:
The Da Vinci Code
The Lost Symbol
Origin
The Secret of Secrets

Critic reviews

“A book-length scavenger hunt.... Jam-packed with tricks.” —The New York Times

“Fast, clever, well-informed.... Dan Brown is the master of the intellectual cliffhanger.” —The Wall Street Journal

“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

“Brown isn’t just a novelist; he’s a crossover pop culture sensation.... Inferno is the kind of satisfying escapist read that summers were made for.” —The Boston Globe

“Harrowing fun threaded with coded messages, art history, science, and imminent doom.” —Daily News (New York)

“[Brown is] the planet’s most dastardly thriller writer.... Inferno moves with...velocity, excitement, and fun.” —The Independent (UK)

“An adventure ride through a literary text.... [A] sweeping spectacle.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“A fast and furious race.” —The Plain Dealer

"A master of the breathless, puzzle-driven thriller.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

“What Brown does in a way that appeals to millions of people around the world is tell stories that remind us there’s more to the world than meets the eye.” —The Huffington Post

Paved with good intentions....hold the anchovies

Unless - like our cerebral hero Langdon at the opening of Inferno - we find ourselves suffering from retrograde amnesia, it's impossible to not be reminded of the previous Langdon installments when reading this latest clue-seeking romp through the art treasures of Florence and Venice; or for that matter, comparing the previous 3 novels with Brown's latest. Dan Brown has his formula, as do most authors, and there is no sign here that he is trying to fix what was almost broke with his last Langdon adventure (The Lost Symbol). Both Brown and Langdon are in fine form here: Brown sends us on an almost scenic, fact-based excursion through the cathedrals, museums, and art hot spots, and Langdon dodges bullets, the Italian Polizia, untangling a sinister plot (with the prerequisite political statements ala Brown). Brown is nothing if not consistent; so you get what you know you are getting; better than Lost Symbol, not as good as Da Vinci Code; a solid middle grounder. If the formula has lost its luster to you, enjoy the new scenery and history, like I did (easily worth a star).

More so than Brown's previous novels, I thought this was a bit padded (maybe that is because it seemed written for the silver screen, even to the point of describing the minutiae of the on-lookers, the horse-toothed girl getting her picture drawn near the Academe, etc.). As a do-over, and if it was offered, I would do the *gasp* abridged version. I also noticed Langdon has become a little snarky, taking pot shots at the turistas, poking fun at those guide-book toting Americanos, while he should have been paying attention to where he next placed his Italian loafered-foot on the cat-walk (oopsie! look out below).

You want another Dan Brown/Langdon--you got it. A good pizza-read, and who doesn't love pizza? Paul Michael does a great job as narrator and tour-guide.

Average Story, Ready for a Movie

Any additional comments?

I have read all of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series. This book did not get my emotional involvement as much as his other books.

I felt like they were playing the game "Where in the world is Carmen San Diego". Lots of art facts and locations which I love. But, overall this book was not that great in light of better books available

NOTE: If you have not read his earlier books of the series, read them first. They are much better.

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