Origin

A Novel

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • "Dr. Langdon is once again wrapped up in a global-scale event that could have massive ramifications on the world’s religions. As he does in all his novels, Brown[‘s] extensive research on art, architecture, and history informs every page." —Entertainment Weekly

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist, and one of Langdon’s first students.

But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced to flee. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch. They travel to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme re­ligion, Langdon and Vidal must evade an enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace. They uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery…and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

©2017 Dan Brown (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Narrator Paul Michael dazzles in this latest Dan Brown thriller featuring symbologist Robert Langdon.... Michael's narration provides a tone of erudition that complements Brown's signature blend of art, architecture, history, and thriller. Michael's inspired vocal work adds further texture, though Winston, surprisingly, outshines most of the human characters." (AudioFile)

"Fans of The Da Vinci Code rejoice! Professor Robert Langdon is again solving the mysteries of the universe." (People Magazine)

"Dan Brown is once again taking on the big questions: God and science and the future of the world. Origin is a familiar blend of travelogue, history, conspiracies and whodunit, with asides on everything from the poetry of William Blake to the rise and fall of fascism in Spain." (Associated Press)

Chewing Gum for the Mind!

Dan Brown is so good at cranking out best selling page turners, he apparently doesn't worry about readability anymore. Put aside the clunky, wooden prose -- that's to be expected. But for the luvva mike -- a lot of time is spent killing off a Muslim cleric and a rabbi early in the book -- with no resolution of who and why! They're just set pieces, there to add tension -- red herrings that lead nowhere. And Edmind Kirsch's speeches are longer than Parsifal -- and not nearly as witty. Damn, but he's pedantic. And the ultimate resolution? Reminds me of the end of Stephen King's Under the Dome. That's it? That? Makes me wish I hadn't stopped drinking...

Snoozer

Looking for the exciting Robert Langdon story where he deciphers clue after clue looking for an answer to a great mystery?! Don’t look here.

A departure from his previous work, Brown gets political with this story weaving in all the current topics that get people buzzing about; science, religion, sexuality, and God. As the story progresses, you have all the feels, but no adrenaline.

Origin isn’t a terrible book or even a bad one. It’s just okay. Enough to keep you interested, but not enough where you can’t wait to get back to the story. In some ways, the story is very predictable. In others, not at all.

Clickbait in novel form

I like the Dan Brown formula but this book felt like one long drawn out clickbait. It was interesting and gripping at times, not a bad book by any means. It did not live up to the standard that I got used to with Dan Brown books. Very little symbology or detective work instead it was replaced with needless cliffhangers and verbose monologues.

Great narration. Excellent performance. So-so book.

Take Some, Leave Some

I found “The Presentation” quite fascinating, but the chase around Barcelona to unlock the phone just got tedious… I felt like it was written with the movie in mind (which I’ll see – I admit it).

The Winston character seemed ludicrous to me, like Siri on steroids. I am tempted to label it science-fiction, except it’s not!

Good Story Ruined by Liberal Groupthink

Was enjoying the audio book, and could overlook the jabs at Christians, conservatives and the right - until the progressive liberal drivel overtook the narrative. Can't we even enjoy a novel without the leftist party line indoctrination?

An Excellent Book.-Thoughtful but with Suspense

What if someone were to be able to conclusive prove that there was no God? What if aparently religious scholars arranged his death before it was announced the world? Yet was announced after his death! What if human kind was to asorbed by a new species? The book does not cause you reject God nor does it cause you to accept God. it does raise thoughtful questions. Dan Brown takes you through this journey. The book has suspense, excitement , fear, worry, and death. It is a very good read. Dan Brown make references to historical finds and accidents that are all true. The book takes place in Spain and for some this may slow you down because of the time he spends Spanish art and decor. I think you enjoy it. I sure did.

Very Disappointing

Dan Brown does best when he is running from villains while solving codes and unraveling conspiracy theories. This book just seemed to drag on. Listening to the big reveal all I could hear was Blah!Blah!Blah!
I also subconsciously wanted to hear Tom Hanks any time Robert Langdon speak. The most interesting character in this whole story was Winston the computer.

Good story but...

As a fan of the Robert Langdon series this was another great book. The only thing I was a little disappointed by was that there was not really any difficult puzzles that only a skilled symbologist like him would be able to solve. One of the things I like to do is try to connect the dots and figure things out along the way and look up images to help solve things. It felt like it was lacking a little of that in this story. Regardless it was a story that I didn’t want to stop listening to and a must read for fans of the series.

felt a bit long .. awesome story

A typical Dan Brown.. set the story up ... find the puzzles to solve the issues ... liked it but felt long .. .found myself wanting to jump ahead .. but I didn't... great story ..

Wow! What a roller coaster ride!

I believe I will purchase the physical book so I can read it again before someone makes a movie or series out of it. So detailed! Loved revisiting locations in Spain that I had been to decades ago. The 'who dun it' twists and turns, so perfectly unfurled, are on a par with Agatha Christie and the best of Sherlock. The reflections on the parallels, intersections, divergences and social impact of science and religious beliefs at the heart of this tale give the reader much to ponder.
Excellent narration too!