On to the second in the series and by far the most controversial. But look past the politics as the plot and puzzles are remarkably good.
Summary:
Robert Landon, a Harvard professor of symbology, is called in as a consultant on a murder at the Louvre. The victim has left a mysterious message that leads Langdon and French cryptographer, Sophie Neveu, through a series of riddles on a quest for the Holy Grail. But their involvement leads them to be suspects according to the French version of the FBI. And they're not the only one after the pair as the original murderer still searches for the Grail.
Verdict: 9/10
In his second book, Dan Brown does not disappoint! This was an exciting puzzle to the very end.
I only vaguely remembered this movie, which I think greatly added to the enjoyment. I was still surprised by the many twists and turns and could then appreciate the full explanation. As always, the book has far more details than the movie but this one stuck to the story fairly close - 8/10.
Brown must have learned his lesson from the first. Although sexuality played a major plot point, it wasn’t the sole focus for the heroine or other characters. This was a much more female-empowering book where A&D had been slightly belittling.
Additionally, the author’s comments on the church were less critical in this novel, though still present. The church was in the background as usual, but the criticism was much less pronounced which was refreshing. The scandal of the story and its portrayal of Jesus were obvious, but seeing as that was the one plot point that I remembered, I knew what to expect and which pieces to identify as fictional conspiracy and real history.
I think the first time around, I liked this book equally much if not more than Angels & Demons. Although A&D had a more straightforward and gripping plot, its comments on religion, sexuality, and the spoilers I had already seen made it less enjoyable. The Da Vinci Code was largely unspoiled for me and admonished the previous flaws, so I enjoyed it more. The plot is more scattered and a bit difficult to know what comes next or what you should be looking for, but that adds to the suspense in this case.
Looking back, I think I like Angels & Demons just a little better. As I read more of the 'scattered, mystery-driven' plots, I came to look at the first book's straightforwardness as a refreshing change. Brown is good at writing complex plots, but I need some sort of a basis to keep my head from spinning (which became more of a con in Lost Symbol and Inferno at times).
Highly recommend... with discretion on the sexual nature of the secret societies it contains and the blurred lines of truth and fiction regarding religion.
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