Inferno

Dan Brown

Average Rating 8/10 (2 Reviews)

Dan Brown's new novel, Inferno, features renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and is set in the heart of Europe, where Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centred around one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces.

As Dan Brown comments: "Although I studied Dante's Inferno as a student, it wasn't until recently, while researching in Florence, that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante's work on the modern world. With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm.a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways."

About the Author:
Dan Brown is the bestselling author of Digital Fortress, Deception Point, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he has taught English and Creative Writing. He lives in New England.

Review by Chrissi (310513) Rating (8/10)
Review by Nigel (310513) Rating (8/10)

Review by Chrissi
Book Source: Purchased
Rating 8/10
First off, way, way better than the rushed The Lost Symbol. I make no apologies for liking Dan Brown, he picks interesting subjects and constructs a nice thriller around them. They have added appeal for people who have been to the places in which his books have been set (hence the number of Da Vinci tours in Paris), but sometimes they do read as a bit of a travelogue.

Once again, Robert Langdon’s expertise is required to decipher a complicated set of clues to avert an impending disaster. In this case, the symbolism of the fourteenth century epic poem, the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, combined with images and artefacts remaining from that period. I had not realised that the Divine Comedy had been such an inspiration for painters and other artists over the years, and so was not overly conversant with some of the art works mentioned in the narrative, but it is not detrimental to the story.

I liked the twists and turns of the story, and found some of the arguments within the narrative to be quite thought provoking. I found my thoughts racing ahead, and of course, they were completely wrong. I like being surprised, when all that has been written is turned on its head, and in this, Dan Brown has happily turned my expectations on their head.
Chrissi (31st May 2013)

Review by Nigel
Book Source: Purchased
Rating 8/10
First and foremost I enjoyed Inferno. It was a lot better than The Lost Symbol and much more in keeping with Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code; in other words a thoroughly entertaining thriller.

I'm sure most visitors will by now be aware of the plot so I’ll be brief as I also don’t want to give too much away. Once again Robert Langdon is working his way through historical clues and symbols related to Dante’s Divine Comedy, and more specifically Inferno, in a race against time to find a specific location and avert a worldwide catastrophe.

The pace is good and the story believable, with a twist that had me hook, line and sinker until revealed. My only minor complaint was the extensive Guidebook like references, which I know Dan Brown likes but sometimes it is a bit too distracting to the story for me.

A good solid thriller that most should enjoy. Recommended.

Some discussion – Minor Spoiler Alert

One of the main things I took away from the book is the topic of discussion which falls neatly under the heading of 'The Future for Humanity'.

Anyone that reads much science fiction will have come across Transhumanism (or Posthumanism) by the bucket load (it’s quite hard to avoid). If, as a species, we can crack cell regeneration then there is no reason, barring accidents, why we should not live indefinitely... now, what are your life drivers given this scenario? There would have to be a major societal paradigm shift. You would no longer be working to save for the few years you have in retirement, that job you hate would be there for hundreds of years… no longer would children be an automatic right… unless there was somewhere to go perhaps? Interesting topics that Dan Brown has just touched on... if you have enjoyed the story of Inferno and it has left you thinking, keep going, do some postulating and imagine a world not 100 years from now but 10,000 years from now. No gas, no coal, no oil. A population unchecked at 20, 30, a 100 billion? Can’t work can it? But what to do... Hmmmm.
Nigel (31st May 2013)