Most would probably consider me a lit. snob. One of those who turns his nose up at mainstream fiction, and to some extent that’s true. I prefer the more linguistically difficult and denser tomes. I just think reading the tougher stuff benefits us in ways that the easier to read texts do not. Either way, I’ll toss in some candy here and there for fun, and this one is absolutely that: pure fun.
Brown to me is hysterical. It’s melodrama to the point of frenzy. His books move at the speed of light and his characters are awesomely cliché and predictable. Every woman is a super-model who speaks a dozen languages and holds three master’s degrees, and every man (with the exception of the vacuous Robert Langdon) is some sort of superhuman athlete. The villains are all tattooed and smoke, and the ancillary characters are forgettable to the point of non-existence.
Melodrama aside, I love Dan Brown as much as anything else out there. I’m not reading him for self-betterment. If I want to improve I’ll pick up Proust. If I want to lose myself to some over-the-top plot-gripper, I’ll head to Brown’s camp.
The book itself follows Langdon through the streets of Florence as he loosely retraces the steps of poet Dante Alighieri and lends his movement through the streets to The Divine Comedy.
You don’t need any knowledge of The Divine Comedy itself to grasp this one, but it’s interesting to know some of the references Langdon tosses around like some sort of profound homage to the classics.
It’s a torrential romp through Florence and Istanbul motivated towards stopping some global plague from escaping the hands of a populace-controlling maniac. Needless to say, it’s awesome. Fast and fun. The perfect beach read to override that squawk of seagulls. Look no further for an escape. This one’ll suffice.
I read for my enjoyment. I tried improve myself by doing it. I found the review good enough I tempted to read although I wouldn’t normally even read the review.
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Everything you wrote is everything I am thinking. Although I have pushed myself to explore books other than the classics, there is still that slight embarrassment whenever I read mainstream fiction (especially in public).
Have you read Angels and Demons?
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I have and I loved it just the same. They’re all fun. Thanks for reading!
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That was a good one!
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[…] Book Guy Reviews […]
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Some writers are technically good and some writers are entertaining, but I bet entertaining writers sell more books!
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I have reproduced your review, fully acknowledged, of course, at bookreviewstoday.info. I hope you like it.
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there are certainly times when I feel like something a bit lighter than my usual fare but often when I do open one of those books I find them so poorly written I just can’t bear them. I read two of Dan Brown’s titles and decided enough was enough.
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Haha, fair enough. Thanks for reading!
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I am a lit-snob too, though I must admit, when I am stressed I will fill my reader with popcorn reads. Light, fluffy and delicious… Dan Brown writes for people who have ADD. If you look at any one scene, it will last merely seconds, then Langdon will rush off somewhere else fighting bad guys and finding clues. It’s all a gigantic scavenger hunt. Most of his books are. This seems to suit everyone just fine. At least by this book, Langdon should be in better shape after running around everywhere for the third time. It is a fun, quick read, I have to admit. Popcorn of the highest quality.
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[…] It’s got to be gripping in its own way. I’m not talking about explicit thrillers like Dan Brown, but the book, in some fashion, must be entertaining. That’s why we read, […]
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