Status
Available
Publication
Doubleday (2013), Edition: First Edition, 480 pages
Description
"In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces: Dante's Inferno. Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science" -- vendor summary.
Series
Genres
Collection
Original publication date
2013-05-14
2013
Language
ISBN
0385537859 / 9780385537858
Media reviews
"In short, Dan Brown’s “Inferno” is the kind of satisfying escapist read that summers were made for."
... there is the sense of play that saves Brown's books from ponderousness, even when he is waxing wise about some ancient mystery or architectural wonder.
"Unfortunately, at other times the book’s musty passageways seem to be not so much holding history up as sagging under its weight."
"To the great relief of anyone who enjoys him, Mr. Brown winds up not only laying a breadcrumb trail of clues about Dante (this is “Inferno,” after all) but also playing games with time, gender, identity, famous tourist attractions and futuristic medicine."
Renowned author Dan Brown hated the critics. Ever since he had become one of the world’s top renowned authors they had made fun of him. [...] The critics said his writing was clumsy, ungrammatical, repetitive and repetitive. They said it was full of unnecessary tautology. They said his prose was
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mired in a sea of mixed metaphors. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member melissarochelle
Read from May 17 to 20, 2013
I don't remember The Lost Symbol -- that's how boring it was. At least the premise of Inferno was interesting -- beyond that it was kind of ridiculous and repetitious. Robert Langdon is wry, he has a Mickey Mouse watch, and he wears tweed...blah blah blah. I mean, I had
I don't remember The Lost Symbol -- that's how boring it was. At least the premise of Inferno was interesting -- beyond that it was kind of ridiculous and repetitious. Robert Langdon is wry, he has a Mickey Mouse watch, and he wears tweed...blah blah blah. I mean, I had
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to read what the "bad guy" said in his video SO many times. Oh! And in case you didn't know, Sienna Miller has a ponytail. Then the big twist...umm...the already over-the-top idea of the book moved into LUDICROUS territory. Some parts were so torturous, I stopped reading to do laundry and dust. Show Less
LibraryThing member WeeziesBooks
"Inferno" was another enjoyable novel by Dan Brown. Beginning with the “DaVinci Code”, I have read each book as soon as it was available. My favorite is still “Angels and Demons” but this book is a strong runner up. From traveling across the world, to dealing with amnesia following an
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'incident’, and trying to save the world from a horrible threat, Robert Langdon was reminded constantly of Dante's Inferno, the nine circles of hell and the death mask. He quoted Dante quite appropriately throughout the book. In this newest offering, Langdon again finds himself in a world of powerful individuals, treason, and fine antiquities. This volume is full of adventure, violence, terror and daunting challenges. Langdon is not a stranger to violence or puzzles, or love interests. There is plenty of each of these in this book. It was interesting including the World Health Organization and the issue of overpopulation into the story line along with incidents involving medicine, suspicion and greed. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Florence, the Plaza Vecchio and St. Mark’s Basilica. When visiting Italy, it does feel indeed as if you are in a world of water, history and romance. I rate this book 4 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member lettylibrarian
Great book - if you are planning a trip to Italy and need a touring plan. With every page I turned I looked up images on Google so that I can see where they were on their Italian mystery adventure. I've never done that before and that was a lot of fun. It made reading a more adventurous experience.
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Otherwise I was not as impressed. The DaVinci Code was spectacular. So when all the other books have to meet that standard, it is too bad for the author. And maybe for me because I have higher expectations. I loved DaVinci code for the "what the ????" moment I got reading it. There was none of that. Although I did like the whole idea of population explosion and why we should all be concerned about that. If the books starts a global conversation on that topic then great, it served a fabulous purpose. But as for a thrilling read, ok, I will give it that. As for a spectacular mystery. Ehh. Show Less
LibraryThing member japaul22
This is the latest Robert Langdon thriller. Again, Langdon traces historical clues and solves puzzles and symbols to solve a crime. This time everything revolves around Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy and a possible plague that is about to be released into the world.
I have to say that I
I wouldn't recommend it.
I have to say that I
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didn't like this one very much. Not like his other books are high art or anything, but this was not very intricate, didn't have very interesting puzzles, and I found the whole premise pretty unbelievable. It was mainly chase scenes. I wouldn't recommend it.
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LibraryThing member scodenton
A resounding 'meh'. Typically fast-paced, as all Dan Brown books are, but I can't shake the feeling that the whole escapade was essentially pointless. Filled with opinions that may initially be shocking, but then couches them with immediate riposte by other characters, as if Dan Brown is afraid of
More courage of conviction please Mr Brown. Stop playing it safe and trying to appease everyone.
Whilst I'm there, it's great naming all these fantastic and beautiful historic buildings, but sadly I haven't been there myself, nor do I know what they all look like, so as you name them all, it wouldn't hurt to actually describe to the reader what they look like. If I had really cared to get a sense of the location, I'd have needed google open and constantly searched for the images to picture what it looks like. Perhaps I should know what the "Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore" looks like, but sadly I'm not that intelligent or knowledgeable. Which probably explains why I'm reading Dan Brown novels and not Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy....
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the backlash for suggesting it in the first place. More courage of conviction please Mr Brown. Stop playing it safe and trying to appease everyone.
Whilst I'm there, it's great naming all these fantastic and beautiful historic buildings, but sadly I haven't been there myself, nor do I know what they all look like, so as you name them all, it wouldn't hurt to actually describe to the reader what they look like. If I had really cared to get a sense of the location, I'd have needed google open and constantly searched for the images to picture what it looks like. Perhaps I should know what the "Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore" looks like, but sadly I'm not that intelligent or knowledgeable. Which probably explains why I'm reading Dan Brown novels and not Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy....
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LibraryThing member burnit99
Okay, so it's a new Robert Langdon mystery/suspense/thriller by Dan Brown. You know going in that it's going to involve Harvard symbiologist Langdon in a race through ancient locales, searching for clues hidden in classic writings and historical monuments, competing with a mysterious, powerful and
Check.
Dan Brown stays true to his formula. Fortunately, I enjoy this particular formula. Here, Robert Langdon awakens with a head injury in Florence, with no memory of the last couple of days or how he got here from Harvard. Almost immediately, it seems, he is being pursued by a mysterious killer, accompanied by Sienna Brooks, a beautiful doctor with secrets of her own. He learns that a powerful man who is fascinated by Dante's "The Divine Comedy" (particularly "The Inferno") has hidden a horrifying creation of his own design that will change the human race forever, and Langdon must decipher the clues hidden in Dante's writing to prevent an Earthly Inferno. The plot stretches the bounds of credulity, but not to the breaking point, and I quite enjoyed the fast pace, sudden twists and surprise revelations. And, if Brown's research is to be believed (not quite sure if I do), I came away knowing quite a bit more about Dante and the Renaissance than before.
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far-reaching secret organization, and aided by a brilliant beauty who has secrets of her own.Check.
Dan Brown stays true to his formula. Fortunately, I enjoy this particular formula. Here, Robert Langdon awakens with a head injury in Florence, with no memory of the last couple of days or how he got here from Harvard. Almost immediately, it seems, he is being pursued by a mysterious killer, accompanied by Sienna Brooks, a beautiful doctor with secrets of her own. He learns that a powerful man who is fascinated by Dante's "The Divine Comedy" (particularly "The Inferno") has hidden a horrifying creation of his own design that will change the human race forever, and Langdon must decipher the clues hidden in Dante's writing to prevent an Earthly Inferno. The plot stretches the bounds of credulity, but not to the breaking point, and I quite enjoyed the fast pace, sudden twists and surprise revelations. And, if Brown's research is to be believed (not quite sure if I do), I came away knowing quite a bit more about Dante and the Renaissance than before.
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LibraryThing member pussreboots
Inferno by Dan Brown is the fourth Robert Langdon book. I've read and enjoyed each of them because they are silly and capery, much like the Cats and Curious series I love. This one takes place in Italy and Turkey.
Robert awakes in hospital to a splitting headache and a nightmarish vision of war and
Normally I cringe at amnesia plots but the Robert Langdon books are inherently silly. Here the clues are derived from Dante's Divine Comedy (and mostly the Inferno part). Dante apparently put a lot of himself and his life into his works and now a master criminal (mad man) is taking advantage of that fact.
This mad man has taken Dante's work to heart and has hidden clues to the whereabouts of a new plague within the landmarks and artworks that date back to Dante's time.
The introduction of a plague (or a formula) combined with European history and a male and female team on the run makes for an adult caper very much in tone with the original 39 Clues series. The ending, though, set in Turkey, felt like a jarring crossover with Clive Cussler's Crescent Dawn.
Robert awakes in hospital to a splitting headache and a nightmarish vision of war and
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death. Worse yet, he's in Italy and he doesn't know how or when he got there! Before he can get his bearings, the chase is on. He and his surgeon are running for their lives.Normally I cringe at amnesia plots but the Robert Langdon books are inherently silly. Here the clues are derived from Dante's Divine Comedy (and mostly the Inferno part). Dante apparently put a lot of himself and his life into his works and now a master criminal (mad man) is taking advantage of that fact.
This mad man has taken Dante's work to heart and has hidden clues to the whereabouts of a new plague within the landmarks and artworks that date back to Dante's time.
The introduction of a plague (or a formula) combined with European history and a male and female team on the run makes for an adult caper very much in tone with the original 39 Clues series. The ending, though, set in Turkey, felt like a jarring crossover with Clive Cussler's Crescent Dawn.
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LibraryThing member bks1953
"Inferno" is the 4th in Dan Brown's Robert Langodon series, following "Angels & Demons," "Da Vinci Code," and "Lost Symbol." While the last was a disappointment -- especially as it took place in my home of Washington, DC -- "Inferno" is, in a word, fantastic. An excellent and thought-provoking
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story line, borrowed both from the past (Dante's epic poem) and the present. The story is wonderfully told, with intriguing charcaters as well as institutions, and a few twists along the way to keep the reader thinking. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member abitmorejerry
Definitely not the fast-paced, dramatic page turner many of us have come to expect from the author. In fact after a while, I did find myself skimming and turning the pages rather quickly but for a different reason - I was looking for the story! Far too many pages devoted to self-indulgent showcases
Don't get me wrong - I have been a big fan of Dan Brown and really enjoyed his previous work but this novel was a far cry from his previous work. With regards to the monotonous drifts into travelogues and tedious descriptions/opinions of art related to the story, I understand the need to set the scene but in this case it went too far - way too far and drowned out the story. Not sure if there just wasn't enough story there and these too-frequent, too-boring discourses were just there to fill space.
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of the author's/author's team's knowledge of various cultural places of interest/museums, art etc. You can get all this from tours/books or even the internet. Speaking of which, it seems like the author has just discovered how to do a 'vanity' search - there was a few pathetic attempts at humour or trying to show off a rather meagre knowledge of web users (not sure which as it just didn't work).Don't get me wrong - I have been a big fan of Dan Brown and really enjoyed his previous work but this novel was a far cry from his previous work. With regards to the monotonous drifts into travelogues and tedious descriptions/opinions of art related to the story, I understand the need to set the scene but in this case it went too far - way too far and drowned out the story. Not sure if there just wasn't enough story there and these too-frequent, too-boring discourses were just there to fill space.
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LibraryThing member mrsdowney
I ran into trouble with this book, although I'm a loyal Dan Brown fan. I'm glad I read it; I like the conclusion, even if it's a bit of a stretch. It brought me to think of things I'd rather not. Fans should read it. And some of my problems with the book were unique to me, I suppose; a few of those
First, I kept getting interrupted by other books that needed to be read first, or college classes I needed to complete. But any other Dan Brown book would not have been interrupted no matter what. So I began to wonder: Why am I not loving this book?
One reason was strictly physical: Why on earth would anyone publish such a ginormous, unreadable, heavy collection of pages between hard covers??? I'm not a big fan of e-books (I forget they are there and forget to finish them, being out of sight). But in this case I wished I'd ordered the digital version instead. Oh, how I longed for that neat little Kindle device! I lugged this massive tome around with me and many times wanted to ditch it in favor of something easier to tote, hold, and read. My hands and arms ached. In this age of the diminishing influence of bookstores, I think the publishers did the author a disservice with this choice. It was not necessary to fatten it up like that to become visible on shelves. I suppose it was designed for the massive hands and arms of massive men??? Silly conceit on the publishers' part and it was no fault of the author's, so my reluctance to pick it up is an unfair gauge of its worthiness, but nevertheless played a big part in the length of time it took me to finish this book.
Secondly, the imagery of Dante's Inferno and Botticelli's artwork was not exactly appealing to me. Since I believe that sort of "hell" is created in the minds of people who believe in it, I wasn't happy to be spending so much time contemplating it.
Next, I grew impatient with the pacing and repetition, thinking perhaps the author or his editors had drawn things out for the sake of creating that enormous physical book. Some of the actual writing seemed careless to me.
HOWEVER, the tour of Italian art and architecture was appealing, to a point. About 3/4 of the way through, I grew bored with that, as well. Once again, it was frustrating to have to lug the book into my office, fire up the computer, and Google the various artworks or locations in order to follow the author's heavy-handed insistence. It would have been easier for him to post a website and give us the images all in one place rather than construct a plot around his trip to Italy and try to build it into a novel. Or perhaps if the book was going to be so physically imposing, it might have served better as a coffee-table art book? Again, this was the first time in my life I have longed for a wirelessly-connected, hand-held device for accessing the Internet. Was he trying to create an App, but his advisers insisted he must produce another book instead?
This might also have been the first time in my life I found myself rooting for the villain from the beginning. So bottom line, I complained all through it but I'm glad I read it, and I hope the next book is better.
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irrelevant to the contents of the book.First, I kept getting interrupted by other books that needed to be read first, or college classes I needed to complete. But any other Dan Brown book would not have been interrupted no matter what. So I began to wonder: Why am I not loving this book?
One reason was strictly physical: Why on earth would anyone publish such a ginormous, unreadable, heavy collection of pages between hard covers??? I'm not a big fan of e-books (I forget they are there and forget to finish them, being out of sight). But in this case I wished I'd ordered the digital version instead. Oh, how I longed for that neat little Kindle device! I lugged this massive tome around with me and many times wanted to ditch it in favor of something easier to tote, hold, and read. My hands and arms ached. In this age of the diminishing influence of bookstores, I think the publishers did the author a disservice with this choice. It was not necessary to fatten it up like that to become visible on shelves. I suppose it was designed for the massive hands and arms of massive men??? Silly conceit on the publishers' part and it was no fault of the author's, so my reluctance to pick it up is an unfair gauge of its worthiness, but nevertheless played a big part in the length of time it took me to finish this book.
Secondly, the imagery of Dante's Inferno and Botticelli's artwork was not exactly appealing to me. Since I believe that sort of "hell" is created in the minds of people who believe in it, I wasn't happy to be spending so much time contemplating it.
Next, I grew impatient with the pacing and repetition, thinking perhaps the author or his editors had drawn things out for the sake of creating that enormous physical book. Some of the actual writing seemed careless to me.
HOWEVER, the tour of Italian art and architecture was appealing, to a point. About 3/4 of the way through, I grew bored with that, as well. Once again, it was frustrating to have to lug the book into my office, fire up the computer, and Google the various artworks or locations in order to follow the author's heavy-handed insistence. It would have been easier for him to post a website and give us the images all in one place rather than construct a plot around his trip to Italy and try to build it into a novel. Or perhaps if the book was going to be so physically imposing, it might have served better as a coffee-table art book? Again, this was the first time in my life I have longed for a wirelessly-connected, hand-held device for accessing the Internet. Was he trying to create an App, but his advisers insisted he must produce another book instead?
This might also have been the first time in my life I found myself rooting for the villain from the beginning. So bottom line, I complained all through it but I'm glad I read it, and I hope the next book is better.
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LibraryThing member bookswoman
I know, lots of people don't like Dan Brown and his Robert Langdon books but I love them. They are fast paced, give out lots of information and often teach me a thing or two. I don't accept everything as gospel but if I'm interested I'll do some more reading to see the real facts. Any book that
Inferno revolves around the issue of world overpopulation and what to do about it as well as what some people are willing to do. Set mostly in Italy, Brown gives the reader a peek into the various museums and towns that the Masters worked and lived in while creating some of the greatest paintings and literature of all time. Dante, of course, takes center stage in this book as his book The Divine Comedy, specifically the part on The Inferno. I'm not a huge fan of Dante's Divine Comedy but this is the 2nd book in the last couple of years I've read on the topic. Craig Johnson used the work as the theme for his book "Hell is Empty" and now Brown.
It took me a while to get through this one. Not because it was bad but because life kept interrupting me! I'll keep reading Brown until he disappoints me, but it hasn't happened yet.
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makes me curious is always a good thing to me.Inferno revolves around the issue of world overpopulation and what to do about it as well as what some people are willing to do. Set mostly in Italy, Brown gives the reader a peek into the various museums and towns that the Masters worked and lived in while creating some of the greatest paintings and literature of all time. Dante, of course, takes center stage in this book as his book The Divine Comedy, specifically the part on The Inferno. I'm not a huge fan of Dante's Divine Comedy but this is the 2nd book in the last couple of years I've read on the topic. Craig Johnson used the work as the theme for his book "Hell is Empty" and now Brown.
It took me a while to get through this one. Not because it was bad but because life kept interrupting me! I'll keep reading Brown until he disappoints me, but it hasn't happened yet.
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LibraryThing member FrankErrington
4 of 5 Stars
Eminent Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is back, awaking in a hospital bed with no idea of where he is or how he got there. Diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, a threat to his life will propel him and a young doctor, Sienna Brooks, into a frantic chase across Florence, Italy and
Sound familiar? Well, if it does, then chances are pretty good that you've read at least one of the previous three Dan Brown novels to feature Robert Langdon. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was the overall feeling that I've already been down down this path more than once. If this was the first time reading a Robert Langdon novel, I could easily see myself being more generous. BTW, if you've never read any of the books in the series, it's not necessary to read the other books first. Inferno, works very well as a stand alone work.
Within minutes of opening the book I was once again drawn into Robert Langdon's world. And by the end of chapter two, it was on. Danger. Intrigue. Mystery. And we're off on an insanely fast adventure to solve the clues and potentially save the world.
With only a few lines from Dante's dark and epic masterpiece, The Inferno, to guide them, they must decipher a sequence of codes buried deep within some of the most celebrated artifacts of the Renaissance to find the answers to the puzzle they need to solve. Due to his retrograde amnesia, Langdom recalls nothing of the last few days which leads to a particularly embarrassing moment when he finds that Dante's death mask is missing from its exhibit. From the book..."Langdon watched himself on the video as his gloved hand reached out and found the edge of the cabinet door...and then, ever so gently, pulled back until the antique hinge shifted and the door swung slowly open...exposing the Dante death mask. Langdon watched himself in utter disbelief as he reached into the case, gently gripped the Dante's death mask with both hands and lifted it out."
As I noted at the start of this review, the Robert Langdon stories have become formulaic and somewhat predictable, but let me also say, "Inferno is an incredibly wild ride." In addition, reading Inferno is a bit like reading a travelogue without the pictures. Brown goes into great detail on the architecture, the art and the history of the places he visits. If you had a mind to, you could Google these places and artifacts as you read and get a more complete picture of his journeys.
Here's one for you if you've already read Inferno. What would be your transhumanist code name. Mine is FR-2052.
If you're looking for a fun Summer read with lots of twists and very big one at the end, then I'd like to recommend Dan Brown's Inferno. It's like a full season of 24, frightening on multiple levels. Frightening in that it could happen and also frightening in that if something like this doesn't happen we could all be doomed anyway.
Eminent Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is back, awaking in a hospital bed with no idea of where he is or how he got there. Diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, a threat to his life will propel him and a young doctor, Sienna Brooks, into a frantic chase across Florence, Italy and
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beyond to find the answers to a puzzle which may, or may not save the world from an unthinkable threat.Sound familiar? Well, if it does, then chances are pretty good that you've read at least one of the previous three Dan Brown novels to feature Robert Langdon. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was the overall feeling that I've already been down down this path more than once. If this was the first time reading a Robert Langdon novel, I could easily see myself being more generous. BTW, if you've never read any of the books in the series, it's not necessary to read the other books first. Inferno, works very well as a stand alone work.
Within minutes of opening the book I was once again drawn into Robert Langdon's world. And by the end of chapter two, it was on. Danger. Intrigue. Mystery. And we're off on an insanely fast adventure to solve the clues and potentially save the world.
With only a few lines from Dante's dark and epic masterpiece, The Inferno, to guide them, they must decipher a sequence of codes buried deep within some of the most celebrated artifacts of the Renaissance to find the answers to the puzzle they need to solve. Due to his retrograde amnesia, Langdom recalls nothing of the last few days which leads to a particularly embarrassing moment when he finds that Dante's death mask is missing from its exhibit. From the book..."Langdon watched himself on the video as his gloved hand reached out and found the edge of the cabinet door...and then, ever so gently, pulled back until the antique hinge shifted and the door swung slowly open...exposing the Dante death mask. Langdon watched himself in utter disbelief as he reached into the case, gently gripped the Dante's death mask with both hands and lifted it out."
As I noted at the start of this review, the Robert Langdon stories have become formulaic and somewhat predictable, but let me also say, "Inferno is an incredibly wild ride." In addition, reading Inferno is a bit like reading a travelogue without the pictures. Brown goes into great detail on the architecture, the art and the history of the places he visits. If you had a mind to, you could Google these places and artifacts as you read and get a more complete picture of his journeys.
Here's one for you if you've already read Inferno. What would be your transhumanist code name. Mine is FR-2052.
If you're looking for a fun Summer read with lots of twists and very big one at the end, then I'd like to recommend Dan Brown's Inferno. It's like a full season of 24, frightening on multiple levels. Frightening in that it could happen and also frightening in that if something like this doesn't happen we could all be doomed anyway.
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LibraryThing member Sarahbat01
I absolutely loved almost everything about this book, as I love everything about Dan Brown. I'll be uploading an in depth review on my blog coming soon.
LibraryThing member piersanti
There is never any real mystery here, so instead the author repeatedly and pointlessly withholds information.
LibraryThing member ckrcelich
Another excellent book by Dan Brown!
LibraryThing member zojjz
Tired and cliche characters, somewhat insulting hetero-normative and homophobic tones, over explanatory of relatively obvious plot twists, constantly repetitive of information. Interesting surroundings and lore can't carry it alone unfortunately.
LibraryThing member JoniMFisher
This giant doorstop of a book was worth hefting for days. Wowza. The intrepid Professor Langdon marches through symbolic hell and genuine danger after a brilliant madman who is determined to send humanity through a man-made apocalypse. Sure, there are parts of the book that require the reader to
Powerful, engaging story that will haunt the reader and broaden viewpoints.
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suspend disbelief with both hands, but in the long run, the gravitas of the book's message merits the reader's cooperation.Powerful, engaging story that will haunt the reader and broaden viewpoints.
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LibraryThing member voracious
What would the world do without Robert Langdon's brilliance to save it from destruction? As with his other adventures, Robert is unexpectedly thrust into a race against time, this time to save mankind from an epidemic set upon the world by a Dante-obsessed madman, who believes he has found a way to
On an aside, I found the concept that the world's population might extinguish itself by shear population explosion to be very disturbing. It has stuck in my mind since, particularly as I have driven past fields of crops on my way to work...
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protect the longevity of the human race. Fortunately, our hero is fully versed in the minutia of Dante's Inferno and able to interpret the clues carelessly strewn along the way (why would the evil genius madman leave clues one might ask? Your guess is as good as mine). I found the race to the end exhilirating, though I love a good brainy thriller. If you are willing to suspend disbelief and just have a good time, it is a fun and quick read. However, if you are going to be a snooty know-it-all who thinks he is too good to read a book by Dan Brown, then you probably won't enjoy it and will find many reasons to tear it apart. On an aside, I found the concept that the world's population might extinguish itself by shear population explosion to be very disturbing. It has stuck in my mind since, particularly as I have driven past fields of crops on my way to work...
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LibraryThing member bfgar
Not the best book Brown has written. Instead of a book about a mystery, there are times when it seems much more like a travelogue about Florence. And while I really want to visit Florence, I wasn't very interested in Langdon's observations. After all, the Uffizi is really only interesting if one is
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standing in front of one of the beautiful works of art that it contains. Show Less
LibraryThing member santhony
I read Dan Brown’s breakout hit, The DaVinci Code, and while acknowledging that it may not be “fine literature”, it certainly kept my attention and proved to be a highly enjoyable read; so much so that I immediately ordered his two earlier books, Deception Point and Digital Fortress. I was
Angels and Demons disappointed me greatly, and Lost Symbol, though marginally better, shared many of the problems I had with Angels and Demons. Inferno fits very comfortably in the Dan Brown mold and while sharing many of the best points of his better efforts, also has its share of drawbacks.
First, the good: Dan Brown novels are outstanding opportunities to learn about art, architecture, culture and even literature. In this novel, readers can become conversant about the history of the city of Florence (one of the most magnificent cities ever inhabited), its landmarks and most famous works of art. Most particularly, the reader is immersed in the life and works of Dante Alighieri, and his seminal epic poem The Divine Comedy, which many consider to be among the greatest works of literature ever penned.
Dan Brown is a master of weaving a story, slowly releasing bits and pieces of a puzzle and ending each chapter with a cliffhanger so compelling, the reader is reluctant not to continue. Many times I’ve found myself reading into the early morning hours, unable to find a stopping point.
Now the bad: The scenarios in many of Brown’s novels become so ridiculous and ludicrous that enjoyment becomes difficult. Reading, in fact becomes a chore between eye rolls. As in Angels and Demons, where the “bad guy” is imbued with such superhuman strength and durability that he could have seemingly survived a direct hit with an atomic bomb, our hero in this novel, Robert Langdon, and his female sidekick are surrounded and hopelessly defeated countless times, only to discover “hidden passage ways” over and over and over again. I understand that the medieval city is rife with such escape hatches, but apparently Langdon is the only one that knows about them, he knows all of them, and they just so happen to appear when most desperately needed.
Message to Dan Brown: THESE ABSURD PLOT TWISTS ARE NOT NECESSARY! The underlying story is engaging and vastly entertaining. Your subject matter is incredibly rich and complex. The absurd chase scenes and miraculous get aways are detracting from the story.
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not disappointed, though again, enjoying them for what they were, quick, easy, entertaining reads.Angels and Demons disappointed me greatly, and Lost Symbol, though marginally better, shared many of the problems I had with Angels and Demons. Inferno fits very comfortably in the Dan Brown mold and while sharing many of the best points of his better efforts, also has its share of drawbacks.
First, the good: Dan Brown novels are outstanding opportunities to learn about art, architecture, culture and even literature. In this novel, readers can become conversant about the history of the city of Florence (one of the most magnificent cities ever inhabited), its landmarks and most famous works of art. Most particularly, the reader is immersed in the life and works of Dante Alighieri, and his seminal epic poem The Divine Comedy, which many consider to be among the greatest works of literature ever penned.
Dan Brown is a master of weaving a story, slowly releasing bits and pieces of a puzzle and ending each chapter with a cliffhanger so compelling, the reader is reluctant not to continue. Many times I’ve found myself reading into the early morning hours, unable to find a stopping point.
Now the bad: The scenarios in many of Brown’s novels become so ridiculous and ludicrous that enjoyment becomes difficult. Reading, in fact becomes a chore between eye rolls. As in Angels and Demons, where the “bad guy” is imbued with such superhuman strength and durability that he could have seemingly survived a direct hit with an atomic bomb, our hero in this novel, Robert Langdon, and his female sidekick are surrounded and hopelessly defeated countless times, only to discover “hidden passage ways” over and over and over again. I understand that the medieval city is rife with such escape hatches, but apparently Langdon is the only one that knows about them, he knows all of them, and they just so happen to appear when most desperately needed.
Message to Dan Brown: THESE ABSURD PLOT TWISTS ARE NOT NECESSARY! The underlying story is engaging and vastly entertaining. Your subject matter is incredibly rich and complex. The absurd chase scenes and miraculous get aways are detracting from the story.
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LibraryThing member Birdo82
The Langdon Adventure formula may make this read a pleasure for die-hard Dan Brown fans, but Inferno's absurd twists and anti-climactic ending will leave others with a far weaker experience than previous books in the series.
LibraryThing member Clara53
Leave it to Dan Brown to capture your attention at the very start and not release it till the end, with an unexpected twist on the last pages. Though the book begins with a familiar type of pursuit involving codes, etc., it certainly becomes worthwhile when the reason for the chase becomes clear.
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While in "The Da Vinci Code" Dan Brown daringly delved back into history presenting a unique perspective on Christianity, in "Inferno" he, no less skillfully, tackles science and ventures into the problems of the Earth's future - specifically, the problem of overpopulation that brings with itself depletion of resources for the human race to exist. The author doesn't exaggerate when he says: "When it comes to the circumstances of the world, denial has become a global pandemic". As I see it, the reality of this statement cannot be overestimated if we don't want to bring about the extinction of human race. Professor Robert Langdon finds himself in an unfamiliar territory this time, but his expertise once again proves invaluable. I loved the book, especially for its hugely significant premise.--
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LibraryThing member Y2Ash
Dan Brown's Inferno is the fourth installment in the Robert Langdon series. Like all Dan Brown tomes, it starts with a death: genetic engineer Betrand Zobrist, a very cult like charismatic and extremely intelligent man who commits suicide and leaves a video behind. The video is heavily influenced
Meanwhile, Robert Langdon wakes up in a makeshift hospital with a head wound in Italy. Apparently he's been shot in the head and mumbling something that sounds like "very sorry" over again when he was admitted. Langdon tries to recover the last two days of his life with the help of Dr. Sienna Brooks, a troubled genius in her own right.
Then, all hell breaks loose in the form of a lone soldier.
Langdon and Sienna make haste out of the hospital and momentarily get shelter however, it is short lived when a call to the U.S. Embassy results in that same soldier finding them and because of Langdon sending an email brings about a heavily black leather clad team whose loyalties are not known.
As Langdon tries to piece together his memory, he will embark on a journey through the most grand places of Italy trying to figure out exactly how Dante's Inferno fits into a bioterrorist's plans to control the world's population.
I thought Inferno was really good. It was very captivating and compelling. It was a typical Dan Brown novel. It was rich with character development and chock full of Art history and linguistics. One thing I always loved about Brown novels were the historical aspects. Thank God for my Art History class because I felt comfortable with the material.
I thought the transhumanism movement was a really interesting idea, drastic but honest. The ending I thought didn't live up to all of the drama although it was probably the most realistic.
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by Dante's Inferno and alludes to the fact that Zobrist has left a biological agent, a plague of sorts, underneath a underground tavern surrounded by water. The clock is ticking because the virus is scheduled to be released...tomorrow.Meanwhile, Robert Langdon wakes up in a makeshift hospital with a head wound in Italy. Apparently he's been shot in the head and mumbling something that sounds like "very sorry" over again when he was admitted. Langdon tries to recover the last two days of his life with the help of Dr. Sienna Brooks, a troubled genius in her own right.
Then, all hell breaks loose in the form of a lone soldier.
Langdon and Sienna make haste out of the hospital and momentarily get shelter however, it is short lived when a call to the U.S. Embassy results in that same soldier finding them and because of Langdon sending an email brings about a heavily black leather clad team whose loyalties are not known.
As Langdon tries to piece together his memory, he will embark on a journey through the most grand places of Italy trying to figure out exactly how Dante's Inferno fits into a bioterrorist's plans to control the world's population.
I thought Inferno was really good. It was very captivating and compelling. It was a typical Dan Brown novel. It was rich with character development and chock full of Art history and linguistics. One thing I always loved about Brown novels were the historical aspects. Thank God for my Art History class because I felt comfortable with the material.
I thought the transhumanism movement was a really interesting idea, drastic but honest. The ending I thought didn't live up to all of the drama although it was probably the most realistic.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
Much better than the last one, which was not hard. Brown is a master at spinning a ludicrous plot into something half-way believable. But what should be an enjoyable man saves the world romp becomes a bit of a slog to read because Brown's convoluted prose kept pulling me out of the story.
LibraryThing member Ralphd00d
Very interesting book. I enjoyed Robert Langdon being in yet another thriller/action novel, but the overall subject content threw me for a loop. I finished this actually last night, and still am trying to process the ramifications. I know not how true the figures used in the story are, but either
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way.... wow. Show Less