Reading "The Lost Symbol"

Dan Brown has done it again. "The Lost Symbol" is a fascinating story set in Washington, D.C. The idea that there are so many tunnels and hidden rooms and artifacts in and among the buildings in our nation's capital really intrigues me. These are things that have been in place for hundreds of years, put there by our forefathers.

One of the things I enjoy most about his books is the fact that they open my mind to new possibilities and ideas. There are so many ways to look at things if we just allow ourselves the leeway. We tend to become so sure that we are right about something when there are many other ways to view it that may lead to new revelations. I am a very black and white thinker so this type of  thought process is frustrating, but exhilarating as well.

I love puzzles. Sudoku, crosswords, jigsaws, even Wheel of Fortune! As each one is revealed, the puzzles of Masonic symbolism that run through this book are amazing to watch unfold with the plot. The whole thing takes place in one night, which is a lot of fast-paced action in 509 pages. He does an excellent job of weaving short chapters together, moving you back and forth between several settings, all happening at once.

Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist and professor we met in "The Da Vinci Code," is invited to D.C. to speak at the U.S. Capitol Building by Peter Solomon, his long-time friend and mentor. When he arrives, he receives a different kind of invitation in the form of a horrifying object, the first symbol to be decoded and understood.

I felt that the villain in this novel was such a sad, misguided person. He did horribly cruel things all the way through, but I just couldn't help feeling sorry for him. Which is so unlike me! I'm usually of the hang 'em high mentality when it comes to criminals and evil.

All in all, I thought "The Lost Symbol" was well done and very enjoyable!