BOOK TITLE: Inferno
ISBN: 9780385537858
AUTHOR: Dan
Brown
GENRE: Thriller/Suspense
NUMBER OF PAGES: 482
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: Of
course I am a big fan of Dan Brown. So his latest book had to be read
immediately. So I waited for the paperback to hit stores and rushed to grab my
copy.
REVIEW:
The
central theme of the latest Dan Brown novel ‘Inferno’ is centred on one line.
“The darkest places in hell are reserved
for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”
The novel featuring Harvard
academician Robert Langdon has a real thriller for an opener. The prologue
promises lot of intrigue and historical revelations, usual Dan Brown style (in
his other Langdon based books, of course). The first chapter of the main part
starts with a protagonist who apparently has a gunshot induced temporary memory
loss. Readers simultaneously sympathise with the confused professor, who is
taunted by recurring dreadful dreams asking him to ‘seek and find’ before time
is lost. Langdon does not know the mysterious lady who urges him to seek and
find but is desperate to help her because his intuition tells him to reach out
to her. But are intuitions always right? To his shock, Langdon finds that the
woman from his dreams is real and he knows her, too!
The protagonist continues his race against time, aided by a fiery,
passionate and intelligent Dr. Sienna Brooks. Who helped him out of his
“amnesia”. The two have secrets from each other, Langdon due to his
inconvenient illness, and Sienna due to embarrassment. The professor has a
curious object in his favourite Harris Tweed, a “Biometrically sealed” tube.
Based
on cryptic clues from “The Divine Comedy”, a book of poems written by Italian
poet Dante Alighieri, Langdon and Sienna evade a high profile security force
and travel together through Florence, Italy. Churches and chapels and
underground crypts – the usual Dan Brown landmarks feature here too! No
spoilers by revealing exact locations!
In
an adrenaline packed chase, Langdon finds himself once again a fugitive,
running away from people who could help him and running to people who might
harm him. In a suave twist in the book, he also finds himself a victim of
robbery allegations, only, this time, the allegations are true. One man in the
whole of Italy who could vouch for his actions is dead, in mysterious
circumstances. Langdon takes the help of his historical knowledge to decipher
and interpret Dante’s poem and clues left by a cryptic madman, written in
insoluble ink behind a famous masterpiece.
On
another side, an organisation that calls itself “The Consortium” furiously
tries to prevent Langdon from uncovering the whole mystery, to support its long
dead client. Friends turn to foes, as the professor rushes away from a life
threat desperately trying to prove his innocence. Suddenly all is not what it
seems.
Too
many people are confused and deluded by Langdon’s mysterious behaviour because
his medical condition is kept a secret. The page turning element of the story
is Langdon’s easy memory of History rather than “his” story. Is this amnesia
permanent? Or is at least natural? Every revelation poses more questions than
it answers.
Throughout
the story, Langdon is unsure whom to feel pity for, or whom to stay close too.
Is the calamity a matter of national security? Why was it entrusted to a simple
College Professor? Both the protagonist’s and the readers’ minds whirl with a
vortex of questions, most answers of which are surprising and breath-taking.
A
misrepresentation of facts leads Langdon to a wrong location in his chase
costing valuable time. The trail leads to Istanbul in Turkey before long where
the story culminates in a not so thrilling climax. The readers are left with a
void after the high on adrenaline chase as the end is neither justified nor
apt. But political limitations and story theme realities do put a barricade to
giving a satisfying end.
But
all is not what it seems in this story!
Langdon
finds his chase useless as the calamity has come to pass and the race is not
against the future but against the past. All in all, an engaging read, a
thrilling story line, usual Brown style, and a politically correct albeit
little lacking ending. But it does not disappoint Dan Brown fans. Go for it!
P.S.: As usual, the portrayal of scenes from the book
is not only accurate in historical value, but also a thoroughly enjoyable
visualisation, bringing the readers to the place that is described.
WHAT I LIKED: Typical
Brown style racy narrative, accurate history and really engrossing plotline.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: Typical
Brown style quirky ending, all the chase and adrenaline rush dropping in the
end is like stepping out of a vivid dream into reality and the slap is hard.
VERDICT: Of
course go for it. Dot.
RATING: 4/5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003
bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown is interested in cryptography,
codes, and keys. Currently his novels have been translated into many languages.
Although many see Dan Brown's books as anti-Christian, Brown is a Christian who
says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that
promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may
be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our
faith."
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle,
Hardcover, Paperback, Audible.
PRICE: 270
BOOK LINKS: http://www.amazon.com/Inferno-Novel-Random-House-Large/dp/0804121060/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-2&qid=1380124425
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