The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

It was a decent read. It kept my attention but I didn't enjoy it as much as I have liked Brown's other books. I thought The Lost Symbol was a little bit of a weak followup to the Da Vinci Code. I think Mr. Brown got a little too caught up in all the controversy that was sparked by his last book. The Lost Symbol is too much research and too little story. I felt like Brown was trying to prove that his research is sound instead of just weaving an interesting story. I've never understood why people took the last fictional novel so seriously instead of just enjoying an engaging tale.

One great thing about Brown's writing is his sense of timing. I love how he tells multiple storylines and leaves you hanging over and over. It always tricks me into reading one more chapter...just one more chapter before bed. Unfortunately his writing just wasn't as convincing this time around. I didn't feel as drawn into the story or as concerned about the characters as I have in Brown's other books.

I felt like a lot of the dialogue was forced between the characters. They don't have as much chemistry and their relationships feel sort of insincere. It's difficult to care about what happens to them. The writing has cultural references to technology and popular websites that seem lame. The mysteries just aren't that interesting. The historical references aren't as convincing and the final "conspiracy" falls flat. The religious implications seem disingenuous and smack of an underlying distaste for religion.

So overall, it was an okay book but didn't live up to my expectations.