Criticisms from a voracious reader
Pressure. Stress. The two words that define the life of every eleventh grader. Well, if you've picked a science group, Physics would have turned them into monstrous calamities for you, but that's beside the point. God be with you.
Now, I rarely review anything I read or watch because, frankly, I don't like dissecting and analysing stuff. I feel their appeal dinishes the instant I prod and delve into their very depths. Nevertheless, I now venture to write about Dan Brown and the Langdon series because I have very strong opinions about the subject.
I'm not entirely sure whether this piece will resonate unequivocally with all readers; but then again, it wasn't written with that intention.
So I'm going to begin by dealing with character development. Without any beating about the bush I'm going to say bluntly that it was pathetic. In spite of reading over four books about Langdon, i know so little about him as a character. Who is Robert Langdon, really? I feel there is so much more to him than just 'a religious symbologist' but the books never acted as my window to his mind, his thinking or his personality. I'm left craving for more because I haven't met Langdon the person. I've just met Langdon, the good looking Harvard nerd.
Moving on, the theme of the entire series is pretty much the same. Langdon on a quest to solve a puzzle that has plagued humanity since times immemorial, helped by a pretty intelligent young lady. And by the by, Vittoria, Sienna and Sophie are all the SAME person masquerading about in different names.
Nevertheless, I will say that the research that has gone into the writing book is fantastic. I take my hat off to Dan Brown. No one tells a story the way he does, while managing to keep things tethered to a reality that is believable. Anyone who disagrees with me on this, be prepared to face my wrath and my esteemed brand of cutting edge sarcasm.
Sometimes, however, for the pace of the writing slackens and Brown gets unnecessarily descriptive. This is annoying especially since much of the book is a quick paced page turner. This of course, is a pretty insignificant detail but, as they say, the devil is in the details.
The books don't stand out from each other in terms of the style of writing. The chapters alternately describe what's happening in the Langdon and non-Langdon side of affairs until there comes a point when these two realms unite and there is a single thread of narration.
But what is evident is that Dan Brown loves his subject and loves his characters. The book definitely sensitised me to te finer nuances of any art forms and the subtle genius of a wide variety of historical figures. For that, and the pleasant hours of racking my brains over the puzzles, I am eternally in debt to Brown.
With that, I conclude. And as POTUS said,
Obama out. :)
So long!
Now, I rarely review anything I read or watch because, frankly, I don't like dissecting and analysing stuff. I feel their appeal dinishes the instant I prod and delve into their very depths. Nevertheless, I now venture to write about Dan Brown and the Langdon series because I have very strong opinions about the subject.
I'm not entirely sure whether this piece will resonate unequivocally with all readers; but then again, it wasn't written with that intention.
So I'm going to begin by dealing with character development. Without any beating about the bush I'm going to say bluntly that it was pathetic. In spite of reading over four books about Langdon, i know so little about him as a character. Who is Robert Langdon, really? I feel there is so much more to him than just 'a religious symbologist' but the books never acted as my window to his mind, his thinking or his personality. I'm left craving for more because I haven't met Langdon the person. I've just met Langdon, the good looking Harvard nerd.
Moving on, the theme of the entire series is pretty much the same. Langdon on a quest to solve a puzzle that has plagued humanity since times immemorial, helped by a pretty intelligent young lady. And by the by, Vittoria, Sienna and Sophie are all the SAME person masquerading about in different names.
Nevertheless, I will say that the research that has gone into the writing book is fantastic. I take my hat off to Dan Brown. No one tells a story the way he does, while managing to keep things tethered to a reality that is believable. Anyone who disagrees with me on this, be prepared to face my wrath and my esteemed brand of cutting edge sarcasm.
Sometimes, however, for the pace of the writing slackens and Brown gets unnecessarily descriptive. This is annoying especially since much of the book is a quick paced page turner. This of course, is a pretty insignificant detail but, as they say, the devil is in the details.
The books don't stand out from each other in terms of the style of writing. The chapters alternately describe what's happening in the Langdon and non-Langdon side of affairs until there comes a point when these two realms unite and there is a single thread of narration.
But what is evident is that Dan Brown loves his subject and loves his characters. The book definitely sensitised me to te finer nuances of any art forms and the subtle genius of a wide variety of historical figures. For that, and the pleasant hours of racking my brains over the puzzles, I am eternally in debt to Brown.
With that, I conclude. And as POTUS said,
Obama out. :)
So long!
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