Posterous theme by Cory Watilo
Book Wizard

Try these books also by Dan Brown:

Angels and Demons:

Read how it all began in the first in the series about the adventures of Robert Langdon. Can I interest you into to reading the book with this synopsis...

CERN Institue, Switzerland: a world renowned scientist is found brutally murdered with a mysterious symbol seared onto his chest.

The Vatican, Rome: the College of the Cardinals assembles to elect a new pope. Somewhere beneath them, an unstoppable bomb of terrifying power relentlessly counts down to oblivion.

In a breathtaking race against time, Havard professor Robert Langdon must decipher a labyrinthine trail of ancient symbols if he is to defeat those responsible-the Illuminati- a secret brotherhood presumed extinct for nearly four hundred years, rebor to continue their deadly vendetta against their most hated enemy, the Catholic Church...

The Lost Symbol:

The third in the series about the endeavours of the hero Robert Langdon.Can I entice you into reading this next installment...

The Capitol Building, Washington D.C: Havard symbologist Robert langdon believes he is here to give a lecture. He is wrong. Within minutes of his arrival, a shocking object is discovered. it is a gruesome invitation into an ancient world of hidden wisdom.

When langdon's mentour, Peter Solomon-prominent mason and philantropist-is kidnapped, Landon realises that his only hope of saving his friend's life is to accept the mysterious summons.

It is to take him on a breathless chase through Washington's dark history. All that was familiar is changed into a shadowy, mythical world in which Masonic secrets and never-beroe-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth...

Also try Digital Fortress and Deception Point, which are very similar to the Robert Langdon books only with two different female heroines...

The Thirty Nine Steps Review:

Reviewers everywhere like it, my English teacher loves it (hence why he put it as one of only two books which we had to read from this genre) and I enjoyed this book as well very much and why I had not heard about it sooner I don't know. To me, this book is brilliantly written and, once again, this classic is one of the best books I have read. This book is all about the qualtiy and not so much the quality with the book only consisting of 160 pages making it appeal to the less keen of readers as well (this explains why this book and The Man Who Was Thursday were so popular back in the day when most people weren't such animate readers on account of the books being rather small).

I love the fact that the way the author writes provides a very strong flavour of the time when the book was set (it is almost like each word has been analysed in minute detail to make sure that every word fits his image of the era). The text is not to dissimilar to that of The Man Who Was Thursday, in a good way, because the words on the page are just the tip of the iceburg with intriguing mysteries lying ever so slightly below the surface for the more avid reader amongst others. However, this is key good feature is also the book's downfall because from time to time, it became a bit difficult to follow the story line because of how packed the story was with extra puzzles to solve. Also, in general, sometimes the date of when the book was written, the length of speeches (which became occasionally more like monolouges) and the complexity of the text meant it was too hard to read for even the most enthusiastic of readers. But that was the way of the times and those who lived back then would think the ways we write now are just as alien to them as their writing ways are ,and always will be, to us.

The book is packed full of tension devices and is a model example of how to build up tension effectively; the suspense created is outstanding and is mentioned in many book reviews for its quality. The plot once again, like other classics, is magnificent (I think the reason 'classics' are called 'classics'' in the first place is now because of the plot for it is such a common trait in any 'classic' and when I think about it without a good plot there is no such thing as a great novel). So simple yet effective (a man on the run trying to convince the authorities that he has been framed) and so complex and yet so easy to understand (delving into the world of spies, espionage and politics as well). However, the story as a whole is slightly so you (the reader) doesn't have time to appreciate the plot until the book is finsihed. Finally, on a positive note, the quality of text is so good you can learn a lot about the author when taking into account the way he writes the 'novel'. You can feel that he enjoyed writing the book because of the subtle humour woven into the fabric of the story thoughout and you can tell that the author has a love of open countryside (particually the rolling moors of Scotland) because of how he describes it so beautifully and that he hates cities because he describes them (London) in the opposite manor entirely.

Overall opinion of the book:

Plot: Once again, a work of art (but only if understanded properly) using the events of the time (the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand) as inspiration for his novel (WARNING SPOILER ALERT. IF YOU WANT TO READ THE BOOK WITHOUT ME RUINING THE SURPRISE FOR YOU, CONTINUE READING ATER THE BOLD TYPING FINISHES) to prevent another assassination which will leave Britain at war with the rest of Europe, if not the world.

Text: Perfectly crafted and a joy to read most of the time (apart from when the old fashioned ntext and monologues kick in).

Score out of 10: 9.5 (almost perfection again apart from small criticisms which affect every book in this world becuase it is in Human Nature to criticise anything that is not yours).

The Thirty-Nine Steps Synopsis:

I invite you to try the synopsis of the book...

Richard Hannay has been felling bored with London life- until he discovers a dead man in his flat, skewered to the floor with a knife through his heart. Only a few days before, the victim had warned him of an assasination plot that could bring the whole country to the brink of war.

As an obvious suspect for the police and an easy target for the murderer, ordinary man Richard Hannay goes on the run in his native Scotland. There, on the wild moors, he must use all his wits to stay one step ahead of the game (and more importantly his pursuers)- and warn the government of the impending danger before it is too late...

The Man Who Was Thursday Review:

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton is a book that i have been meant to get around to read for ages (it's a type of book, like many others, which you find really interseting from the blurb, but you just don't have the time to read it). I have finally read it (and negotiated some technical problems along the way) to bring you my personal review of the book that was the 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' (which by the way is another classic thrilller novel in my opinion) of its time!

The first thing I will say about the book is that it might as well be the script for a blockbuster movie. With chases around London, sword fights, constant mortal peril and its own version of special effects, it is safe to say, this is the most action packed book I have ever read (and I have read some pretty action packed books). The plot is inspirational and is utterly unique in the world of fiction (I can't reveal it to you because it is too good to put into to words, you have to read it for yourself to appreciate it's magnificence). If you want a hint though, here it is: (WARNING SPOLIER ALERT. IF YOU WANT TO READ THE BOOK WITHOUT ME RUINING THE SUPRISE FOR YOU, CONTINUE READING AFTER THE BOLD TYPING FINISHES) Around midway through this short novel (which is another reason why this book should be read because the book is under 200 pages, a third of the amount of my last entry and this is a significantly better book to read as well), a pattern begins to reveal itself in the book, an extremely large pattern which is so brilliant that once you have discovered it, readers who read for the fun of it will be smiling like a small child on christmas every time they turn the page. to put this very bluntly, Chesterton has written a book that is about the pursuit of God?!

This explains why the book is slightly philosophical. Sometimes I was a bit bored when characters started lengthy speeches on human nature (which allows the fact that the book is dated to leak through into your reading) but don't let this deter you. This for me is the only thing wrong this actual classic, unlike The Da Vinci Code, which lives up to its reputation. The philosophical points raised would interest the most renowned philosphers and are very interesting, the plot is full to the brim of twists and turns (the book is almost entirely based around them) and if that is not your thing, the action in the book is far from dull and far from few and far between.You will easily be on the edge of your seat when (WARNING SPOLIER ALERT. IF YOU WANT TO READ THE BOOK WITHOUT ME RUINING THE SUPRISE FOR YOU, CONTINUE READING AFTER THE BOLD TYPING FINISHES)Gabriel Syme tries to track and take down each of the anarchists named after a day of the week (the hero being THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY) and the leader of the society being the mysterious and sinister Sunday.

Overall opinion of the book:

Plot: ONE OF IF NOT THE BEST CRAFTED PLOT I WILL READ IN MY LIFETIME (this will depend though if you can see the pattern).

Text: a treasure trail of hints, secrets hidden underneath the words printed (just the tip of the iceburg).

Score out of 10: 9.5 (almost perfection apart from the times when I became lost in the long monologues about philosophy). I wonder why my english teacher didn't put this book as one of the classics that had to be read for this genre.

The Man Who Was Thursday Synopsis:

Warming you up for the big review (to be published over the weekend (maybe along with another book but I am not guaranteeing anything)) with the synopsis of The Man Who Was Thursday. Can I persuade you to give this 'classic' a try...

'No man should leave in the universe anything of which he is afraid'

The Central Anarchist Council is dedicated to the destruction of the world order. When poet Gabriel Syme puts himself forward for a position on the council, they think that they are recruiting a kindred spirit. But Gabriel Syme is not what he appears to be...

Undercover for Scotland Yard, Syme's task is to destoy the Council. But he is not the only one trying to upset the anarchists' schemes. As more ulterior motives are revealed, the line between fact and fiction begins to blur and life descends into a waking nightmare...

The Da Vinci Code Synopsis:

Can I tempt you to read the book with this synopsis...

Harvard Professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in Paris: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes. As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci-and suggests the answer to a mystery that stretches deep into the vaults of history.Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine trail and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, a stunning historical thruth will be lost forever...

All the books in the selection by my teacher are trully brilliant and there are so many good books to choose from. The next book I am going to do for my book blog is The Man who was Thursday by G.K.Chesterton. To be reviewed sooner than you think...

The Da Vinci Code Part 2

After reading the end of the book, I am becoming slightly annoyed that every single one of the 106 chapters end in cliff-hangers; even though some of them are quite good, most of them aren't necessary at all (in some ways, I believe, because some of the cliff hangers are so unnecessary, that the author was eager to move onto the next chapter, which could be a good thing if there is a significant twist in the tale) .

Anyway onto the book.  The main themes in the books include the subjectivity of history-the book implies that most history books (including the greatest history book of them all the Bible) do not speak the truth, only waht those writing them want to hear- as well as sexism (Sophie Neveu through out the book is underestimated just becuase she is a woman, Opus Dei (a fanatical religious organisation) separate the men and the women at all times and force them to do extra work which isn't as pleasant as the men's for no pay - and conflict between faith and knowledge because (WARNING SPOILER ALERT. IF YOU WANT TO READ THE BOOK WITHOUT ME RUINING THE SUPRISE FOR YOU, CONTINUE READING AFTER THE BOLD TYPING FINISHES) according to the book, the christain church has also enforced igonorance about Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their descendants so their faith can still stand (at one point in the novel, Robert Langdon believes that the secrets of the grail should be preserved to ensure the survival of the christain religion to prevent its cruel destruction).

These are the main themes of the book. It has also come to my attention that I do not like the language used in the book. It is so simple that when reading the text there is no mystery whatsoever and I like a little bit of uncertainty in the text when reading it because for me it builds further tension and I believe it to be a very effective tension device. The most positive thing about the book though is the plot becuase of the sheer amount of time it must have taken to write such a beautifully detailed piece of writing (the effort clearly shows!).                                                  

Overall opinion of the book:

Plot: Sublime and excellently crafted.

Text: Too simplistic (just states the facts and doesn't drop any hints or anything similar of what is to come in the story).

Score out of 10: 6 (a lot less than expected but still a good read)