Book Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

Inferno by Dan Brown

Age Group/Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mistery

Publication date: May, 2013

Settings: Florence (Italy), Venice (Italy), Istanbul (Turkey)

Literary Award: Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller (2013)

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Synopsis

Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings. With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee. Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri's The Inferno. Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again, combining classical Italian art, history, and literature with cutting-edge science in this sumptuously entertaining thriller. (via Goodreads).

How I rate it: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

My thoughts

When I first started reading this book, I was really interested in all the information about La Divina Commedia, written by Dante Alighieri in the XIV century (so much that now I want to read it). The way that Dan Brown managed Dante's poems and how he applied them into this story was also something I liked, specially considering that, in some way, it helps the readers that are not familiar with the Commedia. Nonetheless, for those that have read it, the fact that the author is always touching Dante's work can become a bit tiresome and boring.

When it comes to the characters, I was pleased with the Harvard professor Robert Langdon and his intelligence and "charm". On the other hand, Sienna Brooks was a little bit of a cliché, considering that she is supposed to be one of the smartest people alive, IQ- wise (but that didn't stop her from making a dumb choice) who had a bad childhood.

When it comes to the plot line, it was overused: Professor Langond + female character on his side + famous cities + hidden messages + scavenger hunt. Summing up, I think that this story was a bit too long and too movie like for me.

Quotes

Denial is a critical part of the human coping mechanism. Without it, we would all wake up terrified every morning about all the ways we could die. Instead, our minds block out our existential fears by focusing on stresses we can handle—like getting to work on time or paying our taxes. ― Dan Brown, Inferno

Dante's poem, Langdon was now reminded, was not so much about the misery of hell as it was about the power of the human spirit to endure any challenge, no matter how daunting. ― Dan Brown, Inferno