The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown

I know exactly where I was when I read Dan Brown's book The DaVinci Code. We had flown down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to spend a week with Mark's parents in their timeshare. My mother-in-law was reading the book when we arrived, and she spent many hours sequestered in her bedroom with it. Then, she handed the book to Mark and he caught it like a virus, declining invitations to come out for lunch so he could just keep going. He was "out of it" for a couple of days, and then he rejoined the world of the living. It was my turn. From page one, I was hooked. I remember sitting on the patio with the ocean breezes chilling me, but not wanting to go inside where two little girls would demand my attention. I remember sitting by the pool, my swimsuit going to waste as I became caught up in the relentless pace of the story. It was OK, though. All the adults understood, and we raised our grand/daughters together that week so that, one at a time, each of us could surrender to the wild ride of this book.

So it was with great forethought that I purchased Brown's newest book, The Lost Symbol, for Mark's October birthday. It took him awhile to get around to reading it, but I wasn't bothered, as long as he finished it by the end of November. I had my eye on Thanksgiving week as the perfect time to come down with a bad case of Dan Brown. We would be in the car for 13 hours, then guests of my in-laws for a week (again!). There would be old friends in Oak Park to see, and pies to bake, of course, but if I timed things right, I could get swept away and recover in time to meet all of my obligations. It worked like a charm. I really enjoyed The DaVinci Code, so I tried to keep my expectations low. Once again, I found myself staying up 'til all hours and waking up early (unheard of!) to read. On Monday morning, Mark brought me tea in bed at 10:30, with a not-so subtle hint that I might want to think about getting dressed before too long. The family was beginning to ask after me!

I devoured the book in the course of two days, and enjoyed almost every minute of it (with the exception of the grisly, violent scenes Brown seems to favor). Professor Robert Langdon is back, along with familiar character types: the fanatical villain, the aging mentor, the smart and lovely heroine along with the government agent who is working against Langdon (or is she?). In fact, although the setting and context are completely different, the book does read exactly like The DaVinci Code in terms of the author's didacticism and frequent lapses into history lectures, and the breakneck speed of the plot which takes place over an extremely short period of time. While the themes surrounding the mystery are not nearly as controversial as those of the knights templar, Mary Magdalen, the Holy Grail, etc. from Brown's earlier book, they were equally compelling but more relevant, and potentially life-altering to me. Most importantly, I can't wait to travel to Washington, D.C. again and look at its famous landmarks with the new perspective and insight given to me by Dan Brown. I recommend The Lost Symbol, with this qualification: make sure you carve out a couple of days to read it undisturbed, because once you enter the first page, you won't want to come up for air until you read the last.