The Lost Symbol

Robert Langdon, a renound Harvard scholiast, has an almost normal life, if you consider normal deciphering the Da Vinci code and saving the Vatican City in Rome from destruction.

Robert Langdon is asked to give a speech at National Statuary Hall in D.C. by Peter Solomon’s assistant. Peter Solomon is one of Langdon’s good friends. When Robert gets to Statuary Hall something is wrong. No one is there. Langdon calls Solomon’s assistant. The person who claims to be his assistant isn’t actually his assistant. He is the one they call Mal’akh. Mal’akh asked Langdon to come to D.C. to help him find a lost treasure of the Masons. Robert has to decipher the code in exchange for Peter Solomon’s life. After this call, there is commotion in the Capitol Rotunda, a ancient invitation with 5 symbols.

I recommend this book if you like adventure stories that have a nonfiction side to the story and are fiction at the same time. In all of his books all historic and current information about landmarks are accurate. Even if you don’t want to read the book you can just read it to find out about historic landmarks, or just history.

I loved this book because Dan Brown has a cliff-hanger strategy. The chapter ends right when things get good. The story is told in a very fast, exciting sort of way. This book is in 1^st and 3^rd person. Here’s one of the most suspenful passages from the book on page 148:

Anderson stepped into the doorway and shone the light on the floor, tracing carefully down the length of the barren dirt floor. This room was like the others-a long, narrow space. The sidewalls were rugged stone, giving the room the feel of an ancient prison cell. But that smell . . .

“There’s nothing here,” Anderson said, moving the beam farther down the chamber floor. Finally, as the beam reached the end of the floor, he raised it up to illuminate the chamber’s farthest wall.

“My God . . . !” Anderson shouted.

Everyone saw it and jumped back.

Langdon stared in disbelief at the deepest recess of the chamber.

To his horror, something was staring back.

Chapter 36

“What in God’s name . . . ?” At the threshold of SBB13, Anderson fumbled with his light and retreated a step.

Langdon also recoiled, as did Sato, who looked startled for the first time all night.

Sato aimed the gun at the back wall and motioned for Anderson to shine the light again. Anderson raised the light. The beam was dim by the time it reached the far wall, but the light was enough to illuminate the shape of a pallid and ghostly face, staring back at them through lifeless sockets.

A human skull.”

Check out

The Lost Symbol

at our Peet Library, or the Cedar Falls Public Library. I don’t think you’ll regret reading this book.