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Hussain Elius's Reviews > Inferno
Inferno (Robert Langdon, #4)
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** spoiler alert **
Allow me to summarize every Dan Brown novel ever:
An unsuspecting but intelligent protagonist is called up in the middle of the night. Someone very powerful and possibly related with the authorities needs his expertise that only the protagonist can provide. A well-known figure has died and that started a chain of events with catastrophic consequences. The authorities need our protagonist's help to solve a puzzle left by our instigator just before he died, which has some clue in to the nature of our ticking time bomb.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, a secret organization has dispatched an assassin who must fulfill tasks that would have huge social ramifications all throughout the world. What the assassin and the secret organization don’t know is that the purpose of the assassin/secret organization and the purpose of the person directing the assassin/secret organization, which is our antagonist, is entirely different.
While our protagonist is running from the assassin and solving said puzzle (which has to be solved within 24 hours), he is joined by a young, beautiful and intelligent woman related somehow with dead man/instigator. At the very last moments of the book we have a final reveal: the protagonist knew the antagonist from the very start! He was being manipulated the whole time!
The book ends with the antagonist succeeding somehow. The protagonist and the readers are left with a moral question on whether the antagonist is truly the villain... or did he do something that actually benefits the whole world.
--
Is Inferno different from other Dan Brown books you ask? No it's not. There are minor variations to Brown's tried and tested formula, but it will not add anything to your reading experience. The book is recycled to its core. In fact, depending on how many of Brown's books you have read, you can see the twists coming based on the number of pages left.
tl;dr: Don't waste your time
An unsuspecting but intelligent protagonist is called up in the middle of the night. Someone very powerful and possibly related with the authorities needs his expertise that only the protagonist can provide. A well-known figure has died and that started a chain of events with catastrophic consequences. The authorities need our protagonist's help to solve a puzzle left by our instigator just before he died, which has some clue in to the nature of our ticking time bomb.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, a secret organization has dispatched an assassin who must fulfill tasks that would have huge social ramifications all throughout the world. What the assassin and the secret organization don’t know is that the purpose of the assassin/secret organization and the purpose of the person directing the assassin/secret organization, which is our antagonist, is entirely different.
While our protagonist is running from the assassin and solving said puzzle (which has to be solved within 24 hours), he is joined by a young, beautiful and intelligent woman related somehow with dead man/instigator. At the very last moments of the book we have a final reveal: the protagonist knew the antagonist from the very start! He was being manipulated the whole time!
The book ends with the antagonist succeeding somehow. The protagonist and the readers are left with a moral question on whether the antagonist is truly the villain... or did he do something that actually benefits the whole world.
--
Is Inferno different from other Dan Brown books you ask? No it's not. There are minor variations to Brown's tried and tested formula, but it will not add anything to your reading experience. The book is recycled to its core. In fact, depending on how many of Brown's books you have read, you can see the twists coming based on the number of pages left.
tl;dr: Don't waste your time
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Reading Progress
May 17, 2013
–
Started Reading
May 17, 2013
– Shelved
May 18, 2013
– Shelved as:
2013-books
May 18, 2013
– Shelved as:
thriller
May 18, 2013
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 178 (178 new)
message 1:
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Bareesh
(new)
May 18, 2013 06:09PM
Real question is, is it as bad as Lost Symbol?
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Slightly better imho.
Surprisingly, it's still quite a page turner.
More of the same, then? Sigh.
Brown's a good story teller, I just wish he had new stories to tell.
After reading this, I feel like lost symbol was way better. At least there were more puzzle solving involved
do u happen to have a softcopy of 'inferno'
The Lost Symbol stunk on ice. I will not waste any more time on Dan Brown's books
Aren't all novels.....don't be so cynicalIf so, what do you believe is the perfect book then
I just hate it when people criticize Brown's books because they are so popular and give readers something puzzling to think about, yet it goes against their morals. If you don't like it, then don't read it.
There are literally thousands of writers out there who produce formulaic novels. If you don't like the formula why bother reviewing the book...? I think this is a very unhelpful review for people who DO like the formula and are interested in a genuine analysis of the book.
Very forgettable. If I wanted to know about Italy in such derail I'd have googled it. I don't think Brown will ever write anything as captivating as Deception Point or Angels & Demons again.
Carlos wrote: "Very forgettable. If I wanted to know about Italy in such derail I'd have googled it. I don't think Brown will ever write anything as captivating as Deception Point or Angels & Demons again."exactly. I don't even remember what happened in The Lost Symbol because it was so... well I forgot what it was. Something about mind reading or something? geh.
He's trying too hard to replicate the success of A&D and Da Vinci. I wish he would branch out a little, or even develop the character of Langdon over the books. He is exactly the same as he was in his first book. You would think that he would have had a good handle on saving the world after the first three times... but obviously this isn't the first time he had retrograde amnesia...
I am just very interested to know Elius, that if these books are so predictable and a replica of the previous ones, why do you continue to read them ?
If the redundant theme is so horrible, why continue to read or bash the writer? Yes it is similar to other stories yet I can't seem to put the book down. An author is supposed to engage a reader and make you not want to put the book down. DB does just that. Entertaining as always.
Rickalby` wrote: "I am just very interested to know Elius, that if these books are so predictable and a replica of the previous ones, why do you continue to read them ?"Because I really liked his previous ones.
I agree with your review. It was laughable and a total waste of time and money.
well so far, I agree! all the books have the same ingredients! Lost Symbol was a total disappointment! it worked perfectly well the first time with DaVnci Code.
But since I did not pay for the book, I don't mind wasting my "time and money" on it! :P
But since I did not pay for the book, I don't mind wasting my "time and money" on it! :P
hahahahaha! funny review! also true, but i'll probably read it anyway. :-)
Brilliant. Still it's worth giving a try (especially since I am downloading the ebook for free) to broaden my perspective and to enhance my general knowledge a little bit. The plot twists are too predictable anyway.
Maybe it deserves two or three stars for the peril, which was disturbing (nightmarish in its truth), and the antagonist's inventive and disturbing solution. But while "The DaVinci Code" was exciting for fresh thrills, this book is yet another travelogue and history lesson by Dan Brown. Makes me want to visit Italy, though.But I will probably skip future Robert Langdon stories. Knowing that the bridge reminds Robert of the movie where he, as a 14 year old, developed a crush on Diane Ladd is an idiotic share in the moment and doesn't advance the story. The book is FILLED with those kinds of unimportant bits.
Sometimes I seek an author for the "nth" time because I enjoy the formula and characters they've developed. This one has run its course.
Completely agree, i only want to add that here the puzzles are very boring ones.it's not neither fun.
Hahahahahaha... Great description. Although, I think is the good type of story to read on a weekend, after a week with many difficult tasks, when you want to fill your time with something, but don't feel like thinking or exercising.
I guess I can read it then as i am not familiar with his formula: I fell asleep trying to read his first book. Sooooooo boring & poorly written (not unlike Shades of Grey? but, alas, w/o any erotica). I find this writer totally lacks any literary prowess. Too bad. Never could understand all the brouhaha.
@Elius and @Jane... Agreed!
so this is why the plot seems so familiar lol
Yeah this book was OK, it kind of dragged on. I have more knowledge of Italian architecture and art than anything else. lol
Let down with this one
awesome review and very true, indeed! but, what did you expect? :)
Absolutely true and correct review but there are always some differences. I liked this story. Definitely better than lost symbol. Oddly I think I was telling someone about the same thing as you said in this review.That being said I was entertained. I gave this one 3 stars.
May be you are true.. But I have gone through all of his books.. And I don't think Inferno is a waste of time..
this doesn't go just for him, but for most thriller writers...always the same formula...
slow clap... you are so right.
Shall I correct you? "Allow me to summarize every Dan Brown novels ever:" should be "Allow me to summarize every Dan Brown novel ever:" -- however poor his prose, I still haven't seen an error like that in his books.
LOL. I love your summary. So true. Still, I will read the next book Brown writes just because he weaves a good yarn.
Just finished it and it was a painful read!
Agreed. It was painful to read. I felt like every time Langdon saw a symbol, Brown just plugged in a Wikipedia page of information on it just as filler. Brown has yet to learn how to develop a character. And other writers do a series on a character but they change it up so they are not writing the same book every time. So disappointing. No more reading Dan Brown books ever.
I haven't finished yet, but I have to agree with Anna about this: "they are so popular and give readers something puzzling to think about, yet it goes against their morals", but at the same time I agree that this plot is overused in his novels. Dan Brown is an amazing storyteller, and I like the Langdon-stories, but he should write a book with a different storyline. I still like Inferno, because it's fast-paced and interesting and has some great thoughts, but I want something refreshing from him.
I'm having the hardest time getting into this book. :(. I liked the divinci code quite a bit, this one reads kinda slow.
The formula is old but setting is new. For me personally having visited Florence and Venice this book was a thrill. Though Robert Langdon was always speaking as Tom hanks, hehe I loved every bit of it. Dan brown is writing his books keeping in mind the movie which is going to be made out of it.
I will admit that most of your summary does fit a dan brown book but then it also fits 60% of other authors work aswell. at the end of the day it's about the story that is told and dan brown does for me create a good story.
as for it being a formulated plot well you know what they say if it's not broke don't fix it.
I don't think Inferno even lives up to Dan Brown's formula. I found The Lost Symbol to be INCREDIBLY better than this one.
i dont agree each book has its own touch that makes them extremely joyful of reading
I'm still going to read it inspite of this review, and inspite of myself. What is wrong with me? Ugh.
Totally agree, but love the facts. The rest of the book is just filler.
If you know and despise that all Dan Brown books are the same then why read them?? Yes it follows similar plots/structure as previous books, but books that have been VERY loved. It's a guilty pleasure sort of reading. No different than watching sitcoms on TV recycle through the same material again and again! Excellent entertainment in my opinion.
I agree with Denise and others. Elius's review is funny and probably spot on bit I'll try reading anyway..
Two thumbs up for the review,Ilius. :)
Hilarious and true review, but I'm still going to read it.
