Book Freak: Book Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

Title: Inferno
Author: Dan Brown
Series: Robert Langdon #4
Date Published: May 14, 2013, Transworld Digital
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Rating: ★★★★✩

Dan Brown’s new novel, Inferno, features renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and is set in the heart of Europe, where Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centred around one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces.

As Dan Brown comments: “Although I studied Dante’s Inferno as a student, it wasn’t until recently, while researching in Florence, that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante’s work on the modern world. With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm…a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways.”

If I were to summarize Inferno: strong beginning, heart-stopping middle and epic ending.

Just like any other Dan Brown novel, Inferno had me speechless.

What I was doing prior to reading:

I was starting to read another novel but have to leave it because Inferno has finally been release and I have been waiting for this for a very, very long time.

What I was doing while reading;

It took me a while to finish because despite the fact that Dan Brown described places and artifacts meticulously as possible, I still needed to see it with my eyes. I was alternating my Kindle and my phone, searching Google for whatever interesting stuff that was mentioned.

Typical Dan Brown Novel:

Thrilling chase
Unexpected, jaw-dropping twist and turns
Filled with facts from the past
Detailed description of places and things
Interesting sets of characters

What I did not expect:

The mention of Manila in the novel, according to Sienna: I’ve run through the gates of hell.

For every one person Sienna fed, there were hundreds more who gazed at her with desolate eyes. Manila had six-hour traffic jams, suffocating pollution, and a horrifying sex trade, whose workers consisted primarily of young children, many of whom had been sold to pimps by parents who took solace in knowing that at least their children would be fed.

I was more surprise with this paragraph than all the twists and turns. As a Filipino reading this novel, the mere mention of Manila along with the description saddened me. Yes, it had placed Manila in a bad light enumerating all horrific scenes she had witnessed and even saying that she was traumatized and have left the country immediately. Let's face some facts, yes, this is happening, but not just in the Philippines, there are a lot of places where this can happen to Sienna. Now why Dan Brown chose Manila (where some people can indeed be ass*s but most are still noted for their hospitality towards tourists) - I had no idea. Hopefully, this won't affect tourism in the country, because I can assure any foreigner reading this review - there are still a lot of places in Manila and the rest of the Philippines that will leave you in awe.

- End of Speech-

Nevertheless, though brokenhearted in that part of the novel, it didn't really affect my whole thought of the book. Because I still love it, and I still love Dan Brown.

Inferno is a complete page-turning-over-the-edge-my-heart-can't-stop-beating-hard type of story.

If you have enjoyed Dan Brown's writing and missed the infamous Harvard Professor Robert Langdon you should not let this one pass or you'll miss half of your life.

Dante's death mask

“The decisions of our past are the architects of our present.”

“Nothing is more creative... nor destructive... than a brilliant mind with a purpose.”

“The human mind has a primitive ego defense mechanism that negates all realities that produce too much stress for the brain to handle. It’s called Denial.”

Nothing activates adrenaline production like pain.

Dan Brown

Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the best selling novels of all time as well as the subject of intellectual debate among readers and scholars. Brown’s novels are published in 52 languages around the world with 200 million copies in print.

In 2005, Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, whose editors credited him with “keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”

The son of a mathematics teacher and a church organist, Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination with the paradoxical interplay between science and religion. These themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he later returned to teach English before focusing his attention full time to writing.

Brown is currently at work on a new book as well as the Columbia Pictures film version of his most recent novel.

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Robert Langdon Series