When I saw the Washington Post report that a warehouse used by the Smithsonian Museum Support Center in Prince George's County had suffered a roof collapse, I figured it was a religious/scientific conspiracy related to Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol." You may recall that the natural history collections at the support center figure prominently into Brown's best-seller, as the villain hunts down a scientist conducting experiments in human cognition there. As it turns out, the warehouse contained about 1,500 artifacts for the National Air and Space Museum, and a spokeswoman told the Post that they were unharmed. So no extended conspiracy after all -- unless this is the sort of cover-up typical of a Brown novel.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

It took nearly a week, but I finally finished Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol." I would have read faster -- it's hard not to, considering Brown's breakneck pacing and three-page chapters -- but beautiful fall weather kept me outside over the weekend.

I'll say upfront that I enjoy the codes and puzzles that move the plot in Brown's books (a statement that might get me kicked out of the critics' union). I'm also a fan of historical novels, or those that draw heavily on historical information. And there is plenty of both -- puzzles and history -- in "The Lost Symbol." Professor Robert Langdon moves through some of Washington, D.C.'s most prominent buildings, including the Capitol and the U.S. Botanic Garden, as he pursues an ancient mystery -- and is pursued by a tattooed madman. At every step, he encounters encoded clues related to Freemasonry, a social order that has included many prominent Washingtonians, including Washington himself.

Brown is at his best when he simply focuses on plot: the madman's quest and the physical dangers faced by Langdon and mentor Peter Solomon, who heads the Smithsonian Institution. Or when Langdon confronts another ingenious puzzle. As in "The Da Vinci Code," the puzzles refer to distant religions, artists and scientists. Brown gives the book some depth by developing Solomon's family backstory -- we learn much more about Solomon's feelings than Langdon's, in fact. But that backstory and some drawn-out historical anecdotes periodically slowed the pace.

Continue reading "The Lost Symbol: spoiler-free review" »

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

I feel bad for Nicholas Sparks, whose book "The Last Song" sits atop fiction best seller lists this week. He's about to get swept up by a tsunami called "The Lost Symbol."
Publisher Knopf Doubleday said Dan Brown's thriller had set a one-day sales record for global English-language adult fiction (the record was previously held by Thomas Harris for "Hannibal," according to the Guardian.) Another 600,000 copies were ordered up at the printer, adding to the initial draw of five million.
Sales of "The Lost Symbol" don't approach the level of young adult books such as the Harry Potter series or Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth of J.K. Rowling’s fantasy series, sold about 9 million copies in the U.S. and Great Britain in its first 24 hours.
Many will be scrutinizing sales figures for "The Lost Symbol" for another reason: to gauge the impact of e-books. It's the first blockbuster release since the Kindle and other e-readers have gained traction. And it arrives amid concern from some publishers that e-book sales will hurt profit margins. Knopf Doubleday hasn't released a breakdown of digital vs. print sales, but a report in The New York Times said that after the first day "a person familiar with the sales figures said far less than 5 percent were electronic book editions."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

By now all Dan Brown fanatics have sped through The Lost Symbol, leaving millions of other readers at risk of having the story spoiled with a few overheard words. I hate spoilers -- I still want to punch the guy who told me, "Rosebud's a sled" -- and when I go to the movies, I close my eyes and cover my ears for the previews. So here's my no-spoiler review (if you're looking for more, try this one from Nancy, my blogging partner) Update: here's a more serious no-spoiler review that I wrote:

The Lost Symbol is a mystery, set in a major city (I guess I can give away that it's Washington, since the U.S. Capitol is even on the cover of the U.K. version, shown here). The hero is a Waspy university professor, but he dabbles in topics more exotic than Elizabethan poetry, and that makes him a target of some bad guy(s). Danger ensues. And plot twists. And italics.

And more danger. And more plot twists. And even more italics.

All in bite-sized chapters that can be read at a red light or while brushing your teeth.

Langdon spends a lot of time in historic buildings, and the reader learns many, many facts about them. He also confronts a series of codes and riddles. At times, he doesn't know whom to trust. And he faces dangerous situations that threaten his life.

Does he solve the codes? Do the bad guys win? Does the hero survive for a sequel? If you want to find out, read this book!

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

You know in "24," where everything's happening in "real time," and you feel each dramatic, action-packed second (outside of commercial breaks)? "The Lost Symbol" is kinda like that, only without that pesky drama to deal with.

The plot of Dan Brown's latest thriller is paced over 12 hours in D.C. And you feel every. single. second. A walk down a hallway takes chapters. A lecture -- er, conversation -- about symbology (sigh) grinds down until you don't even care about what that circle thingie means, just get to the bloody stuff!

And "Symbol" has just as much gore as good history to tell. Having lived in the area for years now, I really appreciate the new perspective on the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian and the Washington Monument that the book provides. If only Brown weren't so darn proud of himself for knowing this stuff all the time!

There are many wink wink, nudge nudge moments in the book. At one point, a woman approaches Robert Langdon in the airport, congratulating him on his cheeky controversial books that her book club members so love to discuss. Later in the book, another character laughs that the "Twitterati" are going to latch on to her research as soon as its published, excited to learn about Noetic science.

Uh-oh, Dan. I think your ego's showing again. Might want to put that away.

Continue reading "Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol," or a new way to encourage bookworms to exercise" »

Posted by Nancy Knight at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

As midnight approached, I chatted with about a half-dozen Dan Brown fans who were browsing in the Lutherville Borders, waiting for sales to begin for "The Lost Symbol." Brian Wit of Lutherville, who admires Brown ability to weave science and history into his fiction, was there. He couldn't sleep so he stopped by to get the book, and planned to start reading on his lunch break today.

Barbara Geelhaar of Parkville had never been to a midnight release (neither had I), but she admires Brown's creativity, especially in "The Da Vinci Code." She recalled reading that book while attending a Christian school, where the pastor objected to it. "I kind of rebelled and kept reading it. It's fiction, not what I believe," she said. Brian Pugh of Lutherville also was among the first buyers. He recently re-read Brown's three big novels, and was eager to start "The Lost Symbol" when he got home. But he didn't plan to finish the 509-page book in a single sitting. "It won't be like a Harry Potter marathon. I have to work."

Until 12:01 a.m., the books stayed in their cardboard boxes, locked in a cage in the stockroom, General Manager Mark Diller said. But as soon as the release time arrived, the cash registers started ringing up sales at 40 percent off the list price -- that's $19.01 with tax. And Brown's fans slowly filed into the night, to start on the book's opening sentence: The secret is how to die.

For reviews of the book, try these from The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 1:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

The answer to the final Today Show question about locations in Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Va. Visitors can learn about Washington's involvement in the Freemasons, as well as lesser-known social orders such as the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm.

And the anagram stands for Ark of the Covenant, which has been replicated in the Royal Arch Chapter Room. Shades of Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark!

(p.s. When you take the online tour, check out the menorah next to the Ark, Looks like a great place for this years Chanukah celebration.)

Photo courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corp.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

Don't reach for your Kindle to read Edward Kennedy's memoir "True Compass" when the book is released today. The publisher, Twelve, said last week that the e-book was on hold "indefinitely." Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Karp, said the delay was a "business decision," adding that the pictures and illustrations cannot be duplicated in e-book form, according to an AP report.

By contrast, another best-seller, Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" will be released in digital form Tuesday, the same day as the print edition. 

What's going on? Publishers are still trying to figure out how to handle e-books, which sell for much less than a hardback. They've seen how the digital age has sapped millions of dollars from newspapers and magazines, and they're worried about future profit margins on their own print product. Holding back on a digital "True Compass" may make sense, from a corporate perspective, because its audience is likely to be older -- and less dependent on e-books -- than that of "The Lost Symbol." For a publisher, it's better to risk the public's ire on a book like this instead of one with a very young audience, such as a Chuck Palahniuk release.

So Twelve and its parent, Hachette, may be waiting to assess the reaction. It's a calculated risk, and if I had spent a few hundred bucks on a Kindle, I'd be plenty ticked off. What's the point of having a digital reader if you can't get new releases? Are expensive e-readers destined to become like Netflix or HBO, offering limited first-run material? I bet many publishers would love that.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

I'm a bit disappointed in Matt Lauer, who's been dropping clues this week on the Today Show about locations in Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. He started out with a tough question, but the clues got more obvious each day. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?

If you've been following along, you probably figured out that Friday's clue pointed to the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C., the headquarters for the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Southern Jurisdiction. Add that to the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Smithsonian Institution's Museum Support Center in Suitland, Md., and you have three creepy spots for Dr. Robert Langdon to prowl around.

Just a few more days until we find out how they figure into Brown's story. In the meantime, if you want to read more about the Washington landmarks related to Freemasonry, check out this story in the Washington Post.

Sun photo of stained glass in Masonic temple in Baltimore

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

For those of you stumped by the Today show's first clue to a location in Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol," the answer is the Smithsonian's Museum Support Center in Suitland, Md. It's the main off-site conservation and collections facility for the National Museum of Natural History (which explains the trays full of deceased squid) and has more than 31 million objects.

So now onto Clue #2, part of Matt Lauer's week-long run-up to the book's release. Lauer was pictured in front of a large palm plant and threw out these anagrams, which represent three things at the new location:

CHOROID HUES

PERVADING REALM

ANTIPODAL PAN TAT

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

I can't wait to read the real scene in "The Lost Symbol" -- especially if it involves a dead giant squid draped over some guy's face.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

The Lost Symbol countdown has begun in earnest, with less than a week left before Dan Brown's new blockbuster is released. Based on the success of "The Da Viinci Code and "Angels and Demons," Brown hardly needs publicity these days. And despite those (including Jodi Picoult and Salman Rushdie) who have criticized Brown as a simplistic writer, his new book is sure to be multimillion best seller -- five million copies of “The Lost Symbol” will be shipped to stores and many more reader will order the e-book version.

Still, you can expect to hear a lot about Brown in the next week, including daily spots on the "Today" show, in which Matt Lauer will provide clues to locations in the book. Lauer was allowed to read “The Lost Symbol” in advance (after signing an agreement not to disclose the story), according to The New York Times. "Today" will broadcast Lauer's interview with Brown next Tuesday. "The Lost Symbol" focuses on the Masons organization and Washington, D.C. -- both the American and U.K. covers feature the Capital dome and Masonic symbols. Beyond that, it's all speculation.

 While you wait for Monday's release, take our Dan Brown quiz.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dan Brown
        

The growing popularity of e-books has complicated some major decisions for publishers: setting a book's price and release date. The first big test was the upcoming release of Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol." Read Streeter and author Gail Farrelly, wrote this guest post on the topic:

Communications guru Marshall McLuhan died in 1980, but his mantra, "The medium is the message," discussed in Understanding Media (1964) lives on. That phrase popped into my head recently when I read that publishers were thinking that perhaps the lower price tag for an ebook warranted a delayed release date.

What? No way. Don't publishers know that "the medium is still the message"? The medium of ebooks is one that emphasizes the immediate. Instant gratification is the name of the ebook game. Do publishers really think that ebook owners, having shelled out quite a few dollars for an electronic device, will now be eager to buy expensive hardcovers because the ebooks are not available in a timely fashion?

I don't think so. Nor will these customers wait passively for dated ebooks to be released. More likely, they will simply move on to the wares of publishers who make ebooks available at the same time as the printed ones.

 In July, The New York Times reported, "No topic is more hotly debated in book circles at the moment than the timing, pricing and ultimate impact of e-books on the financial health of publishers and retailers." When that article was published, the release date for the "The Lost Symbol" ebook had not yet been announced. Security as well as pricing concerns were at issue, according to Suzanne Herz, a spokeswoman for Knopf Doubleday, the book's publisher.

Continue reading "Pricing Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol and other ebooks" »

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 1:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Dan Brown