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Book Review: Origin by Dan Brown
Publisher: Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House ISBN: 9780385514231 Genre: Mystery / Thriller Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Where do we come from? Where are we going? Dan Brown’s books never cease to amaze me. Origin brings back Robert Langdon, the Harvard professor of symbology who was first introduced to readers in Angels & Demons back in 2000, and puts him in the middle of the hunt for answers to two of life’s biggest questions: Where do we come from? Where are we going? Actually, Mr. Brown puts him first in front of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, a modern art museum filled with priceless works of art which he, like myself, struggles to appreciate. I smiled reading his response to one of the exhibits: “I’m trying to love you, he thought. I truly am.” I’ve been there too!, I thought to myself as I read his descriptions of the museum and its contents. But here is a prime example of why I so thoroughly enjoy reading Mr. Brown’s books; he is able to draw me in through his writing and make me want to see things the way they are meant to be seen. I found myself searching online for images and information about the places that he introduces us to throughout the book: the Guggenheim, the Sagrada Familia and Casa Milà in Barcelona, and a monastery in Catalonia. This is where I feel Mr. Brown is a master of his craft, the manner in which he places me descriptively in front of the object he is referring to. “Today, Sagrada Familia was alive. Dazzling beams of iridescent light—crimson, gold, purple—streamed through stained glass, setting the building’s dense forest of columns ablaze.” Let me tell you, I have added half a dozen places on to my “To Travel To” list after reading this book! But I digress… Origin follows Professor Langdon as he attends an event hosted by his friend and former student, Edmond Kirsch, a billionaire computer scientist who also happens to be an outspoken atheist. At this event, Edmond reveals that he has uncovered a major scientific breakthrough that will shake the very core of all of the world’s religions, answering those two life questions mentioned earlier. I really can’t add much more to this very brief summary of the book’s beginning without spoiling the many twists and turns that the reader is pulled through during the remainder of the story. And there are plenty of them! The main themes that made an impression on me were technology (specifically our use of artificial intelligence), modern art/artists, and religion, particularly Roman Catholicism, which has been a main theme in all of the Robert Langdon books that I have read so far. I’m not quite sure how much to say on the theme of technology without spoiling the best part of the book, but I will say that Mr. Brown’s treatment of the subject was well-crafted and he highlighted, in an oblique fashion, the beneficial as well as the cautionary arguments regarding humanity’s use and dependency on artificial intelligence and technology. I was personally impressed with how he handled what can be a very divisive topic—religion and specifically, Creation. Yes, most of the book features a lead character who is trying (very convincingly) to disprove Creation and the concept of religion itself. Some people will be offended by this; however, I found it fascinating, especially considering Robert Langdon’s personal opinion on religion that was given at the end of the book and how he is able to fit, or allow, both science and religion into his personal worldview. He asks questions of the relationship between science and religion that I have also asked myself throughout my life and my own periods of personal reflection on the topic. Overall, I give this book a 4.5 (out of 5) for the intricately detailed plot, characteristic surprise ending, well-research and richly described supporting facts and details, fast pace (very hard to put this book down!), and for making me think about the big questions of life, for piquing my curiosity and making me desire to learn more about the subjects that he weaves into his story. |
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