Inferno by Dan Brown

Okay, before you read this book, you may enjoy this Atlantic Wire article about Inferno. It's pretty humorous.

Okay, here we go.

Professor Robert Langdon wakes up in Florence Italy with a head wound and no memory of what has happened during the last two days of his life. Almost immediately, the killer who has put him in the hospital returns there to finish the job and Robert is on the run with the lovely young (female, of course) doctor who helps him escape. He must unravel the mystery of those lost two days in order to save his own life and stop a madman’s diabolical plan to eliminate two-thirds of the world's population.

Meh. That’s what I have to say about this book. First of all, I find highly contrived the fact that our aging but handsome protagonist always ends up with an attractive young female partner on his adventures. Also that these females are always attracted to this mature, but fit and highly intelligent college don. Doesn’t he ever want to settle down with one of these ladies? Oh no, he’s remained single for reasons he can’t quite define, but he finds his bachelorhood free and easy. He’s irresistible AND it just so happens that these world-changing adventures suit his narrow area of expertise—so he’s always the hero. It’s he and he alone who can save the world. Will he succeed? Hm.

And. This book feels very much like a tour guide with an adventure story thrown in. SO many descriptions of Florence and Venice and so many history lessons—and a little tour of Dante’s Inferno, too.  All interesting, of course. 

And. Dan Brown has a message to send to his readers in this story and this is what it is: Overpopulation will destroy the world in less than 100 years. So. Stop having babies. Or, something. He seems to view the world and its resources rather like a forest in a forest fire--sometimes death is required for life to really grow. All very nice when we're talking about tall trees, but not quite so nice when we're actually talking about PEOPLE. Of course, our hero is racing to avoid such a catastrophe. But. Read it and see what Dan Brown is really saying. Very interesting.

The book was engaging and entertaining, but also highly manipulative and required a high degree of suspended belief. Many, many books require this, of course, but it’s cool when the reader doesn’t FEEL the manipulation and NOTICE the many unlikelihoods (I’m not sure that’s even a word. Hm). One thing I DID like was how unexpected the twist towards the ending was—Robert (and the reader, of course) had been managed from the very beginning. I liked that. All in all, it was definitely a page-turner, but very much not my favorite book.

Language: A bit
Sex: none