Origin by Dan Brown
- Shalini Prasad
- Sep 24, 2018
- 3 min read
I have always been a fan of Dan Brown books. The sheer amount of research that goes into his books is astounding. The well-known Harvard professor, Robert Langdon has helped me understand and enjoy the codes and puzzles that run throughout history. I was sure that Origin will be nothing short of that intrigue as well.
Synopsis:
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire, and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.
As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.
Review:
This book has all the makings of a Dan Brown book – codes, historical references, vivid locations and a mad dash to the final reveal where we learn all the secrets Langdon was chasing. The secrets in this book are a lot more intriguing than in his previous books. The scientist, Edmond Kirsch seems to have found the answers to two questions that have plagued humanity since our very existence: Where do we come from? Where are we going?
Dan Brown is not known for his excellent prose or well-structured sentences, but his ideas sure are remarkable. If you start to analyze the individual paragraphs and details of the logic, you will notice the cracks in the story. Some parts of his book are really good and some are laughably bad. If you have read Dan Brown books before, your skin must be toughened to that style of writing.
Brown talks about science and technology and modern art (which is clearly not Langdon’s forte). Langdon seems to be out of his element in this book. The only code-solving that Langdon does is with an ampersand, while most of the other information is gathered with the help of an AI named Winston, a Kirsch invention. Once Kirsch’s presentation goes south, Robert finds himself on a quest to uncover the truth. Of course, like every time before, he has a sidekick traveling with him; a woman, beautiful, brilliant and who only needs to tie her hair back before fighting against odds to unveil Kirsch’s discovery.
Robert Langdon is probably the most inconsistent genius ever. For all his knowledge about symbols and history, he is sometimes unable to grasp simple things only to have someone else explain it to him. Langdon does a lot of explaining in the story as well. So much so that some paragraphs sound like textbook explanations. Although the fact that you can look up the places in the book alongside reading it is a fun perk of Brown’s books.
Dan Brown draws on current events to make the book more relevant. He mentions “fake news”, latest technology, development of AI and the dark side of the internet. He does play on universal fears and questions, making Origin a compelling read. Despite all the drawbacks this book does not get boring and will keep you entertained with every page. If you want to read through a 500-page novel at a breakneck pace, then this is the book for you.
Rating: 3/5
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