Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
This book is part of the Robert Langdon book series by Dan Brown. It is the fifth installment, but I had not read any of the previous installments. I enjoyed that it functioned as a stand-alone book and I didn’t feel like I was missing any key background info.
The Analysis:
The plot centers around Professor Robert Langdon, who specializes in religious iconology and symbology. His former student, billionaire Edmond Kirsch, has invited him to an exclusive event at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The event is organized by the beautiful Ambra Vidal, the Guggenheim's curator and the fiancée of the future King of Spain, Prince Julián. Kirsch plans to reveal a discovery that answers the questions of "Where did we come from?" and "Where are we going?". Kirsch meets with religious leaders, warning them that his discovery may discredit major religions and shock their followers.
I truly appreciate the rich detail, historical context, and wide range of cultural references that were obviously painstakingly researched for this novel. Dan Brown highlights art, religion, and technology in a way that is very informative but does not read like a textbook or report. A setting of an art museum or a church is intertwined as part of the plot, but offers a plethora of detail and information to the reader.
This book was never boring, yet it failed to really grip me and as a result, it took me a while to get through it. As I expected, the contents of the scientific discovery are not revealed until late in the book, and while the “discovery” is certainly thought provoking, it did not provide the shock value I was anticipating. While not one of my top books from the last couple years, Origin was my introduction to Dan Brown and I did like it enough to explore some of his more famous works. I hope to start reading Angels & Demons in the near future. I would recommend this book for those interested in science and technology advances or looking for a fictional story with the informative feel of non-fiction.
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