The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol is a 2009 novel written by American writer Dan Brown.[2][3] It is a thriller set in Washington, D.C., after the events of The Da Vinci Code, and relies on Freemasonry for both its recurring theme and its major characters.[4]

The Lost Symbol
Hardcover edition
AuthorDan Brown
CountryUnited States
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SeriesRobert Langdon #3
GenreCrime, Mystery, Thriller
PublisherDoubleday (US)
Transworld (UK)
Publication date
September 15, 2009[1]
Media typePrint (hardcover & paperback), eBook, audio book
Pages528 Hardcover
671 Paperback
ISBN978-0-385-50422-5 (US) 9780593054277 (UK) 9780552161237 (Corgi Edition)
Preceded byThe Da Vinci Code 
Followed byInferno 

Released on September 15, 2009, it is the third Brown novel to involve the character of Harvard University symbologist Robert Langdon, following 2000's Angels & Demons and 2003's The Da Vinci Code.[2] It had a first printing of 6.5 million (5 million in North America, 1.5 million in the UK), the largest in Doubleday history. On its first day the book sold one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the U.S., the UK and Canada, making it the fastest selling adult novel in history.[5] It was number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction[6] for the first six weeks of its release,[7] and remained on the list for 29 weeks. As of January 2013, there were 30 million copies in print worldwide.[8]

Plot

Renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is invited to give a lecture at the United States Capitol, at the invitation apparently from his mentor, a 33rd degree Mason named Peter Solomon, who is the head of the Smithsonian Institution. Solomon has also asked him to bring a small, sealed package which he had entrusted to Langdon years earlier. When Langdon arrives at the Capitol, however, he learns that the invitation he received was not from Solomon, but from Solomon's kidnapper, Mal'akh posing as Solomon's assistant, who has left Solomon's severed right hand in the middle of the Capitol Rotunda in a recreation of the Hand of Mysteries. Mal'akh then contacts Langdon, charging him with finding both the Mason's Pyramid, which Masons believe is hidden somewhere in Washington, D.C., and the Lost Word, lest Solomon be murdered.

Langdon meets Trent Anderson, head of the Capitol police, and Inoue Sato, the head of the CIA's Office of Security. Sato claims that Mal'akh poses a threat to the national security of the U.S. and that his capture is more important than Peter's rescue, although she refuses to elaborate. Examining Solomon's hand, they discover a clue leading them to Solomon's Masonic altar in a room in the Capitol's sub-basement, where they find a small pyramid lacking a capstone, with an inscription carved into it.

Sato then confronts Langdon with the security x-ray taken of his bag when he entered the Capitol which reveals a smaller pyramid in the package Langdon brought in response to the request by the kidnapper posing as Solomon's assistant. Langdon explains that he was unaware of its contents, but Sato, refusing to believe it, attempts to take Langdon into custody. Before she can arrest him, however, she and Anderson are assaulted by Warren Bellamy, the Architect of the Capitol and a Freemason, who then flees with Langdon in the confusion. He later explains to Langdon that he too has been in contact with Mal'akh and wants Langdon's assistance in rescuing Peter.

Mal'akh is revealed to be a Freemason with tattoos covering almost his entire body. He infiltrated the organization in order to obtain an ancient source of power,[9] which he believes Langdon can unlock for him in return for Peter Solomon's life. Several chapters also delve into Mal'akh's history with Peter Solomon: many years earlier, Peter bequeathed a large sum of inheritance money to his rebellious son, Zachary, who then fled the Solomon household and led a reckless life in Europe until he was arrested and imprisoned in Turkey for smuggling drugs. Peter flew to Turkey but decided to have Zachary extradited in a week's time instead of getting him released immediately in order to teach him a lesson. Zachary was apparently murdered by his cellmate who got his hands on Zachary's fortune and fled to the island of Syros in Greece to lead a luxurious life under the name Andros Dareios. Dareios, however, soon grew tired of his life. Apparently having spoken with Zachary about Solomon's life as a Mason, Dareios broke into Solomon's home to find the pyramid, but accidentally killed Peter's mother Isabel and was in turn shot and left to fall into a frozen river by a vengeful Solomon. Surviving the fall, Dareios nursed himself back to health, covered his scars and eventually his entire body with tattoos and set off on a mission to infiltrate the Freemasons and gain access to their secrets, adopting the name Mal'akh.

As Langdon deals with the events into which he has been thrust, Mal'akh destroys the Smithonsonian-sponsored laboratory of Dr. Katherine Solomon, Peter's younger sister, where she has conducted experiments in Noetic Science, in the process ambushing and almost killing Katherine in a cat-and-mouse chase, but Katherine manages to escape and meet up with Langdon and Bellamy. Eventually, when cornered by the authorities, Bellamy is forced to give himself up while Langdon and Katherine escape. Both are later apprehended by Sato's team. Following clues regarding Mal'akh's previous identity as Peter Solomon's psychiatrist, Dr. Christopher Abaddon, Sato allows Langdon and Katherine to rush to his mansion to confront him, but Mal'akh ambushes them and murders their CIA escort. Meanwhile, as he is being interrogated by Sato, Bellamy expresses belief that Sato is working with Mal'akh but Sato assures Bellamy that she is also pursuing Mal'akh in the interest of national security and displays evidence that visibly shocks Bellamy.

Mal'akh places Langdon into an airtight sensory deprivation tank, where he interrogates Langdon by slowly filling the tank with liquid. He is able to convince Langdon to decipher the code at the pyramid's base, but continues to fill the tank until Langdon drowns and apparently dies. Mal'akh then ties Katherine to a chair and inserts an open-ended transfusion needle into her arm and leaves her to bleed to death then flees with a weakened and wheelchair-bound Peter Solomon to the Temple Room of the Scottish Rite's House of the Temple. He uses the threat of not calling an ambulance for Katherine as further coercion for Peter's cooperation. Sato leads a team of agents to the mansion after Langdon and Katherine's escort fails to check in and are able to save Katherine's life. After a near-death experience, Langdon is revealed to have survived due to the "water" in the tank actually being breathable oxygenated liquid and the tank being a device for meditation. Sato, Langdon and Simkins race to the House of the Temple where Mal'akh threatens to release a heavily edited video showing government officials performing secret Masonic rituals (the same video that Sato showed to Bellamy), which without context, appears highly disturbing. Mal'akh forces the Word—the unpronounceable circumpunct—out of Peter and tattoos it on his head on the last portion of unmarked skin on his body. Mal'akh then orders Peter to sacrifice him, as he believes that it is his destiny to become a demonic spirit and lead the forces of evil. When Peter claims that he will do so without hesitation to avenge his son and mother, Mal'akh shocks Peter by revealing that he is actually Zachary Solomon himself, having conspired with the prison warden to fake his death by disfiguring the body of another inmate beyond recognition (at the same time, Katherine and Bellamy discover several photos of Zachary in Greece after his supposed death that show his gradual transformation into Mal'akh). With tears in his eyes, Peter prepares to stab Zachary but ultimately cannot bring himself to do so and drops the knife just as Langdon arrives and tackles him. Director Sato arrives at the Temple in a helicopter, which smashes the Temple's skylight, the shards of which fatally impale Zachary. The CIA then thwart Zachary's plan to transmit the video to several leading media channels using an EMP blast, disabling a cell tower in the network path leading from Zachary's laptop computer. Katherine arrives and she and Langdon then share a tearful reunion with Peter and mourn Zachary's death. Zachary is only briefly able to lament his body's mutilation before dying.

Later, Peter informs Langdon that the circumpunct Zachary tattooed on his head is not the Word. He also informs Katherine that he made back-ups of all of her noetic research data on his own computer, meaning her research can continue. Deciding to take Langdon to the true secret behind the Word, Peter leads him to the room atop the Washington Monument and tells him that the Word—a common Christian Bible, the Word of God—lies in the monument's cornerstone, buried in the ground beneath the monument's staircase. Langdon realizes that the symbols on the pyramid's base spelled out the words Laus Deo which translate to Praise God. These words are inscribed on the small aluminum capstone atop the Monument, which is the true Masonic Pyramid.

Peter tells Langdon that the Masons believe that the Bible is an esoteric allegory written by humanity, and that, like most religious texts around the globe, it contains veiled instructions for harnessing humanity's natural God-like qualities—similar to Katherine's noetic research—and is not meant to be interpreted as the commands of an all-powerful deity. This interpretation has been lost amid centuries of scientific skepticism and fundamentalist zealotry. The Masons have (metaphorically) buried it, believing that, when the time is right, its rediscovery will usher in a new era of human enlightenment.

Characters
  • Robert Langdon: A professor of symbology at Harvard University and the protagonist of the novel.
  • Mal'akh: A Mason whose body is covered with tattoos and the novel's main antagonist. Formerly known as Zachary Solomon, the son of Peter, was arrested in Turkey for drug possession. During his incarceration he overheard a conversation between his father and the prison warden reaffirming that Peter would not pay for Zachary's release as he did not wish his son to believe that money was able to waiver all punishment, especially one of the magnitude of drug possession. Angered, Zachary conspired with the warden to have his cell-mate killed and proceeded to report Zachary dead. Zachary broke out under the name Andros Dareios for several years and took on a whole new life-style in Greece. After much growth hormones and steroid indulgence, he began to bore of this life-style and began to cultivate his mind in the Masonry ideals and practices. He renamed himself Mal'akh after an attempt to obtain the Masonic secrets from his father, breaking into their home, and killing his grandmother. Mal'akh sees himself as a physical manifestation of the angel Moloch, as he worshipped the Black Arts in order to grow stronger and he performed numerous aspects of black magic which allowed the angel to enter his body. Mal'akh is the Hebrew word for 'angel'. Throughout the book, he also uses the name Dr. Christopher Abaddon to gain his father's trust, and Andros Dareios, a name he used while hiding out in Greece before the book's events. Of note, he is the first antagonist in the Robert Langdon series who serves as both the killer and the mastermind of the events in the novel, with all other killers merely acting on behalf of the mastermind.
  • Peter Solomon: A Smithsonian secretary, billionaire philanthropist, Freemason, father of Zachary Solomon, and close friend of Robert Langdon. His kidnapping sets into motion Langdon's race to find the Mason's Pyramid and the Lost Symbol.
  • Katherine Solomon: Noetic scientist, sister of Peter Solomon, aunt of Zachary Solomon.
  • Trish Dunne: Katherine's metasystems analyst. She is murdered by Mal'akh while in his Dr. Abaddon disguise, when he drowns her in the ethanol-filled tank preserving a Giant Squid.
  • Isabel Solomon: mother of Peter and Katherine Solomon and grandmother of Zachary Solomon. She was killed ten years before the events of the book by Zachary, disguised as Andros Dareios.
  • Warren Bellamy: Architect of the Capitol and fellow Freemason to Peter Solomon. He aids Langdon and Katherine Solomon by helping them escape from Inoue Sato, briefly suspecting her of helping Mal'akh, but he later learns that he and Sato are on the same side.
  • Inoue Sato: the second-generation Japanese-American Director of CIA's Office of Security, from whom Langdon must flee after she accuses him of criminal acts.
  • Reverend Colin Galloway: Dean of Washington National Cathedral and fellow Freemason to Peter Solomon and Warren Bellamy.
  • Trent Anderson: Capitol police chief.
  • Jonas Faukman: Langdon's New York editor (named for Brown's real-life editor, Jason Kaufman).[10]
  • Nola Kaye: CIA analyst, named after Elonka Dunin, Kryptos expert[11][12][13]
  • Omar Amirana: A taxi driver
  • Mark Zoubianis: A hacker hired by Trish and Katherine to hack into an encrypted document.

Publication details

The Lost Symbol had been in development for several years; originally expected in 2006, the projected publication date was pushed back multiple times.[14] When officially announced, the hardcopy book was on pre-order lists for months leading up to its release, being heavily ordered both in the United States and Canada.[15][16] The book was published on September 15, 2009 with an initial print run of 6.5 million copies, the largest first printing in publisher Random House's history.[17][18] Electronic versions such as eBook[19] and Audible book versions[20] were also made available on the same date.[21] The American release audio book was read by Paul Michael, who also performed the audio book for The Da Vinci Code.

The book immediately broke sales records, becoming the fastest selling adult-market novel in history, with over one million copies sold on the first day of release. By the end of the first week, a total of two million copies had been sold in the U.S., Canada, and UK.[22] According to the publisher, the rapid sales prompted the printing of an additional 600,000 hardcover copies to the 5 million initially printed for the US market.[5] On its first day the book became the #1 bestseller on Amazon.com,[23] and the Amazon Kindle e-reader edition became the top-selling item on Amazon.com, outselling Amazon's sales of the hardback copy of the novel, which is the sixth best selling book of 2009 on pre-publication orders alone.[24] The Lost Symbol also ranked as the #1 bestseller in Amazon's Canadian and British sites.[25][26] Both Barnes & Noble and Waterstone's reported the book has broken all previous records for adult fiction in the United Kingdom.[27][28] According to Nielsen BookScan data, 550,946 copies of The Lost Symbol were sold in its first week of sale, taking $7.49 million. By the end of the second sales week, Transworld intended to have 1.25 million copies printed.[29]

By September 25 the book ranked #1 in the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction.[6]

Reception

The New York Times praised the book as being "impossible to put down" and claimed Brown is "bringing sexy back to a genre that had been left for dead." Nevertheless, it noted the overuse of certain phrases and italics, as well as the lack of logic behind characters' motivations. It also likened Inoue Sato to Jar Jar Binks.[30] Los Angeles Times said, "Brown's narrative moves rapidly, except for those clunky moments when people sound like encyclopedias."[31] Newsweek called the book "contrived", saying that to get through The Lost Symbol, just like The Da Vinci Code, it was necessary to swallow a lot of coincidences, but the book was still a page-turner, and that Brown "is a maze maker who builds a puzzle and then walks you through it. His genius lies in uncovering odd facts and suppressed history, stirring them together into a complicated stew and then saying, what if?"[32] The National Post's review called it a "heavy-handed, clumsy thriller" and that the character of the villain (Mal'akh) "bears an uncomfortably close similarity" to the Francis Dolarhyde character in Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon.[33] The Daily Telegraph said the novel was "not quite the literary train-wreck expected."[34] TIME said the plot was fun, if bruising, but "It would be irresponsible not to point out that the general feel, if not all the specifics, of Brown's cultural history is entirely correct. He loves showing us places where our carefully tended cultural boundaries — between Christian and pagan, sacred and secular, ancient and modern — are actually extraordinarily messy."[35] Novelist William Sutcliffe's review in the Financial Times panned the book as "a novel that asks nothing of the reader, and gives the reader nothing back", adding that it "is filled with cliché, bombast, undigested research and pseudo-intellectual codswallop".[36] The digested read by John Crace in The Guardian ends with Robert Langdon begging Dan Brown "Please don't wheel me out again."[37] Slovene philosopher and cultural critic Slavoj Žižek described the book as "a candidate for the worst novel ever".[38]

Adaptation

Following the worldwide successes of The Da Vinci Code in 2006[39] and Angels & Demons in 2009,[40] which were both based on Brown's novels, starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon and produced and directed by Ron Howard, Columbia Pictures began production on a film adaptation of The Lost Symbol.[41][42] Hanks and Howard were expected to return for the film adaptation of The Lost Symbol, along with the franchise's producers Brian Grazer and John Calley. Sony Pictures eventually hired three screenwriters for the project, beginning with Steven Knight[43] and then hiring Brown himself.[44] In March 2012, Danny Strong was also hired to collaborate on the adaptation.[45]

According to a January 2013 article in Los Angeles Times, the final draft of the screenplay was due sometime in February, with pre-production expected to start in the mid-2013.[8] In July 2013, Sony Pictures announced they would instead adapt Inferno for an October 14, 2016[46] release date with Howard as director, David Koepp adapting the screenplay and Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon.[47]

In June 2019, the project was announced to be re-conceived as a television series tentatively titled, Langdon. The series will serve as a prequel to the film series, with Daniel Cerone serving as creator, showrunner, chief executive producer, and screenwriter. Dan Brown, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, Samie Falvey and Anna Culp will act as additional executive producers. The show will be a co-production between Imagine Television Studios, CBS Television Studios, and Universal Television Studios and was ordered to series on NBC.

The plot reportedly revolves around a young Robert Langdon, who is hired by the CIA to solve a number of deadly puzzles when his mentor goes missing.[48]

gollark: When phase 2 begins.
gollark: Yes, but you'll see them.
gollark: I used it one (1) time.
gollark: So obviously the best way is to make the contest require some people to submit really idiomatic OCaml to you.
gollark: Actually, OCaml!

See also

References
  1. Italie, Hillel (April 20, 2009). "New Dan Brown novel coming in September". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  2. Carbone, Gina (April 20, 2009). "Dan Brown announces new book, 'The Lost Symbol'". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  3. "ET Breaks News: Dan Brown Has Finished New Book" ETonline, February 12, 2009
  4. "Keys to Dan Brown's Solomon Key". Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  5. Rich, Motoko (September 16, 2009). "Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol' Sells 1 Million Copies in the First Day". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
  6. "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". New York Times. September 25, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  7. "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". New York Times. November 20, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  8. Nicole Sperling (January 15, 2013). "Dan Brown: What's the film status of his book 'The Lost Symbol'?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  9. De Vera; Ruel S. (September 15, 2009). "Dan Brown's 'Lost' is no 'Da Vinci Code'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  10. Burstein, Dan (2009). "Exploring the complex cosmos of The Lost Symbol". In Daniel Burstein; Arne de Keijzer (eds.). Secrets of the Lost Symbol: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code Sequel. Harper Collins. pp. 3–48. ISBN 978-0-06-196495-4.
  11. Dunin, Elonka (2009). "Kryptos: The Unsolved Enigma". In Daniel Burstein; Arne de Keijzer (eds.). Secrets of the Lost Symbol: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code Sequel. Harper Collins. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-06-196495-4. Dan Brown himself has admired Dunin's work and paid her the stellar compliment of writing her into The Lost Symbol as Nola Kaye . . .
  12. Taylor, Greg (2009). "Decoding Kryptos". In John Weber (ed.). Illustrated Guide to the Lost Symbol. Simon & Schuster. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-4165-2366-6.
  13. Haag, Michael (2009). The Rough Guide to the Lost Symbol. Penguin. pp. 35, 245. ISBN 978-1-84836-009-9.
  14. Neill, Graeme (April 20, 2009). "Random House announces Dan Brown date". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  15. Rich, Motoko (January 20, 2009). "Dan Brown returns with Da Vinci Code sequel, The Lost Symbol". The Guardian. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  16. "New Dan Brown book offers industry hope". The Sydney Morning Herald. April 21, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  17. Rich, Motoko; Stone, Brad (July 15, 2009). "A New World: Scheduling E-Books". New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  18. Goldsmith, Belinda (July 8, 2009). "Dan Brown moves to Washington for new thriller". Reuters. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  19. "The Lost Symbol eBook (Kindle Version)". Amazon.com. August 17, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  20. "Download The Lost Symbol – Preorder". audible.com. September 12, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  21. Irvine, Chris (September 14, 2009). "Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol 'will be biggest selling adult fiction novel of the decade'". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  22. "With 'The Lost Symbol,' Dan Brown takes down Bill Clinton's book record". New York: Associated Press. September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
  23. Amazon's Bestsellers in Books (accessdate 2009-09-16)
  24. Chivers, Tom (September 16, 2009). "Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol on Kindle is Amazon top seller". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
  25. Amazon.ca Bestsellers in Books (accessdate 2009-09-16)
  26. "Amazon.co.uk Best Sellers: The most popular items in Books". www.amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  27. Rich, Motoko (September 15, 2009). "To No One's Surprise, Dan Brown Books Are Flying Off Bookshelves". The New York Times. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  28. Flood, Alison (September 17, 2009). "Dan Brown's Lost Symbol sets adult fiction sales record". The Guardian. London. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  29. Stone, Philip (September 22, 2009). "Dan Brown sells 550,000 in first week". theBookseller.com. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  30. Maslin, Janet (September 13, 2009). "Fasten Your Seat Belts, There's Code to Crack". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  31. Owchar, Nick (September 14, 2009). "Book Review: 'The Lost Symbol'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  32. Jones, Malcolm (September 15, 2009). "Book Review: Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol'". Newsweek. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  33. Wiersema, Robert (September 17, 2009). "Review: Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol". National Post. Archived from the original on September 19, 2009. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  34. Jehu, Jeremy (September 15, 2009). "Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, review". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  35. Grossman, Lev (September 15, 2009). "How Good Is Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol?". TIME. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  36. Sutcliffe, William (September 19, 2009). "The Lost Symbol". Financial Times. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  37. Crace, John (September 22, 2009). "Digested read: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown". The Guardian. London. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  38. Great Minds - Slavoj Zizek. YouTube. August 12, 2011.
  39. "The Da Vinci Code". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  40. "Angels & Demons". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  41. Fleming, Michael (April 20, 2009). "Columbia moves on 'Symbol'". Variety.com. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
  42. "The Mystery of Dan Brown". The Guardian. London. September 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  43. Siegel, Tatiana (February 3, 2010). "Columbia finds 'Symbol'; Knight to adapt third book in 'Da Vinci Code' series". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  44. Fernandez, Jay A.; Kit, Borys (December 20, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: Dan Brown Taking Over 'Lost Symbol' Screenplay". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  45. Williams, Owen (March 2, 2012). "New Writer For The Lost Symbol: Dan Brown 3 gets an overhaul". Empire
  46. "Tom Hanks' 'Inferno' Shifts Opening to 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  47. "Tom Hanks And Ron Howard To Return For Next Dan Brown Movie 'Inferno'; Sony Sets December 2015 Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. July 16, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  48. "NBC Nabs Robert Langdon Drama Based On Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' From Imagine With Big Commitment". June 5, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.

Further reading
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