pithypants

A couple years ago, I read “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” and enjoyed it. It was a mind-bending premise, but the author managed to write so convincingly that I suspended disbelief and found myself rooting for the couple to defy time and find their slice of happiness. In “Her Fearful Symmetry,” Neffenegger again tackles the theme of star-crossed lovers playing in another dimension – this time blurring the line between life and the after-life.

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Tags: Books, Reviews

As someone who considers herself fairly well read, it’s something of an embarrassment to admit that I enjoy peeling through a Dan Brown book in the bathtub. I like them for three reasons: first, I’m usually able to predict the ending with 300 pages left; second, they make me see places I’ve traveled (Paris, Rome) or live (DC) in a more mysterious light; and third, the bite-sized chapters make it easy for me to demolish a 500 page book in 2-3 days. Dan Brown’s latest book – The Lost Symbol – didn’t disappoint on any of those three points.

Even so, it was – overall – disappointing. I should’ve loved it – especially since it’s set right in my city and most of the action takes place within a ten block radius of my home. Instead, I found it a bit heavy-handed on the God-talk and a bit long in the symbolism. Add to that overly-predicatable plot twists, a very unsympathetic villain, and it was cookie-cutter thriller material at best.

Perhaps the only good thing to have come from that investment of time? I’m now inspired to tour the Masonic Temple of the Scottish Rite that’s around the corner from my house on 16th Street, and the next time I walk past the National Cathedral, I’ll definitely crane my neck to see if it really does have Darth Vader as one of the gargoyles. Otherwise, The Lost Symbol will go down as simply lost time in my book.

Tags: Books, Reviews