Then, the audacious storyteller of previous novels backs down.
In prior works - "The Da Vinci Code," "Angels and Demons" and "Digital Fortress" - he unabashedly takes on the formidable Knights Templar, the Vatican and the US intelligence establishment. He does so by hinting at the darker side of each one's self-styled mission.
Author Eases up on Masons in Final Anticlimactic Chapters
But his mood softens in the final chapters of "The Lost Symbol," when the story waffles into a paean to the controversial worldwide Masonic Brotherhood, especially those who were among America's Founding Fathers. Even the religious iconoclast, Thomas Jefferson, was allegedly a Mason.
Mind you, this adulation follows insinuations of their involvement in scattered nefarious acts, and maintains they practically dictated the genesis of America - in terms of the new nation's principles, architecture and national symbols.
Columnist Maureen Dowd seems to agree. In a book review for the "New York Times" of September 30, 2009 she writes:
". . . the terrifying thing about "The Lost Symbol" is that Brown - who did not flinch when the Vatican both condemned the "The Da Vinci Code" and curtailed the filming of "Angels and Demons" in Rome - clearly got spooked by that other powerful, secretive ancient sect, the Masons."
Does Dan Brown's Upbringing Explain Deference Toward Masons?
It is possible the author's traditional upbringing ingrained in him a simpatico for the Masonic mission, vague as it is. On the surface, he is a quintessential conservative WASP - white, Anglo-Saxon protestant - who attended the elitist Phillips-Exeter Academy, where President George H. W. Bush graduated. The ex-president is a Mason.
However, regardless of the novel's lack of a knockout punch ideologically, "The Lost Symbol" is another Dan Brown thriller, sucking even the reclusive CIA into its plot. Chances are good it will become a movie, as did "Angels and Demons" and "The Da Vinci Code."
Heroic Cryptographer of Prior Novels Returns
Translating secret Masonic rites and symbols about life's mysteries is the fuel for the plot, which is where Harvard professor and symbols expert, Robert Langdon, comes into the picture. He returns for his third gig as Brown's hero to help in the unraveling of the arcane language. The menu for him is a smorgasbord of allegorical symbols, riddles, and nooks and crannies - many in the nation's Capitol, including the new Visitors Center.
The story's opening lines - "The secret is how to die" - growls from the craw of a menacing tattooed monk, on a vindictive mission to right imaginary wrongs to himself, and also discover answers to the ancient mysteries for his evil purposes. He believes the Mason's top brass have stashed them deep in the earth, somewhere in the US capital city.
Villainous Monk Tenacious in Quest for Masonic Mysteries
He is particularly covetous of acquiring the so-called "lost word," which he believes would be a source of power, in advancing his quest to become a god in the netherworld.
A hooded, terrifying assassin, this character rambles about the darkness snuffing out family members of a dear friend and mentor of Robert Langdon, and others who interfere. The friend is also the Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge in Washington, D.C.
The powerful hulk kidnaps Langdon's friend and tortures him, hoping to learn where the answers to the mysteries of life are buried. By finding them, he imagines he can enter the realm of demons, with extra fire power.
He also kidnaps the attractive sister of Langdon's Masonic friend. She is a scientist who seems to have a yen for Langdon, but there is too much skulduggery afoot to allow romance to bloom.
Surprise Ending Waffles into Masonic Concept of Meaning of God
The story's ending packs a wallop, up to the final pages. But then the tribute to Masonic greatness possessed by the nation's Founding Fathers kicks in. This diversion changes the subject to an explanation of how they saw the true God, as depicted in the "Apotheosis of Washington."
That painting is a fresco that adorns the ceiling of the US Capitol, out of sight to most tourists. The book's new tack is fascinating and inspiring information, but would do better as a separate essay.
Author's Genius Connects Historical Factoids with Mind-bending Ideas
Dan Brown is one of the most inventive writers at work. By his own account, he combines historical tidbits with electrifying possibilities to produce entertaining stories. He thinks of his novels as train rides, but not ones that everyone might enjoy traveling on.
It is obvious he has fun writing adventures loaded with word games. According to his biography on Answers.com, growing up near the Phillips-Exeter campus in New Hampshire, he was a puzzle fanatic, and loved solving anagrams and crossword puzzles. His penchant for signs and symbols adds intrigue to "The Lost Symbol" and other novels.
Son of a mathematician father and musician mother, he is obviously genetically gifted to compose a score or more ingenious thrillers in the future, with high and low notes that range several octaves of gripping emotion.
Howard Bryan Bonham - Howard Bryan Bonham is a former daily newspaper editor and award-winning financial writer.
