Dan Brown’s “Inferno”: Good Plot, Unreal Science. Review on Inferno - Dan Brown

I enjoyed reading The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons,  and The Lost Symbol so when Dan Brown’s most recent novel, Inferno, came out I knew I had to read it. As soon as I got my hands on a copy, I found a moment to sit down on my sofa and open the book. From the first sentence in the prologue, Brown’s story drew me in.

I had questions after reading the prologue and, curiosity roused, I turned the pages eager to know more. I read that Langdon wakes up in a hospital with amnesia with no recall of how he arrived there. He comes to the realisation that he is in Florence – and does not know why. Suddenly he is being shot at and escapes with the help of Sienna Brooks, a woman who appears to be a medical intern.

The story of Inferno centres around the character we met in Brown’s first novel, Robert Langdon. Reading this story was like meeting with an old friend – his story was known to me as well as the type of person he is. Before starting the novel, I figuratively rubbed my hands in anticipation of his latest adventure. I had suspected that it would be woven with history and symbols – after all he is a professor of symbology at Harvard university – and I was correct.

Woven throughout the story are references to Dante and his epic poem, The Inferno. As in Brown’s other books, we are introduced to a little history. These snippets of history, however, do not bore the reader. Instead, they are essential to the understanding of the story and the solution that the protagonist of the story uncovers.

The reader is taken through the streets of Florence and introduced to the historical beauty of Venice. We learn of Dante Alighieri and the many ways in which his work has been represented through Art over the years. We are teased with the solutions to the problem of overpopulation on our planet. And we are given an experience of the imagination that does not disappoint.

I recommend reading this novel filled with mystery and suspense. I enjoyed reading it and made sure that I was able to turn some of the pages everyday.