Review: Origin (Robert Langdon #5) by Dan Brown

Print Length: 461 pages

Publisher: Doubleday Books (October 3, 2017)

From Goodreads.com: Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.

As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself... and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery... and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Back before I was a "book reviewer", I read this book called The Da Vinci Code, and I could not put it down. I found myself rushing to my Grandmother's copy of The Last Supper, just to see if the things I had read about were true (they were). It was much the same when I read Angels & Demons (although this time I was googling things). The same happened with The Lost Symbol and Inferno. I loved the historical settings. I loved seeing the places come to life (and this was before seeing the movies). Heck, I even loved the one non Robert Langdon involved story I read called Deception Point. 

Dan Brown can tell a story. I thought. Dan Brown is my new favorite author. And he was. 

Until he wasn't. 

You know, I used to defend the author against accusations from other reviewers that all of his Robert Langdon stories were based off the same formula. 

And then I read Origin. 

It was then that I (sadly), realized the truth. They do all follow the same pattern. But even that can be forgiven right? When you are glued to the pages and following along on google for the historical sites. And then I realized. It just didn't add up. 

Even when it took time to find the right answer, he still found it too quickly. Even when the author tried to keep you guessing, in the end it was easy to figure out who was behind it all. I can even understand why this book was less "religious" and more "atheist". 

What I can't wrap my mind around was the ending. The moment of revaluation. The moment where I went "well duh! Even a blind man saw that coming!" 

This didn't feel like a Dan Brown book. What this felt like was a well written Robert Landon fanfiction. However, I have invested enough of my life in not only this author, but this character, that I will give him (them?) one last chance.

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                                          Origin is available from Amazon.com