BY AMY PHILLIPS

 

I am a fan of Robert Langdon, so forgive me, Dan Brown, for not reading anything of yours that doesn't involve that beloved protagonist that I admire.

And I was happy when my fingers clasped around the newest Langdon adventure 'Inferno' because it meant I could have another journey into the world of art and history I enjoy so much – even with the over the top, elaborate and unbelievable plots that come along with them.

Robert Langdon, everyone's one-and-only favourite symbologist, is once again on a mission to unravel the clues of art and history set before him in an attempt to get away from the bad guys after his life and to discover what is threatening the world.

But after diving into and finishing off this 480-page novel, I was left feeling somewhat grasping at straws.

I wasn't enjoying it like I used to - it was because I had read this before - the same plot formation, the same tricks, even somewhat the same plot twists. There was no grip at me to continue reading, and there were hardly any surprises. Therefore it is a bit of a shame that I realise that I may never get that same sense of interest reading the latest books as I did with the originals.

Robert Langdon used to be that out of his depth professor that was confused when he was called to investigate these mysteries. Now he seems to just sigh and get on with it.

The book seemed to require more padding, and was less plot-driven, apart from the beginning in which Langdon woke up as an amnesiac, there was no desperation to move the story forward. I did, however, enjoy learning more about Dante Alighieri - the Divine Comedy is always fascinating to learn about.

The book itself is not terrible, it just doesn't strike you the same way because Dan Brown has already written similar works before which were more believable and interesting. I'd like to see Dan Brown get out of his comfort zone and do something different - a refreshing change of pace is what is needed now.

If you are new to Dan Brown's books, then instead of recommending 'Inferno', I would recommend 'Angels and Demons', because it follows the same styling but is a far better story.

 

This book was published by Bantam Press and is available to buy for £20.00. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.