Book Review — Origins
The review on the cover of the book by the New York Times is perfectly worded. It neither lauds nor criticizes the book which is all a good critic can do with this piece by Dan Brown.
Always bad news first. If you have read any other book in the Langdon series with the addition of Digital Fortress by the author; the plot of the book would offer nearly no nuances if you discount the basic modifications. These are the primary identification points:
- Religion (often Church and Christianity because West is the psychological centre of the otherwise heliocentric solar system, and because Christian fanatics are more lenient than those of other surviving religions of the 21st century offering the least backlash for attacking them for the very true historical wars it waged against nature and science) vs Science (or Science Fiction to be precise)
- A misguided or paid assassin
- A fictional character in the form of a scientist and a couple of scientists/artists of prominence in the period between the Renaissance and the present day (Da Vinci, Newton, Galileo, Bernini, etc.)
- Search for a password or an object (Apple, 3, Holy Grail, Anti-Matter Cannister, etc.)
- A head-strong police or secret service captain
- An arm-candy female protagonist who is always lean, beautiful, gracious, said-to-be strong and independent but usually helps achieve nearly nothing in the plot with her abilities except for some key pieces of information which she possesses already since the beginning of the story; to pacify the female audience but no substance to generate actual reverence for the character
- Obviously, the great Robert Langdon with his eidetic memory
- Langdon and the lady chased by the police or secret-service due to misinformation
With the above descriptors, it could be any book in the Langdon series including Origins. Beyond the lack of nuances in the plot; the plot has several plot holes left unexplained. Some of these gaps are covered by the very end of the book but with such frivolity that it offers no solace to the reader. It is painful to admit that one of my favourite authors with a brilliant knack for research, retelling of history, and building up suspense; has run out of novelty and panache when writing his novels.
However, there is much to appreciate as well, so here’s the good news. How this book brings together art (modern and traditional), literature, religions, psychology, history and science is a feat that only Dan Brown can pull off so well. The intricate details of art and architecture along with the history and perspectives associated with it; are highlighted beautifully. The book could be considered an art guide towards several important works by the mammoths in the profession who contributed immensely to art and culture. As usual, Dan Brown brings out the best and the worst of religions, their doctrines, dogmas and purpose using several characters and the two clashing perspectives always help one see the hypocrisy as well as the moral need of religion and God in the end. Much like the pivotal character Edmond Kirsch, the book uses contradictions to create a mesmerizing effect.
It begins with a scientist challenging religious leaders representing different creeds with a discovery which would shake the beliefs of all religions simultaneously while also affecting the non-believers. An assassination in a public event delays the discovery being shared worldwide and puts all those in danger who knew about it beforehand. The host of the event Ambra, director of the Guggenheim Museum and the to-be queen of Spain, adds to the complexity being linked to the victim as well as the suspect and caught in between. With her help, Langdon moves through a maze of technology and art; with a breadcrumb trail and a super-smart AI assistant to help reach the end of the line. The discovery gets shared and a few shocking moments towards the end with a less-than-shocking revelation to the primary source of suspense leads to the climax. However, there is a need to continue beyond the climax as there are still a few queries to be answered and more shocking revelations come our way as explanations follow the action.
I would recommend it if you haven’t yet read more than 2 previous works from Dan Brown, if you are a fan of the author like I am, if you love art and a bit of science fiction, or if you simply like a suspense story which is a retelling of some of the historic events which transform the fictional modern-day tale of the mysteriously amazing professor Robert Langdon.
