Book Report: Inferno (2013)

Inferno is another mysterious book from Dan Brown about the Harvard professor Robert Langdon. This one revolves around the epic poem Divine Comedy, written by Italian renaissance man, Dante Alighieri. The book also takes on a rather sensitive issue, namely the one of global over-population.

As in the preceding books about Professor Langdon, Inferno also sees him put through hellish conditions, with twist and turns, and also with new symbols to analyze and riddles to solve around every corner. There is no doubt that Mr. Brown put in a great effort when collecting information for this book.

The book opens with the opening of Langdon's eyes. He doesn't know where he is or how he got there, but he quickly realizes that the situation is dire and chaotic. He is shocked when he finds out that he is no longer in the US, but rather in Florence, Italy. He is in a hospital, and cannot remember the last few days. He is then told that someone tried to kill him. The next thing he sees is one of his doctors shot by what appears to be an assassin. The beginning of this story is hectic, and it doesn't really slow down later on.

This is how it all begins. Because Langdon is in possession of an item that contains information others would like to have, he is chased through Florence while trying to get certain places in order to find out more of what's going on. It dawns on him and his helper, Sienna Brooks, that they need to find a certain location where a mad genius has planted something they think will unleash a new global plague.

In the process, they are forced to commit theft and murder while being chased by both the World Health Organization and a dark and secret organization call The Consortium. Their hunt for the final location takes them from Florence to Venice, and finally Istanbul. Relationships are formed and broken, and you can never truly know who to trust. And once they finally arrive at their destination they discover that they might be too late.

This book is a fantastic mixture of fact and fiction, and it's some times difficult to separate fantasy from reality. I learned a lot of new information from this book, and I was also captivated by the story itself. I have enjoyed every book I have read about Robert Langdon and his adventures, and this one was no exception. That does not mean that it was flawless in my eyes. There were some things that left me asking for an explanation, but only a few times.

I will admit that I enjoy when writers describe the setting in which the story takes place. It helps me immerse myself that much more into the story itself. But I don't think I need to know exactly how many trees there are in the Boboli Gardens, or how certain leaves fall on the ground when the wind blows. I some times felt like Mr. Brown put a little too much effort into describing the surroundings, and I found myself wishing he would have spared some of adjectives and just move the story along.

I also never understood why there would be a poem shaped like a spiral on the inside of a certain mask. Did the mad scientist want someone to stop him? Why else would he have put the poem there?

I also found myself wanting more when the book ended. I wanted to know what the WHO would say about the outcome.

I think there were some loose ends, but all in all I think it is a spectacular book. It deals with a topic that is both scary and interesting, while also spewing out tons of fun and curious information.

While it's not my favorite "Langdon-book", it is number two or three. I have, however, talked to several other people who have read some of the books, and this one is their favorite. It all depends on personal taste, but I will not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who likes this kind of books. It is absolutely worth the money and the time.

If I was new to the character of Professor Robert Langdon I would probably start with Angels&Demons to get the proper introduction. But I do think this book can stand alone, without the introduction as well. All you need to enjoy this book is the book itself.

If you would want to make the reading experience extra special, maybe you could bring it with you outside and read it on a warm summer's night. Just you, the book, and the stars.

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