Book Review: The Lost Symbol

 

After completing the very interesting and introspective “Sea of Poppoies” last week, I was a bit skeptical while starting with the new Dan Brown novel. “The Lost Symbol” though was a riveting read. I completed this in almost record time. It was really difficult part from the book at the end of each of my reading sessions. (my reading  sessions consist of the time I spend travelling in bus to and fro the office). It gave me a sanctuary from my *other* life(home,office,wife,boss,parent,kids,team et al) as “Sea of Poppies” did OR as any other favorite book would do.

Of course there is a definite difference between”The Lost Symbol” and “The Sea Of Poppies”. Some of this is because Amitav takes me to a trip of my own unknown history. Another point is that these two are targeted towards two different demographics and have different aims in mind. The characters in “Lost Symbols” are one-dimensional. The “Good” is always “Good” and “wins” in the end. The “Bad” is just a misguided “good” (this is a twist I was suspecting quiet early in my readings BTW )and ends up finding the folly for his ways too late.

The director of CIA is made fool of by a nutcase and an old professor. The symbol in the end is a big puff and after all this it is a certified case of “much ado about nothing”.

I do not want to give the storyline here and spoil it for everybody else. I definitely recommend this as a one-time read for everybody. Dan Brown definitely plays to his gallery pretty successfully. Though it has been getting pretty repetitive  and formula from him.

The verdict: Definitely worth reading once. (If this is a borrowed book, it is even better. (I didbuy it though :())

Sea of poppies

The current state of our nation being as it i now-a-days, This particular book is really a throwback to the forgotten era which marked sprouting of a concept  of modern Indian nation.

I was really mesmerized by “The Glass House”. Another novel where the action happens across multiple continents and the backdrop is the intertwined histories of Brahmadesh and India. In the ” Sea of Poppies” though the scale is comparatively smaller, Amitav puts the same amount of efforts and research  and brings out yet another fascinating facet of Indian seamanship as well as the whole movement of indentured labor from India flowing across the then British globe.

The tale unravels slowly and takes us through a journey of Afim trade with China, fertile Gangetic planes lying waste because of the cash crop of poppies. It talks about the Laskar: the Hindustani sailors. But in the end, it is a simple story about simple people, told simply. And that is one of the reasons it leaves a mark.

I am following this with another Dan Brown novel,The Lost Symbol. Though it is as captivating and even more thrilling as this one; “Sea of poppies” will always be closer to my heart.

 

Images: Wikpedia,internet, sea of poppies site

further readings :): http://seaofpoppies.com/