The nationals all devote space in their front news pages today (16th) to reviewing Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, with the Guardian's Mark Lawson describing it as a "a rollicking piece of tosh".
He admitted:"The bestselling novelist in modern history, it is clear, remains the worst-writing . . . Even so, a Brown sceptic has to be impressed by the skill with which the puzzle is constructed."
The Sun's Ben Jackson wrote: "Brown is sticking to a winning formula. Once again he namechecks places along the way which gives a sense of authenticity and treasure hunt feel. At times this book overloads on details which detract from the breathless plot. And the dialogue can be comic book clunky."Writing in last night's Evening Standard, David Sexton described the thriller as "a straightforward knock-off of The Da Vinci Code", adding: "Brown has preserved his own special brand of moronic narration".The Telegraph's Jeremy Jehu found "Brown’s infamous literary quirks and gaffes are all present, but edited to little more than a badge of authenticity. The novel also benefits from being his first set in America, not Europe, whose manners and mechanisms he hilariously failed to grasp in the two preceding books. Which leaves the trademark mystical hokum . . .
"Ironically Brown’s fans may find it a wearisome Da Vinci rehash while critics may discover the less offensive style finally allows them to appreciate the plot. Alternatively, most camps might just find it bland, tired and overblown."However the Times was more positive: Andrew Collins wrote: "Brown writes genre fiction but his Langdon thrillers are laced with art history as well as political and theological fact, making their dismissal as junk both patronising and misleading . . .
"It’s true, his style is baldly prosaic as legend, but there remains a heft to his potboilers that is hard to imitate."The Bookseller review
He admitted:"The bestselling novelist in modern history, it is clear, remains the worst-writing . . . Even so, a Brown sceptic has to be impressed by the skill with which the puzzle is constructed."
The Sun's Ben Jackson wrote: "Brown is sticking to a winning formula. Once again he namechecks places along the way which gives a sense of authenticity and treasure hunt feel. At times this book overloads on details which detract from the breathless plot. And the dialogue can be comic book clunky."Writing in last night's Evening Standard, David Sexton described the thriller as "a straightforward knock-off of The Da Vinci Code", adding: "Brown has preserved his own special brand of moronic narration".The Telegraph's Jeremy Jehu found "Brown’s infamous literary quirks and gaffes are all present, but edited to little more than a badge of authenticity. The novel also benefits from being his first set in America, not Europe, whose manners and mechanisms he hilariously failed to grasp in the two preceding books. Which leaves the trademark mystical hokum . . .
"Ironically Brown’s fans may find it a wearisome Da Vinci rehash while critics may discover the less offensive style finally allows them to appreciate the plot. Alternatively, most camps might just find it bland, tired and overblown."However the Times was more positive: Andrew Collins wrote: "Brown writes genre fiction but his Langdon thrillers are laced with art history as well as political and theological fact, making their dismissal as junk both patronising and misleading . . .
"It’s true, his style is baldly prosaic as legend, but there remains a heft to his potboilers that is hard to imitate."The Bookseller review
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