The Rough Guide to The Lost Symbol (Rough Guide Reference) by Haag, Michael (2009) Paperback

by Michael Haag

Traces all the debates concerning religion and secret societies and the views of historians on Dan Brown's plots and ideas, in a book that also examines the locations in The Lost Symbol, how people can visit them and how the book connects to Brown's previous books. Original. Novel tie-in.

Paperback

First published December 1, 2009

About the author

Michael Haag, who lived in London, was a writer, historian and biographer. He wrote widely on the Egyptian, Classical and Medieval worlds; and on the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Reviews

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael and Victoria Haag's previous book in the Rough Guide series, "The Rough Guide to the Davinci Code", was an objective and entertaining survey and commentary on Dan Brown's previous novel. While not exhaustive or comprehensive the way a more scholarly text would be, it served my casual interest in providing sober facts and wry, non-conspiratorial observations behind the "fact-ish" sensationalism of the novel. Michael Haag has taken on a similar task with this latest Rough Guide to Brown's new novel, with similar results.

Haag's approach in this guide is to focus on the historic individuals and social movements behind all the arcane and mysterious symbols, philosophy, cult objects, organizations, and architecture. He avoids myth-building and conspiracy speculation in favor of simpler straight-forward narratives of human beings motivated and obsessed with finding deeper or hidden meaning in the world. His interest is less in debunking Brown's hyperbolic speculations (a work of fiction, after all), and more in grounding them in the historical record. The book concludes with a chapter on Dan Brown himself.

The book includes a travel-guide to prominent landmarks mentioned in the novel, plus a useful map tracing Langdon's route through D.C. As with the earlier guide, it also provides a list of relevant books and useful websites for those wishing to explore aspects of the novel in further detail. On the whole, a good antidote to the melodrama overdose of The Lost Symbol.

[Ramona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I picked this one up without reading what is really was, the coles notes on Dan Browns works... I hate Dan Brown, his novels make decent movies but I must say, not all that well written. So I have to confess, I didn't even finish this book since it wasn't all that interesting.

[Ahmed Dawod · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all those who read and loved "The Lost Symbol" you will fall in love with this book.