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Robert Langdon #6
The Secret of Secrets
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2025)The thrilling and long-awaited new Robert Langdon novel from globally bestselling author Dan Brown.
Accompanying celebrated academic, Katherine Solomon, to a lecture she’s been invited to give in Prague, Robert Langdon’s world spirals out of control when she disappears without trace from their hotel room. Far from home and well out of his comfort zone, Langdon must pit his wits against forces unknown to recover the woman he loves.
But Prague is an old and dangerous city, steeped in folklore and mystery. For over two thousand years, the tides of history have washed back and forth over it, leaving behind echoes of everything that has gone before. Little can Langdon know that he is being stalked by a spectre from that dark past. He must use all of his arcane knowledge to decipher the world around him before he too is consumed by the rings of treachery and deception that have swallowed Katherine.
Against a backdrop of vast castles, towering churches, graveyards buried twelve deep and labyrinthine underground passages, Langdon must navigate a shadow city hiding in plain sight, a city which has successfully kept its secrets for centuries and will not readily deliver them. This is a battlefield unlike any he has previously experienced, one on which he must fight not for his only life, but for the future of humanity itself.
The Secret of Secrets is Dan Brown’s first novel for over eight years and sees the stunning return of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, this time pitting his wits against a conspiracy which will test even his considerable brainpower and take him to the edge of losing all that he holds dear…
Accompanying celebrated academic, Katherine Solomon, to a lecture she’s been invited to give in Prague, Robert Langdon’s world spirals out of control when she disappears without trace from their hotel room. Far from home and well out of his comfort zone, Langdon must pit his wits against forces unknown to recover the woman he loves.
But Prague is an old and dangerous city, steeped in folklore and mystery. For over two thousand years, the tides of history have washed back and forth over it, leaving behind echoes of everything that has gone before. Little can Langdon know that he is being stalked by a spectre from that dark past. He must use all of his arcane knowledge to decipher the world around him before he too is consumed by the rings of treachery and deception that have swallowed Katherine.
Against a backdrop of vast castles, towering churches, graveyards buried twelve deep and labyrinthine underground passages, Langdon must navigate a shadow city hiding in plain sight, a city which has successfully kept its secrets for centuries and will not readily deliver them. This is a battlefield unlike any he has previously experienced, one on which he must fight not for his only life, but for the future of humanity itself.
The Secret of Secrets is Dan Brown’s first novel for over eight years and sees the stunning return of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, this time pitting his wits against a conspiracy which will test even his considerable brainpower and take him to the edge of losing all that he holds dear…
23 pages, Audiobook
First published September 9, 2025
42053 people are currently reading
92514 people want to read
About the author
Dan Brown
94 books110k followersDan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the best selling novels of all time as well as the subject of intellectual debate among readers and scholars. Brown’s novels are published in 56 languages around the world with over 200 million copies in print.
In 2005, Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, whose editors credited him with “keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”
The son of a mathematics teacher and a church organist, Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination with the paradoxical interplay between science and religion. These themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he later returned to teach English before focusing his attention full time to writing. He lives in New England with his yellow lab, Winston.
Brown’s latest novel, Origin, explores two of the fundamental questions of humankind: Where do we come from? Where are we going?
In 2005, Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, whose editors credited him with “keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”
The son of a mathematics teacher and a church organist, Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination with the paradoxical interplay between science and religion. These themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he later returned to teach English before focusing his attention full time to writing. He lives in New England with his yellow lab, Winston.
Brown’s latest novel, Origin, explores two of the fundamental questions of humankind: Where do we come from? Where are we going?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,621 reviews
Want to read
March 16, 2025*sighs*
*adds to TBR*
*adds to TBR*
Currently reading
December 2, 2025700 pages? is Dan Brown trying to kill me?
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
Review to come...
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
Review to come...
October 8, 2025
It’s Robert Langdon.
I’m in.
Dan Brown hasn’t published a thriller since before Covid, but it’s clear, reading this book, that he’ll never change as a writer. And yet, that doesn’t make him any less compulsively readable than ever. Dipping into all his greatest hits from 20 or so years ago - oddly esoteric science, a killer with a warped personality (to the point of cultural appropriation, passing off as the Golěm of old Jewish legend - and yes, he spells it in faux Czech every time, as some Czech readers have pointed out the inaccuracy in the comments), and leading up to some big reveals incidentally previously discussed in The Da Vinci Code and other Langdon adventures. No spoilers, but let’s just say after this novel, there’s one more reason for me to want to nuke the entire Neuralink from orbit.
I’m in.
Dan Brown hasn’t published a thriller since before Covid, but it’s clear, reading this book, that he’ll never change as a writer. And yet, that doesn’t make him any less compulsively readable than ever. Dipping into all his greatest hits from 20 or so years ago - oddly esoteric science, a killer with a warped personality (to the point of cultural appropriation, passing off as the Golěm of old Jewish legend - and yes, he spells it in faux Czech every time, as some Czech readers have pointed out the inaccuracy in the comments), and leading up to some big reveals incidentally previously discussed in The Da Vinci Code and other Langdon adventures. No spoilers, but let’s just say after this novel, there’s one more reason for me to want to nuke the entire Neuralink from orbit.
December 6, 2025
2.5 If you try to try, not to “think”, you may enjoy 700 pages of film-like pacing, camera angles, and the exotic settings of Prague’s skyline (Charles Bridge in falling snow).
a quick peek inside the book without spilling the beans!
Katherine Solomon’s a noetic scientist about to publish her groundbreaking findings with Penguin Random House. She’s in Prague with a colleague, preparing for her big public lecture. While Katherine’s been working on the last parts of her manuscript, which she’s intermittently uploading to a highly fortified, encrypted section of the Penguin Random House archives, things go wrong.
Suddenly, the cybersecurity team detects a new login, and within minutes, the publishing house’s servers are breached, wiping out every digital copy of her manuscript. As her editor desperately tries to contact her to inform her about what happened, he heads to his apartment in hopes of finding backups on his personal computer; They hustle him into the van ... Why? Simply because Katherine’s book had nudged past the “Threshold.”
Katherine’s manuscript becomes the hot MacGuffin everyone must chase, like classic cat and mouse chase.
The characters Robert Langdon and Katherine are mostly walking TED Talkers, mouthpieces existing to deliver lectures. Every chapter opens up like a director’s cue 🎬😄, ready for the spotlight, and the dialogue reads more like a screenplay than real conversation. If they were any more scripted, they’d need the Ear(ear prompters); that for sure, cinematic style is considered part of the book’s charm in commercial thrillers.
As you know this is a "what if" book. Dan Brown starts with genuine neuroscience and morphs it into a mystical metaphor about hidden realities. He doesn’t lay out a tight chain of verified scientific cause and effect; he selectively borrows from various disciplines to make his "what if" sound plausible. What really pisses me off is how Brown keeps shoving real scientific experiments into the book as if that alone makes his big ideas plausible.
He links concepts like , Jung’s archetypes, quantum retrocausality, parapsychology, GABA “filters”as if they’re all aligned with a singular hidden reality.
The book gestures at profound ideas but treats them like decoration stuff.
The scientific claims just don’t stand up when you really look at them, and when he raises some philosophical questions about consciousness, they’re hardly ever explored in any depth. but he keeps rattling your thoughts with his big suggestions about “reality”: consciousness isn’t separate from the universe; time might not be one-way; reality could be a shared construction.
He drags in Carl Jung as a backbone of the thematic plot to give his story some extra weight. despite Freud’s criticisms, which accused Jung of being a fraud, Jung actually worked with patients and shared real stories. Brown just borrows Jung’s mystique without capturing the essence.
Fact:Yes, Quantum particles can behave unpredictably and are affected by measurement.
Fact:Yes, Some parapsychology experiments claim people can react before random events, but those results are hotly disputed.
Now what is Fictional is Human thought can deliberately change reality or time🫤!
Or consider this: because GABA calms the brain, maybe it hides a deeper reality, and when timing glitches occur, we briefly see the universe as it truly is! . In accepted neurobiology, GABA acts as a brake; it protects the brain from chaos and doesn’t serve as a spiritual veil or inner fog. That’s a shot; that’s a fictional leap, not an accepted scientific conclusion.
When I hit another "what if" my reaction was, Okay… so what? There was no spark, and nothing new( just the same ideas that other authors have implanted in minds until now). Just more name-dropping and a mishmash of science crammed into the book to make it sound deep.
Atmosphere’s good, but don’t expect much character development or deep insight.
And the story itself? Mediocre😑🫤. The ending was I can’t even … I literally ran out of words😐
a quick peek inside the book without spilling the beans!
Katherine Solomon’s a noetic scientist about to publish her groundbreaking findings with Penguin Random House. She’s in Prague with a colleague, preparing for her big public lecture. While Katherine’s been working on the last parts of her manuscript, which she’s intermittently uploading to a highly fortified, encrypted section of the Penguin Random House archives, things go wrong.
Suddenly, the cybersecurity team detects a new login, and within minutes, the publishing house’s servers are breached, wiping out every digital copy of her manuscript. As her editor desperately tries to contact her to inform her about what happened, he heads to his apartment in hopes of finding backups on his personal computer; They hustle him into the van ... Why? Simply because Katherine’s book had nudged past the “Threshold.”
Katherine’s manuscript becomes the hot MacGuffin everyone must chase, like classic cat and mouse chase.
The characters Robert Langdon and Katherine are mostly walking TED Talkers, mouthpieces existing to deliver lectures. Every chapter opens up like a director’s cue 🎬😄, ready for the spotlight, and the dialogue reads more like a screenplay than real conversation. If they were any more scripted, they’d need the Ear(ear prompters); that for sure, cinematic style is considered part of the book’s charm in commercial thrillers.
As you know this is a "what if" book. Dan Brown starts with genuine neuroscience and morphs it into a mystical metaphor about hidden realities. He doesn’t lay out a tight chain of verified scientific cause and effect; he selectively borrows from various disciplines to make his "what if" sound plausible. What really pisses me off is how Brown keeps shoving real scientific experiments into the book as if that alone makes his big ideas plausible.
He links concepts like , Jung’s archetypes, quantum retrocausality, parapsychology, GABA “filters”as if they’re all aligned with a singular hidden reality.
The book gestures at profound ideas but treats them like decoration stuff.
The scientific claims just don’t stand up when you really look at them, and when he raises some philosophical questions about consciousness, they’re hardly ever explored in any depth. but he keeps rattling your thoughts with his big suggestions about “reality”: consciousness isn’t separate from the universe; time might not be one-way; reality could be a shared construction.
He drags in Carl Jung as a backbone of the thematic plot to give his story some extra weight. despite Freud’s criticisms, which accused Jung of being a fraud, Jung actually worked with patients and shared real stories. Brown just borrows Jung’s mystique without capturing the essence.
Fact:Yes, Quantum particles can behave unpredictably and are affected by measurement.
Fact:Yes, Some parapsychology experiments claim people can react before random events, but those results are hotly disputed.
Now what is Fictional is Human thought can deliberately change reality or time🫤!
Or consider this: because GABA calms the brain, maybe it hides a deeper reality, and when timing glitches occur, we briefly see the universe as it truly is! . In accepted neurobiology, GABA acts as a brake; it protects the brain from chaos and doesn’t serve as a spiritual veil or inner fog. That’s a shot; that’s a fictional leap, not an accepted scientific conclusion.
When I hit another "what if" my reaction was, Okay… so what? There was no spark, and nothing new( just the same ideas that other authors have implanted in minds until now). Just more name-dropping and a mishmash of science crammed into the book to make it sound deep.
Atmosphere’s good, but don’t expect much character development or deep insight.
And the story itself? Mediocre😑🫤. The ending was I can’t even … I literally ran out of words😐
Currently reading
November 10, 2025I expect this to very bad but I will still read it.
September 29, 2025
3.0 stars— At 677 pages Dan Brown’s latest book, “The Secret of Secrets”, is a difficult book to finish within the 14 day window given by the library to read this book. I did it, but let’s just say my family is very happy this colossal undertaking is over. My history with Dan Brown is a mixed one, as I have enjoyed several of his books, but the more of his books I’ve read the more I have noticed he has used his platform as a bestselling author to attack and ridicule Christianity every chance he gets. One good thing about this book is that other than a few inaccurate claims that had nothing to do with the story, this book didn’t focus on Christianity. The book follows the traditional Brown plot of having his protagonist, Robert Langdon, put in a life or death situation with a love interest in a foreign country with twists and turns throughout. Unfortunately, this book also was filled with a huge amount of filler on some very outlandish theories on consciousness and how it can be separated from our physical body. This is covered in such excruciating boring detail that I eventually began skim-rimming entire pages of complicated explanations of how out-of body experiences and consciousness can be manipulated and monitored. I read another reviewer say that Brown’s novels read like lengthy ‘Wikipedia’ entries regarding different places and artifacts found in Czechoslovakia (the setting of the book). This is very accurate, but I did enjoy learning about such things as “The Devil’s Bible” while making my way through this very lengthy book. Dan Brown always does a great job of researching his books and includes a lot of information you don’t normally find in thrillers. The main storyline was not quite as good as previous Brown books and seemed to be very similar to several of his older books (except the villain was less believable and intimidating than earlier books). In summary, if you are a first time reader you will probably find this book an amazing thrill ride, but if you have read 5 or 6 previous Brown books you will probably find the story all too familiar and a little less satisfying than his previous works.
November 14, 2025
As the 6th book in the Langdon series, Dan Brown sticks to the same storytelling formula as before - an ordinary, decent guy, dropped into some international metropolis or historic city, barely a few chapters in, suddenly gets swept up in a massive secret or global conspiracy. The police are usually either incompetent or corrupt, the line between good guys and bad guys keeps shifting, and the only things our hero can rely on are his wits - and a mysterious woman by his side. Of course, times have changed: she’s no longer the Hitchcock-era blonde bombshell, but someone who’s either smart or physically capable. This time, she’s the “brains” type. In the end, the ordinary man uses his intelligence to defeat the big boss and win the girl. So if you’re hoping for some breakthrough in Brown’s narrative style, don’t hold your breath.
But honestly, that’s not what disappointed me. From Angels & Demons to The Da Vinci Code, to Origin, what really drew me in wasn’t just the themes, but the way Langdon used obscure bits of knowledge to guide me through puzzles tied to real history. Of course, every reader sees history differently, but at least the novels offered interpretations most of us could accept.
The problem is balance. A good interpretation, dropped in at the right moment, can drive the plot forward and keep us hooked. But when it turns into long-winded science lectures, it’s just not friendly to the average reader like me. Unfortunately, this new book falls into that trap. Ever since The Lost Symbol, Brown’s tendency to “show off his research” has grown worse, and here it really explodes.
Part of the issue is that Langdon isn’t the main puzzle-solver this time. That’s not shocking, since the story - though set in historic Prague - tackles a very modern question: where does “thought”come from? That’s outside Langdon’s comfort zone, so Brown pairs him with a female scientist specializing in cognitive science. She’s the one driving the decoding.
Which means Brown uses her to dump tons of explanations about neuroscience - some old, some new, some well-known, some obscure, even secret government experiments. The pacing gets weird. Unlike Angels & Demons or The Da Vinci Code, where short but sharp interpretations link 1 action climax to the next, here the action often screeches to a halt so we can sit through flashbacks or dialogue-heavy science lessons. If they were short, fine. But when they stretch into long passages - like “giant chunks of Wikipedia” - the rhythm collapses. You lose that addictive cycle of suspense → action → puzzle → suspense → action → puzzle. And you definitely don’t get the ticking-clock tension of Angels & Demons. Instead, the story feels slow and uneven.
Because Langdon isn’t the lead decoder, his character also feels weaker. Between the romance subplot and being out of his depth professionally, he comes across less like the calm, unflappable scholar we know, and more like a reckless younger guy blinded by love. Nothing against a smart female lead, but it makes me wonder: is Brown planning to make her the permanent heroine of the series? Otherwise, if Langdon keeps showing this kind of cheesy affection toward future partners, won’t he always be haunted by memories of Prague’s “summer rain girl”?
On top of that, the heavy science explanations and Langdon’s occasional use of obscure knowledge mean there aren’t many high-stakes action scenes where I can really feel the danger. The solutions feel clumsier compared to the elegant problem-solving of earlier books. The biggest action set piece doesn’t even show up until 3-quarters of the way through. And the final quarter, which should deliver a strong “verbal duel” scene - Langdon negotiating under huge pressure between national interest and personal conscience - gets skipped. Instead, Brown cuts to another scene where the female scientist delivers an idealistic monologue. Once she’s done, Langdon casually announces the problem is solved. It’s anticlimactic.
If there’s 1 real highlight, it’s Brown’s travel writing. He turns Prague into a fantastic guidebook, describing both famous landmarks and hidden gems with rich historical significance. That part is genuinely excellent - it makes you want to book a trip right away.
The theme is strong, and the interpretations are grounded in real theories and experiments (Brown even emphasizes this before the novel starts). But the overload of scientific explanations throws off the balance between education and entertainment, and the pacing suffers. Compared to Angels & Demons or The Da Vinci Code, this 1 really falls short as a commercial thriller.
3 / 5 stars
But honestly, that’s not what disappointed me. From Angels & Demons to The Da Vinci Code, to Origin, what really drew me in wasn’t just the themes, but the way Langdon used obscure bits of knowledge to guide me through puzzles tied to real history. Of course, every reader sees history differently, but at least the novels offered interpretations most of us could accept.
The problem is balance. A good interpretation, dropped in at the right moment, can drive the plot forward and keep us hooked. But when it turns into long-winded science lectures, it’s just not friendly to the average reader like me. Unfortunately, this new book falls into that trap. Ever since The Lost Symbol, Brown’s tendency to “show off his research” has grown worse, and here it really explodes.
Part of the issue is that Langdon isn’t the main puzzle-solver this time. That’s not shocking, since the story - though set in historic Prague - tackles a very modern question: where does “thought”come from? That’s outside Langdon’s comfort zone, so Brown pairs him with a female scientist specializing in cognitive science. She’s the one driving the decoding.
Which means Brown uses her to dump tons of explanations about neuroscience - some old, some new, some well-known, some obscure, even secret government experiments. The pacing gets weird. Unlike Angels & Demons or The Da Vinci Code, where short but sharp interpretations link 1 action climax to the next, here the action often screeches to a halt so we can sit through flashbacks or dialogue-heavy science lessons. If they were short, fine. But when they stretch into long passages - like “giant chunks of Wikipedia” - the rhythm collapses. You lose that addictive cycle of suspense → action → puzzle → suspense → action → puzzle. And you definitely don’t get the ticking-clock tension of Angels & Demons. Instead, the story feels slow and uneven.
Because Langdon isn’t the lead decoder, his character also feels weaker. Between the romance subplot and being out of his depth professionally, he comes across less like the calm, unflappable scholar we know, and more like a reckless younger guy blinded by love. Nothing against a smart female lead, but it makes me wonder: is Brown planning to make her the permanent heroine of the series? Otherwise, if Langdon keeps showing this kind of cheesy affection toward future partners, won’t he always be haunted by memories of Prague’s “summer rain girl”?
On top of that, the heavy science explanations and Langdon’s occasional use of obscure knowledge mean there aren’t many high-stakes action scenes where I can really feel the danger. The solutions feel clumsier compared to the elegant problem-solving of earlier books. The biggest action set piece doesn’t even show up until 3-quarters of the way through. And the final quarter, which should deliver a strong “verbal duel” scene - Langdon negotiating under huge pressure between national interest and personal conscience - gets skipped. Instead, Brown cuts to another scene where the female scientist delivers an idealistic monologue. Once she’s done, Langdon casually announces the problem is solved. It’s anticlimactic.
If there’s 1 real highlight, it’s Brown’s travel writing. He turns Prague into a fantastic guidebook, describing both famous landmarks and hidden gems with rich historical significance. That part is genuinely excellent - it makes you want to book a trip right away.
The theme is strong, and the interpretations are grounded in real theories and experiments (Brown even emphasizes this before the novel starts). But the overload of scientific explanations throws off the balance between education and entertainment, and the pacing suffers. Compared to Angels & Demons or The Da Vinci Code, this 1 really falls short as a commercial thriller.
3 / 5 stars
September 11, 2025
I couldn’t finish this. It was absolute tripe. Such immature, awkward, and clumsy writing from Brown. His plots are so repetitive and lazy, but he seems to think throwing in ridiculous puzzles and Wikipedia facts will satisfy the reader. This is a woeful book; easily the worst of the Robert Langdon series, and hopefully the last.
September 19, 2025
This one was a little hard for me. I really love the Robert Langdon series, and since I only recently finished the last few books, they’re still fresh in my mind. From Origin, the theme of the series shifted quite a bit, from history heavy plots to more modern settings and technology. Is that a bad thing? I’m not sure. Dan Brown clearly wants to keep his writing relevant, weaving in Chat-GTP mentions and new science driven research. Whether that’s the right direction or if we’d rather stick with the beloved historical roots of the series that’s something each reader will have to decide for themselves. It's not all lost, as we did get a few puzzles Langdon solved and beautiful historic settings in Prague.
That said, I did like this book. I especially enjoyed the storyline about the subconscious mind and the big question of what happens to human consciousness after death. It was fascinating. But the pacing did slow down at times, and I found myself getting annoyed, just wishing the CIA would finally catch up to them.
I found it funny that the caddy/taxi drivers always end up calling Langdon in. It almost feels like a running theme, and honestly, I hope it continues in future books.
We also get a bit of romance between Robert and Katherine. Thankfully, it’s kept light, because smut just wouldn’t fit this series. I did enjoy the light few banters between them though.
That said, I did like this book. I especially enjoyed the storyline about the subconscious mind and the big question of what happens to human consciousness after death. It was fascinating. But the pacing did slow down at times, and I found myself getting annoyed, just wishing the CIA would finally catch up to them.
I found it funny that the caddy/taxi drivers always end up calling Langdon in. It almost feels like a running theme, and honestly, I hope it continues in future books.
We also get a bit of romance between Robert and Katherine. Thankfully, it’s kept light, because smut just wouldn’t fit this series. I did enjoy the light few banters between them though.
September 26, 2025
I’m a huge Dan brown fan, so I was elated to see there was a new Robert Langdon book out. It took me three days to listen to it, and I loved that it was long since I didn’t want it to end. I loved how it explored consciousness, which is a fascinating subject. I found myself googling the concepts, and must say I believe in a universal consciousness myself. I loved how the book weaves together knowledge from several fields, and although this is fiction I found it immensely fascinating. Also a plus for getting dissociation right, which too often is misrepresented. This was a splendid Langdon book, and I hope it’s not too long before we get another one.
September 9, 2025
The last time we saw Dan Brown’s fit, nerdy hero — Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon — was eight years ago in a mind-bogglingly silly book called “Origin.” In that story, Langdon dashes around Spain trying to track down a dead billionaire’s PowerPoint presentation that “boldly contradicted almost every established religious doctrine.”
Brown’s latest thriller, “The Secret of Secrets,” tweaks that reliable formula only slightly, but through some occult alchemy, his New Coke is better than the old brew.
Reader, I drank it.
This time around, we’re in Prague. Brown surveys its Gothic beauty, medieval history and Kafkaesque mystique like Rick Steves on a 24-hour layover. Langdon has come to the City of a Hundred Spires to cheer on his older but stunningly beautiful new girlfriend, Dr. Katherine Solomon, last seen in “The Lost Symbol” (2009). The night before the novel opens, Katherine delivered a mesmerizing lecture about her work in noetics, the science of human consciousness.
Langdon is clearly smitten with this “brilliant” scientist, but she sounds like the love child of Carl Jung and Madame Blavatsky. She tells the esteemed scholars gathered at the Prague Castle, “Your consciousness is not created by your brain. And in fact, your consciousness is not even located inside your head.” While studying various neurological chemicals, she “discovered” a new model that indicates “consciousness permeates the universe.” She goes on to explain: “Your brain is just a receiver — an unimaginably complex, superbly advanced receiver — that chooses which specific signals it wants to receive from the existing cloud of global consciousness.”
The audience is wowed by this metaphysical gibberish, and, so far as I can tell, Brown might believe it, too.....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
Brown’s latest thriller, “The Secret of Secrets,” tweaks that reliable formula only slightly, but through some occult alchemy, his New Coke is better than the old brew.
Reader, I drank it.
This time around, we’re in Prague. Brown surveys its Gothic beauty, medieval history and Kafkaesque mystique like Rick Steves on a 24-hour layover. Langdon has come to the City of a Hundred Spires to cheer on his older but stunningly beautiful new girlfriend, Dr. Katherine Solomon, last seen in “The Lost Symbol” (2009). The night before the novel opens, Katherine delivered a mesmerizing lecture about her work in noetics, the science of human consciousness.
Langdon is clearly smitten with this “brilliant” scientist, but she sounds like the love child of Carl Jung and Madame Blavatsky. She tells the esteemed scholars gathered at the Prague Castle, “Your consciousness is not created by your brain. And in fact, your consciousness is not even located inside your head.” While studying various neurological chemicals, she “discovered” a new model that indicates “consciousness permeates the universe.” She goes on to explain: “Your brain is just a receiver — an unimaginably complex, superbly advanced receiver — that chooses which specific signals it wants to receive from the existing cloud of global consciousness.”
The audience is wowed by this metaphysical gibberish, and, so far as I can tell, Brown might believe it, too.....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
September 21, 2025
The wait is over. Our favorite Harvard professor and symbologist returns for another rollicking adventure in The Secret of Secrets.
Bestselling author Dan Brown, who created one of modern fiction's most iconic heroes, delivers the sixth installment in the Robert Langdon series.
And this time around, mystery isn't hidden inside a vault nor within the Vatican, but in an ultra-secure subterranean research center in Prague.
Known as the mystical capital of Europe, Prague's art, architecture, and mythology factor heavily into the story. Full of secret passageways, cathedrals, and monasteries, it's the perfect backdrop for a Langdon adventure.
Oh, and our beloved protagonist (and consummate bachelor) got himself a girlfriend. 'Bout time, professor!
We first met Dr. Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol (2009).
Girlfriend's a noetic scientist. In layman's terms that means she studies human consciousness.
The couple are in Prague for a speaking engagement. Katherine's made a significant breakthrough in the field of noetics: she proposes that the human brain is merely a transmitter, and that our consciousness circulates outside our bodies, making us a kind of giant transistor radio.
As we've come to expect from a Dan Brown novel, capers abound. Someone is forever being shot at, bundled into the back of a van, double-crossed, or cracking a code just in the nick of time.
Reading like an entertaining movie, The Secret of Secrets is already being adapted by Netflix.
Brown's formula of employing richly atmospheric settings and cliffhangers at the end of each chapter creates a sense of urgency, compelling readers to continue turning pages late into the night.
Great fun!
October 20, 2025
Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets is yet another globe-trotting romp through the corridors of history, symbolism, and questionable geography. The plot, if you can call it that, unfolds like a fever dream stitched together by someone who fell asleep during a History Channel marathon.
Does it make sense? Absolutely not. But since when has “making sense” been a requirement for a Dan Brown novel? Reality in this book is more like an optional suggestion, loosely waved at before the characters sprint off to the next set piece. The pacing is relentless - mostly because if you stopped to think about the logic for more than three seconds, you’d burst out laughing. For example, when Langdon ran back to his hotel, pulled the fire alarm, and then jumped into an icy lake - all because his faulty extrasensory perception picked up the “whiff of death” - you realize you’re no longer reading a thriller, you’re watching a Monty Python sketch that accidentally took itself seriously
And yet, somehow, the man remains one of the most widely read authors on the planet. How? I have no idea. Literary critics might call his prose clunky, his dialogue wooden, and his metaphors criminal, but apparently, millions of readers call it “a page-turner.” Maybe that’s the real secret of secrets.
I give it 2 stars out of 5 - one star for the energy, 1/2 a star for the occasional moment of actual suspense, and 1/2 a star just because I admire the sheer audacity of making this nonsense a (possible *yawn) global best-seller.
If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: Dan Brown is the perfect poster child for every struggling writer. If this can top charts, then by all means, keep writing. Because if Dan Brown can become a publishing phenomenon with labyrinths of gibberish dressed up as profound insight, then honestly- so can you.
Does it make sense? Absolutely not. But since when has “making sense” been a requirement for a Dan Brown novel? Reality in this book is more like an optional suggestion, loosely waved at before the characters sprint off to the next set piece. The pacing is relentless - mostly because if you stopped to think about the logic for more than three seconds, you’d burst out laughing. For example, when Langdon ran back to his hotel, pulled the fire alarm, and then jumped into an icy lake - all because his faulty extrasensory perception picked up the “whiff of death” - you realize you’re no longer reading a thriller, you’re watching a Monty Python sketch that accidentally took itself seriously
And yet, somehow, the man remains one of the most widely read authors on the planet. How? I have no idea. Literary critics might call his prose clunky, his dialogue wooden, and his metaphors criminal, but apparently, millions of readers call it “a page-turner.” Maybe that’s the real secret of secrets.
I give it 2 stars out of 5 - one star for the energy, 1/2 a star for the occasional moment of actual suspense, and 1/2 a star just because I admire the sheer audacity of making this nonsense a (possible *yawn) global best-seller.
If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: Dan Brown is the perfect poster child for every struggling writer. If this can top charts, then by all means, keep writing. Because if Dan Brown can become a publishing phenomenon with labyrinths of gibberish dressed up as profound insight, then honestly- so can you.
October 24, 2025
10/24/25
Well this sucks. I've spent many, many happy hours on this site. I've been here for years. And today I'm leaving. I feel so powerless in the midst of all this awful chaos. The only thing I can do is leave. I don't really have anything grand to say. I'm disgusted that a place like this, a place literally built on free speech, expression of opinion, a love of sharing ideas and passion and making the world wider for everyone could so easily spit all over that.
I'm not deleting my account but today I'm gone. In the wind. Taking my toys and going home. Please come with me if you care about being able to speak your mind, if you care about saving a world that used to stand for something, used to be a place other people looked up to. There are still people like us out there. I know you feel like you have no recourse, that nothing you say could possibly matter, that there is no point. I feel that way too most of the time. But I think maybe we're wrong. Because there's another part of me that still burns to share my words with the world, or with the two people that regularly read my stuff, whichever. I still want to sing out my anger and my joy even if I'm just shouting into the void. And I think that must mean something. So I'm going to find another stage to sing on.
Review:
A new Dan Brown book is always an event for me. I'm trying to think of like a real world equivalent. Its not quite like Christmas or my birthday, but the anticipation is just insane. I wouldn't even call reading his books a "hate" read because I love doing it so much it really does sort of suggest that I think his books are, you know, good. Which dear god above I do not.
When I tell you that, upon learning just the title of this book, I started laughing until my face had turned bright, bright, tomato red and I was straight up not making noise anymore, just little hiccupy gasps of glee while tears leaked out the corners of my eyes and my coworkers patted me and my boss questioned the wisdom of keeping in me in a public facing position at the library, I am genuinely not doing justice to my reaction.
I mean look at the backwards "R" you guys!?!?!?!?!
I can't really think of a way to review this book. I feel like it goes without saying at this point that Dan Brown is one of, if not the, most entertaining and simultaneously horrible writers ever to have a book published. What could I possibly say about his adverbs and those weird italics and the fact that he has to keep telling you Robert Langdon's full name over and over like he's concerned that you're so very stupid you might have forgotten since the last paragraph or how he could have a character hanging off of a fifty story building actively being shot at from a helicopter while an escaped lion attempts to eat his leg and decides that its clearly the perfect time for the guy to have a three paragraph inner monologue where he muses about the architect who designed the building and how sandstone really is more aesthetically effective than slate, that hasn't been said before?
So I figured I'd just give you a highlight reel of my favorite things about this utterly hilarious, truly awful, but nonetheless highly entertaining book that you really should read.
1.) You can tell it is a very, very important book because it is printed on very heavy paper and weighs approximately fifty pounds. I'm not quite sure why this is as funny as it is, but every time I picked it up I started guffawing. I just keep picturing Brown going "I need it to be heavy so they take it SERIOUSLY!"
2.) The book BEGINS with possibly my favorite quote ever "With her eyes,if she still had eyes, she traced the gentle slope of Castle Hill down into the heart of the Bohemian capital..." WHAT DO YOU MEAN IF SHE STILL HAD EYES!?!?!?!?! WHY WOULDN'T SHE HAVE EYES!?!?!?!
3.) Robert Langdon has a GIRLFRIEND. I am convinced Dan Brown has done this because he keeps a copy of my review of Origin on his bedside table where I talk extensively about how the only descriptor I ever remember about Robert Langdon is that he's claustrophobic. So now he's claustrophobic with a girlfriend.
4.) There is absolutely no reason on earth for this to be a Robert Langdon book and yet it is. Robert Langdon's entire reason for existence is to run around a famous city admiring the buildings and the art, badly decode symbols, and then be corrected on his mistakes by a smarter person BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT. This made sense in a book like The Da Vinci Code because, you know, Da Vinci loved using symbols blah blah Jesus' kids yadda yadda but it has made progressively less sense as this series has continued. Reading him try to shoehorn "symbology" into a bunch of people doing evil brain experiments is truly entertaining. At one point a business card is "decoded." Its just marvelous.
5.) Dan Brown is still acting like everything that's happened in the other books, Jesus' kids, fertility ending plagues, whatever was happening in The Lost Symbol, didn't actually happen because none of it is EVER brought up.
6.) Orgasms are the secret to unlocking the mind.
7.) If you skip everything but like four pages toward the end this is a really fascinating essay about Noetic Sciences.
Well this sucks. I've spent many, many happy hours on this site. I've been here for years. And today I'm leaving. I feel so powerless in the midst of all this awful chaos. The only thing I can do is leave. I don't really have anything grand to say. I'm disgusted that a place like this, a place literally built on free speech, expression of opinion, a love of sharing ideas and passion and making the world wider for everyone could so easily spit all over that.
I'm not deleting my account but today I'm gone. In the wind. Taking my toys and going home. Please come with me if you care about being able to speak your mind, if you care about saving a world that used to stand for something, used to be a place other people looked up to. There are still people like us out there. I know you feel like you have no recourse, that nothing you say could possibly matter, that there is no point. I feel that way too most of the time. But I think maybe we're wrong. Because there's another part of me that still burns to share my words with the world, or with the two people that regularly read my stuff, whichever. I still want to sing out my anger and my joy even if I'm just shouting into the void. And I think that must mean something. So I'm going to find another stage to sing on.
Review:
A new Dan Brown book is always an event for me. I'm trying to think of like a real world equivalent. Its not quite like Christmas or my birthday, but the anticipation is just insane. I wouldn't even call reading his books a "hate" read because I love doing it so much it really does sort of suggest that I think his books are, you know, good. Which dear god above I do not.
When I tell you that, upon learning just the title of this book, I started laughing until my face had turned bright, bright, tomato red and I was straight up not making noise anymore, just little hiccupy gasps of glee while tears leaked out the corners of my eyes and my coworkers patted me and my boss questioned the wisdom of keeping in me in a public facing position at the library, I am genuinely not doing justice to my reaction.
I mean look at the backwards "R" you guys!?!?!?!?!
I can't really think of a way to review this book. I feel like it goes without saying at this point that Dan Brown is one of, if not the, most entertaining and simultaneously horrible writers ever to have a book published. What could I possibly say about his adverbs and those weird italics and the fact that he has to keep telling you Robert Langdon's full name over and over like he's concerned that you're so very stupid you might have forgotten since the last paragraph or how he could have a character hanging off of a fifty story building actively being shot at from a helicopter while an escaped lion attempts to eat his leg and decides that its clearly the perfect time for the guy to have a three paragraph inner monologue where he muses about the architect who designed the building and how sandstone really is more aesthetically effective than slate, that hasn't been said before?
So I figured I'd just give you a highlight reel of my favorite things about this utterly hilarious, truly awful, but nonetheless highly entertaining book that you really should read.
1.) You can tell it is a very, very important book because it is printed on very heavy paper and weighs approximately fifty pounds. I'm not quite sure why this is as funny as it is, but every time I picked it up I started guffawing. I just keep picturing Brown going "I need it to be heavy so they take it SERIOUSLY!"
2.) The book BEGINS with possibly my favorite quote ever "With her eyes,if she still had eyes, she traced the gentle slope of Castle Hill down into the heart of the Bohemian capital..." WHAT DO YOU MEAN IF SHE STILL HAD EYES!?!?!?!?! WHY WOULDN'T SHE HAVE EYES!?!?!?!
3.) Robert Langdon has a GIRLFRIEND. I am convinced Dan Brown has done this because he keeps a copy of my review of Origin on his bedside table where I talk extensively about how the only descriptor I ever remember about Robert Langdon is that he's claustrophobic. So now he's claustrophobic with a girlfriend.
4.) There is absolutely no reason on earth for this to be a Robert Langdon book and yet it is. Robert Langdon's entire reason for existence is to run around a famous city admiring the buildings and the art, badly decode symbols, and then be corrected on his mistakes by a smarter person BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT. This made sense in a book like The Da Vinci Code because, you know, Da Vinci loved using symbols blah blah Jesus' kids yadda yadda but it has made progressively less sense as this series has continued. Reading him try to shoehorn "symbology" into a bunch of people doing evil brain experiments is truly entertaining. At one point a business card is "decoded." Its just marvelous.
5.) Dan Brown is still acting like everything that's happened in the other books, Jesus' kids, fertility ending plagues, whatever was happening in The Lost Symbol, didn't actually happen because none of it is EVER brought up.
6.) Orgasms are the secret to unlocking the mind.
7.) If you skip everything but like four pages toward the end this is a really fascinating essay about Noetic Sciences.
September 11, 2025
This a rehashed and mediocre and quite insecure piece of patronising work of art. Dan Brown throws in the crowd pleasing elements (older woman, handsome black character etc) but yikes! What a mess. A bloated mess at that, because on my Kobo the page count is 701.
September 22, 2025
WHAT A RIDEEEE
September 19, 2025
মাত্রই পড়ে শেষ করলাম ড্যান ব্রাউনের নতুন বই "দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস।" প্রতিক্রিয়া জানানোর আগে কিছুটা নস্টালজিক আলাপ করা যাক।
'দ্য দা ভিঞ্চি কোড' বইটা যখন হাতে আসে, তখন আমি ক্লাস এইট কি নাইনে পড়ি। হুমায়ূন আহমেদ, সত্যজিৎ, সুনীল, শীর্ষেন্দু, তিন গোয়েন্দা, কিশোর ক্লাসিকের অনুবাদ, মুহম্মদ জাফর ইকবাল এর অগণিত বইয়ের পাশাপাশি 'কিছু ইংরেজি বই' পড়ে ভেবে ফেলেছি, এসবের বাইরে পৃথিবীতে তেমন কিছু পড়ার মতো নেই। এই নার্সিস্টিক প্রাইডে প্রথমবার আঘাত হেনেছিল আমার বন্ধু তন্ময়, একদিন ওর বাসার বুকশেলফে মোনালিসার চোখ আঁকা সাদা রঙের প্রচ্ছদের একটা মোটাসোটা বই দেখে অবাক হয়ে জানতে চেয়েছিলাম "ইহা কী বস্তু!" তন্ময় খুব উদাসীন ভঙ্গিতে দীর্ঘশ্বাস ফেলে বলেছিল, "আমি তোদের মতো বাচ্চা পোলাপানের বই পড়ি না; প্রত্নতত্ত্ব, ইতিহাস, ধর্ম, সিম্বল এসব নিয়ে পড়ি। এসব তোর ভালো লাগবে না।" উত্তেজনার বশে তন্ময়কে তেলতুল মেরে বইটা ধার নিয়েছিলাম, তন্ময় আরও উদাস ভঙ্গিতে বলেছিল, "দেখ, কিছু বুঝিস কিনা!"
বাসায় ফিরেই পড়তে শুরু করেছিলাম বইটা। সম্ভবত পরদিন সকালেই গোগ্রাসে গিলে 'মাথামুথা হ্যাং' করে বসেছিলাম। নিজেকে বুঝিয়েছিলাম, এখন আমি আর দশটা সাধারণ বালকের মতো না। আমার মাথায় এখন ধর্ম, ইতিহাস, গোপন তথ্য, সিম্বলজি বিষয়ে অগাধ জ্ঞান। তন্ময়কে বইটা ফেরত দিয়েই বাতিঘর থেকে প্রকাশিত অনুবাদ বইটার নতুন আরেকটা কপি কিনে ফেলি। তার কয়েক মাস পর এক লাইব্রেরিতে চোখে পড়ে যায় এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনস। ড্যান ব্রাউনের নাম দেখে আম্মুর সাথে মারাত্মক ঘ্যানঘ্যান করে বইটা কিনি এবং আবারও ঘুম-খাওয়া-পড়া বাদ দিয়ে শেষ করি সেইদিনই।
ড্যান ব্রাউনের সাথে পরিচয়টা ঠিক এভাবেই। মনে আছে, এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনসের মোটামুটি কাঠখোট্টা অনুবাদ পড়ার পর ব্ল্যাক মার্কার দিয়ে হাতে এম্বিগ্রাম এঁকেছিলাম। স্কুলে অনেকের সাথেই আলগা ভাব নিয়ে বলতাম, তোরা এসব বুঝবি না। ক্লাসের ফাঁকে ভিঞ্চি, ভিটুরিভিয়ান ম্যান, লাস্ট সাপার এসব নিয়ে জ্ঞান দিতাম বন্ধুদের। এমনকি তন্ময় আর আমি একসাথে হলেই গুরুগম্ভীর ভঙ্গিতে হলি গ্রেইল, অ্যানাগ্রাম, অ্যাম্বিগ্রাম বিষয়ে আলাপ করতাম। রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের পাশাপাশি ততদিনে ডিসেপশন পয়েন্ট এবং ডিজিটাল ফরট্রেসও পড়ে ফেলেছি আমরা!
আরেকটু বড় হয়ে যখন 'দ্য লস্ট সিম্বল' বইটার খবর পেলাম, তখন নীলক্ষেত লোকাল প্রিন্টে সরগরম। মোটা ইংরেজি বই পড়ার অভ্যাস ততদিনে হয়ে এসেছে, বিধায় সস্তায় কেনা পেপারব্যাক বইটা পড়তে খুব বেশি সময় লাগেনি। কিন্তু রিপিটেটিভ কন্টেন্ট এবং প্রচণ্ড জ্ঞানগর্ভ তাত্ত্বিক আলাপের কারণে অসম্ভব বিরক্ত হয়েছিলাম। পরবর্তীতে ল্যাংডন সিরিজের 'ইনফার্নো' এবং 'অরিজিন' দুটো বইই প্রচণ্ড আগ্রহ নিয়ে পড়া শুরু করলেও শেষপর্যন্ত মনে ভরেনি। তবুও ছোটবেলার সেই নস্টালজিয়ার কারণে ড্যান ব্রাউন মনের ভেতর আলাদা একটা জায়গা দখল করে রেখেছিলেন নি:সন্দেহে।
সুদীর্ঘ আট বছর পর আবারও রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের বই নিয়ে হাজির হলেন ব্রাউন সাহেব। আমার সমসাময়িক পাঠকেরা এখন অনেক বেশি ম্যাচিওরড; সহজে থ্রিল অনুভব করে না, মন ভরে না অল্পতেই। এতদিনে সবাই বুঝে গেছেন এবং মেনে নিয়েছেন, নতুন প্লট হলেও ড্যান ব্রাউন সেই একই ফর্মুলাতেই লিখবেন: পৃথিবী কাঁপিয়ে দেবার মতো কোন রহস্যকে ধামাচাপা দেয়ার প্রচেষ্টা, বিভিন্ন ঐতিহাসিক স্থানে রবার্ট ল্যাংডনের দৌড়ঝাপ, গুরুত্বপূর্ণ চরিত্র খুন হয়ে যাওয়া, পৌরাণিক চরিত্রের মতো সেজে থাকা উন্মাদ খুনি, গোপন সংগঠন, ইতিহাস, সিম্বল, কন্সপিরেসি, পুরাণ, প্রত্নতত্ত্ব ইত্যাদি ইত্যাদি। তবুও ড্যান ব্রাউনের নতুন বই নিয়ে গোটা পৃথিবী জুড়ে যে উৎসবের আমেজ, তাতে অংশীদার হবার লোভ সামলানো তো সহজ কথা নয়!
অত:পর হাতে (ইন্টারনেটে!) পাওয়া মাত্রই গতকাল সকাল সকাল পড়া শুরু করলাম রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের ষষ্ঠ বই, "দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস।" একটানে পড়ব বলে আয়োজন করে হাসপাতাল থেকে ছুটি নিয়ে রেখেছি আগেই। পড়া শুরু করতেই অসম্ভব নস্টালজিয়ায় আক্রান্ত হলাম। হার্ভার্ড অধ্যাপক রবার্ট ল্যাংডন; এক হাতে মিকি মাউসের ঘড়ি, আরেক হাতে সিম্বলজির অচল অভিধান নিয়ে ঘুরে বেড়াচ্ছেন। কোন একটা খুন হলো বলে, শহরের পুরোনো গির্জা কিংবা যাদুঘরের ভেতর দিয়ে দৌড়াদৌড়ি শুরু হতে কতক্ষণ বাকি? এসব ভাবতে ভাবতেই সেই পরিচিত ছাঁচে ফেলা গল্প এগোতে শুরু করল। আরও একটা ইতিহাস-প্রযুক্তি-ষড়যন্ত্রের মিশ্রণে টানটান থ্রিলার; এবার গল্পের কেন্দ্রস্থল চেক প্রজাতন্ত্রের প্রাগ শহর, যেখানে দিনভর চলমান এক ঝড়ো অভিযাত্রায় পাঠককে টেনে নিয়ে যান রবার্ট ল্যাংডন।
গল্পের সূত্রপাত ঘটে বিখ্যাত নিউরোসায়েন্টিস্ট ডা: গ্রেসনার এর আউট ইফ বডি এক্সপেরিয়েন্সের মাধ্যমে। শরীর থেকে বেরিয়ে ভাসছেন তিনি, প্রাগের বরফে ঢাকা প্রাসাদ ও শহরকে দূর থেকে দেখছেন। অতিপ্রাকৃতিক এক রহস্যময় আবহে শুরুতেই নড়েচড়ে বসতে হয়।
গুরুত্বপূর্ণ মুখ্য চরিত্র ক্যাথরিন সলোমনকে আমরা দ্য লস্ট সিম্বল বইয়ে আগেই পেয়েছিলাম। তখন ল্যাংডনের সহচর ছিলেন, তবে এবার হাজির হয়েছেন পূর্ণাঙ্গ প্রেমিকারূপে। এক বৈপ্লবিক তত্ত্ব নিয়ে মনোযোগ কেড়েছেন নোয়েটিক সায়েন্টিস্ট ক্যাথরিন,'মানুষের মস্তিষ্ক আসলে কোনো বদ্ধ সিস্টেম নয়, বরং এক ইউনিভার্সাল মাইন্ড এর দরজা। এই দদজার ভেতর দিয়ে যেমন মৃত্যুর পরবর্তী জগতে প্রবেশ করা যায়, ঠিক তেমনিভাবে
ভবিষ্যৎ অনুধাবনের ক্ষমতাও এতে নিহিত। ক্যাথরিন সলোমনের প্রকাশিতব্য বইয়ের পান্ডুলিপি হয়ে ওঠে ষড়যন্ত্রের মূল কেন্দ্রবিন্দু; গোপন এক সংগঠন যেটাকে ধ্বংস করে দিতে চায়, যার দখল নিতে চায় প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বী বিজ্ঞানী, আবার নিজেদের প্রয়োজনে ব্যবহার করতে চায় দুর্নীতিগ্রস্ত সরকারি শক্তি।
বিপাকে পড়েন রবার্ট ল্যাংডন। ক্যাথরিনকে হারিয়ে প্রাগ শহরের আনাচে কানাচে তাড়া খেয়ে দৌড়ে বেড়াতে থাকেন। ঝামেলায় জড়িয়ে পড়েন চেক কাউন্টার ইন্টিলিজেন্স Bezpečnostní informační služba এর সাথেও। চিরাচরিত ঢঙে বইয়ের পাতায় হাজির হয় ড্যান ব্রাউনের সেই বহুপরিচিত উপকরণ: গোপন পথ, রহস্যময় প্রতীক, ঐতিহাসিক সত্যের উন্মোচন। ল্যাংডনের কাঁধে কাঁধ মিলিয়ে পাঠকও ঘুরে বেড়াবেন ওল্ড টাউনের অলিগলিতে। পরিচিত হবেন ছয়শ বছরের পুরনো ���ার্লস ব্রিজ, প্রাগ ক্যাসেল, ভ্লাতেভা নদী, ফোর সিজন'স হোটেল, ক্লেমেন্টিনাম লাইব্রেরি, সেন্ট ভিটাস ক্যাথেড্রাল, স্টাহভ মনেস্ট্রি লাইব্রেরি, অ্যাস্ট্রোনমিকাল ক্লকসহ অসংখ্য ঐতিহাসিক স্থাপনার সাথে। আউট অফ বডি এক্সপেরিয়েন্স, সাডেন স্যাভান্ট সিন্ড্রোম, টেম্পোরাল লোব এপিলেপ্সি, নেয়ার ডেথ এক্সপেরিয়েন্স, স্মৃতিভ্রম এর মতো রহস্যময় অভিজ্ঞতায় শিহরিত হয় পাঠক। 'Consciousness exists outside brain' এর মতো ব্��াখ্যাতীত আধ্যাত্মিক তত্ত্বে বিচলিত হয়ে ওঠে।
রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের আগের বইগুলোর আইকনিক কিলার বা প্রতিপক্ষ চরিত্রগুলোর কথা মনে আছে তো? ড্যান ব্রাউনের প্রায় সব বইয়েই হত্যাকারী বা প্রতিপক্ষ চরিত্রদের ভেতরে পৌরাণিক বা আধ্যাত্মিক আবহ থাকে। তারা নিছক অপরাধী নয়; বরং প্রতীকী রূপ, ইতিহাস বা কিংবদন্তির প্রতিধ্বনি। 'দ্য ভিঞ্চি কোডের' অ্যালবিনো সন্ন্যাসী সাইলাস নিজেকে ঈশ্বরের যোদ্ধা ভাবত, তার সহিংসতার জন্ম হয়েছিল ধর্মীয় উন্মাদনা থেকে। 'এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনস'-এর অ্যাসাসিন নিয়োজিত ছিল ইলুমিনাতি-সংক্রান্ত প্রতীকী বার্তা বহনের জন্য প্রাচীন ষড়যন্ত্রের প্রতিচ্ছবি হিসেবে। 'দ্য লস্ট সিম্বল' বইয়ে মাল’আখের শরীরের ট্যাটু, পৌরাণিক বিশ্বাস আর অবসেশনের কারণে তাকে মনে হতো পৌরাণিক কোন সাধুর মতো। আবার 'ইনফার্নো'-র এন্টাগনিস্ট বিজ্ঞানী বার্ট্রান্ড জোব্রিস্ট বিশ্বকে রক্ষা করার জন্য ভয়ঙ্কর বলিদানের মাধ্যমে নিজের 'দৈবশক্তি' ঘোষণা করেছিল।
ঠিক একইভাবে 'দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস' বইয়ে হাজির হয় গোলেম চরিত্রটি; আধা-মানব, আধা-মিথ, প্রাগের মধ্যযুগীয় কিংবদন্তি থেকে উঠে আসা এক দানবীয় সত্ত্বা। তার মনের ভেতর জন্ম নেয়া দুঃখবোধ ও ভয় একদিকে যেমন ব্রাউনের পুরোনো ভিলেনদের ধারাবাহিকতা বজায় রাখে, ঠিক তেমনি তার উপস্থিতির মাধ্যমে গল্পে আসে ভৌতিক আবহ। কিংবদন্তী অনুযায়ী, গোলেম হলো কাদা বা মাটির তৈরি কৃত্রিম প্রাণী, ইহুদি মিস্টিকরা (বিশেষ করে কাব্বালা চর্চাকারীরা) বিশেষ মন্ত্র-তন্ত্র বা ঈশ্বরের নাম ব্যবহার যার মাঝে প্রাণ সঞ্চার করতেন। গোলেম সংক্রান্ত কিংবদন্তির মাঝে সবচেয়ে বিখ্যাত কিংবদন্তি হলো ষোড়শ শতকের প্রাগ গোলেম; ইহুদি সম্প্রদায়কে রক্ষার জন্য রাব্বি জুডাহ লো (Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, “Maharal of Prague”) এই গোলেম তৈরি করেছিলেন। কিন্তু গোলেম প্রায়ই নিয়ন্ত্রণের বাইরে চলে গিয়ে ভয়ঙ্কর শক্তি ও ধ্বংসযজ্ঞ চালায়, ফলে শেষ পর্যন্ত তার স্রষ্টাই তাকে নিষ্ক্রিয় করতে বাধ্য হন। দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস বইয়ের গোলেম চরিত্রটাও এখানে “বিপজ্জনক জ্ঞান”এর মেটাফোর। যেমনভাবে কিংবদন্তির গোলেম স্রষ্টার নিয়ন্ত্রণকে ছাড়িয়ে যায়, তেমনি ক্যাথরিন সলোমনের পাণ্ডুলিপির জ্ঞানও মানবজাতির নিয়ন্ত্রণের বাইরে চলে যেতে পারে।
কাহিনি যতো এগোতে থাকে, ততোই স্পষ্ট হয়ে ওঠে উপন্যাসের মূল প্রতিপাদ্য: আসল লড়াইটা মানুষের সাথে মানুষের নয়, মানুষের চেতনা ও জ্ঞানের নিয়ন্ত্রণকে কেন্দ্র করেই এই লড়াইয়ের সূত্রপাত। বরাবরের মতোই অ্যাকশন কিংবা সাসপেন্সে কমতি রাখেননি ড্যান ব্রাউন। ব্ল্যাক অ্যাঞ্জেল'স বার কিংবা চার্লস ব্রিজের সিকোয়েন্সগুলো আলাদা করে মনে রাখার মতো।
পাঠক জানেন, ড্যান ব্রাউনের বই মানেই তথ্যে ভরপুর৷ তবে ইতিহাস-দর্শনের পাশাপাশি এবার বিজ্ঞানের দিকে বিশেষ নজর দিয়েছেন লেখক। প্রাগের ইতিহাস কিংবা পৌরাণিক আলোচনার পাশাপাশি জোর দেয়া হয়েছে নিউরোসায়েন্স, ব্রেন-ইন্টারফেস টেকনোলজি, নোয়েটিক সায়েন্সের রেফারেন্সে। নতুন কিংবা চিত্তাকর্ষক কিছু ধারণাকে অবশ্য বিজ্ঞান-বিরোধী বা অতিপ্রাকৃত বলা যায়। অনেক পাঠকের কাছে এই তথ্যগুলোকে বাড়াবাড়ি মনে হতে পারে, আবার অনেকের কাছে এসব তথ্যই যেন আসল রোমাঞ্চের উৎস।
তবে সত্যি বলতে, 'দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস' বইয়েও ড্যান ব্রাউন আগের মতো রিপিটেটিভ। বরাবরের মতোই মাঝপথে তথ্য লুকিয়ে রেখে টান টান উত্তেজনা সৃষ্টির চেষ্টা, একটু একটু করে তথ্য উন্মোচন, মূল চরিত্রের নিখোঁজ হয়ে যাওয়া, গুরুত্বপূর্ণ চরিত্র খুন, পৌরাণিক আদলের এন্টাগোনিস্ট, প্রেডিক্টেবল টুইস্ট সবকিছুর সাথে পাঠক একইভাবে পরিচিত হয়েছে আগের বইগুলোতেও। অনেকদিন বিরতি দিয়ে পড়ার ফলে গল্পের সেই রিপিটেটিভ স্টাইলের বিরক্তিকে আমার মতো নস্টালজিক ইমোশনের দোহাই দিয়ে প্রতিস্থাপন করা যেতে পারে৷
গুগল ঘাটাঘাটি করে যা দেখলান, সমালোচকরা বইটাকে সহজে ছাড় দেননি। দ্য গার্ডিয়ানে বলা হয়েছে: weapons-grade নন্সেন্স from beginning to end, নিছক ভোঁতা উন্মাদনা, আগাগোড়া অযৌক্তিক। ওয়াশিংটন পোস্ট অবশ্য উল্টো দিকটা দেখিয়েছে। তাদের মতে, এই বইয়ে লেখক নিজেই নিজেকে নিয়ে উপহাস করেছেন। ল্যাংডনকে “আর্ম ক্যান্ডি” বানানো কিংবা ক্যাথরিনের বইকে অলৌকিক গুরুত্ব দেওয়া- সবই একধরনের আত্মপরিহাস।
বই শেষ করে আমার কী মতামত? সব আলোচনা-সমালোচনার ঊর্ধ্বে দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস এর এক অদ্ভুত ক্ষমতার কথা উল্লেখ করতে হয়। নিছক এক শ্বাসরুদ্ধকর তথ্যনির্ভর থ্রিলার উপন্যাস হিসেবে নয়, বরং বইয়ের গুরুত্বকে পুনঃপ্রতিষ্ঠা করার এক নস্টালজিক প্রয়াস হিসেবে ড্যান ব্রাউনের এই বইটা গুরুত্বপূর্ণ। বহু সমস্যায় জর্জরিত হয়ে যখন আমাদের বইপাড়া ঝিমিয়ে আছে, ঠিক এমন একটা সময়ে ৬৮৮ পৃষ্ঠার বিশাল একটা ইংরেজি বই প্রকাশের আগেই রীতিমতো ঝড় তুলে ফেলেছে। ড্যান ব্রাউন তো আর সাধে বলেননি, "একটি বই এখনও জীবন বদলে দিতে পারে, বিতর্ক উসকে দিতে পারে, এমনকি হত্যা করাতেও প্ররোচিত করতে পারে।"
'দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস' ড্যান ব্রাউনের সেরা কাজ নয়, একে বরং ক্লান্তিকর পুনরাবৃত্তি বলা যেতে পারে। তবুও এই বইটাকে আমি এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনস এবং দ্য দা ভিঞ্চি কোডের পরে (রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের ছয়টি বইয়ের তালিকায় আমার পছন্দ অনুযায়ী তৃতীয়) স্থান দেবো। এত বছর পরে এসে দ্য দা ভিঞ্চি কোড পড়ার সময়কার সেই কৌতূহলপূর্ণ উন্মাদনা অনুভব করলাম, তাতেই বা আনন্দ কম কীসের?
'দ্য দা ভিঞ্চি কোড' বইটা যখন হাতে আসে, তখন আমি ক্লাস এইট কি নাইনে পড়ি। হুমায়ূন আহমেদ, সত্যজিৎ, সুনীল, শীর্ষেন্দু, তিন গোয়েন্দা, কিশোর ক্লাসিকের অনুবাদ, মুহম্মদ জাফর ইকবাল এর অগণিত বইয়ের পাশাপাশি 'কিছু ইংরেজি বই' পড়ে ভেবে ফেলেছি, এসবের বাইরে পৃথিবীতে তেমন কিছু পড়ার মতো নেই। এই নার্সিস্টিক প্রাইডে প্রথমবার আঘাত হেনেছিল আমার বন্ধু তন্ময়, একদিন ওর বাসার বুকশেলফে মোনালিসার চোখ আঁকা সাদা রঙের প্রচ্ছদের একটা মোটাসোটা বই দেখে অবাক হয়ে জানতে চেয়েছিলাম "ইহা কী বস্তু!" তন্ময় খুব উদাসীন ভঙ্গিতে দীর্ঘশ্বাস ফেলে বলেছিল, "আমি তোদের মতো বাচ্চা পোলাপানের বই পড়ি না; প্রত্নতত্ত্ব, ইতিহাস, ধর্ম, সিম্বল এসব নিয়ে পড়ি। এসব তোর ভালো লাগবে না।" উত্তেজনার বশে তন্ময়কে তেলতুল মেরে বইটা ধার নিয়েছিলাম, তন্ময় আরও উদাস ভঙ্গিতে বলেছিল, "দেখ, কিছু বুঝিস কিনা!"
বাসায় ফিরেই পড়তে শুরু করেছিলাম বইটা। সম্ভবত পরদিন সকালেই গোগ্রাসে গিলে 'মাথামুথা হ্যাং' করে বসেছিলাম। নিজেকে বুঝিয়েছিলাম, এখন আমি আর দশটা সাধারণ বালকের মতো না। আমার মাথায় এখন ধর্ম, ইতিহাস, গোপন তথ্য, সিম্বলজি বিষয়ে অগাধ জ্ঞান। তন্ময়কে বইটা ফেরত দিয়েই বাতিঘর থেকে প্রকাশিত অনুবাদ বইটার নতুন আরেকটা কপি কিনে ফেলি। তার কয়েক মাস পর এক লাইব্রেরিতে চোখে পড়ে যায় এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনস। ড্যান ব্রাউনের নাম দেখে আম্মুর সাথে মারাত্মক ঘ্যানঘ্যান করে বইটা কিনি এবং আবারও ঘুম-খাওয়া-পড়া বাদ দিয়ে শেষ করি সেইদিনই।
ড্যান ব্রাউনের সাথে পরিচয়টা ঠিক এভাবেই। মনে আছে, এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনসের মোটামুটি কাঠখোট্টা অনুবাদ পড়ার পর ব্ল্যাক মার্কার দিয়ে হাতে এম্বিগ্রাম এঁকেছিলাম। স্কুলে অনেকের সাথেই আলগা ভাব নিয়ে বলতাম, তোরা এসব বুঝবি না। ক্লাসের ফাঁকে ভিঞ্চি, ভিটুরিভিয়ান ম্যান, লাস্ট সাপার এসব নিয়ে জ্ঞান দিতাম বন্ধুদের। এমনকি তন্ময় আর আমি একসাথে হলেই গুরুগম্ভীর ভঙ্গিতে হলি গ্রেইল, অ্যানাগ্রাম, অ্যাম্বিগ্রাম বিষয়ে আলাপ করতাম। রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের পাশাপাশি ততদিনে ডিসেপশন পয়েন্ট এবং ডিজিটাল ফরট্রেসও পড়ে ফেলেছি আমরা!
আরেকটু বড় হয়ে যখন 'দ্য লস্ট সিম্বল' বইটার খবর পেলাম, তখন নীলক্ষেত লোকাল প্রিন্টে সরগরম। মোটা ইংরেজি বই পড়ার অভ্যাস ততদিনে হয়ে এসেছে, বিধায় সস্তায় কেনা পেপারব্যাক বইটা পড়তে খুব বেশি সময় লাগেনি। কিন্তু রিপিটেটিভ কন্টেন্ট এবং প্রচণ্ড জ্ঞানগর্ভ তাত্ত্বিক আলাপের কারণে অসম্ভব বিরক্ত হয়েছিলাম। পরবর্তীতে ল্যাংডন সিরিজের 'ইনফার্নো' এবং 'অরিজিন' দুটো বইই প্রচণ্ড আগ্রহ নিয়ে পড়া শুরু করলেও শেষপর্যন্ত মনে ভরেনি। তবুও ছোটবেলার সেই নস্টালজিয়ার কারণে ড্যান ব্রাউন মনের ভেতর আলাদা একটা জায়গা দখল করে রেখেছিলেন নি:সন্দেহে।
সুদীর্ঘ আট বছর পর আবারও রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের বই নিয়ে হাজির হলেন ব্রাউন সাহেব। আমার সমসাময়িক পাঠকেরা এখন অনেক বেশি ম্যাচিওরড; সহজে থ্রিল অনুভব করে না, মন ভরে না অল্পতেই। এতদিনে সবাই বুঝে গেছেন এবং মেনে নিয়েছেন, নতুন প্লট হলেও ড্যান ব্রাউন সেই একই ফর্মুলাতেই লিখবেন: পৃথিবী কাঁপিয়ে দেবার মতো কোন রহস্যকে ধামাচাপা দেয়ার প্রচেষ্টা, বিভিন্ন ঐতিহাসিক স্থানে রবার্ট ল্যাংডনের দৌড়ঝাপ, গুরুত্বপূর্ণ চরিত্র খুন হয়ে যাওয়া, পৌরাণিক চরিত্রের মতো সেজে থাকা উন্মাদ খুনি, গোপন সংগঠন, ইতিহাস, সিম্বল, কন্সপিরেসি, পুরাণ, প্রত্নতত্ত্ব ইত্যাদি ইত্যাদি। তবুও ড্যান ব্রাউনের নতুন বই নিয়ে গোটা পৃথিবী জুড়ে যে উৎসবের আমেজ, তাতে অংশীদার হবার লোভ সামলানো তো সহজ কথা নয়!
অত:পর হাতে (ইন্টারনেটে!) পাওয়া মাত্রই গতকাল সকাল সকাল পড়া শুরু করলাম রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের ষষ্ঠ বই, "দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস।" একটানে পড়ব বলে আয়োজন করে হাসপাতাল থেকে ছুটি নিয়ে রেখেছি আগেই। পড়া শুরু করতেই অসম্ভব নস্টালজিয়ায় আক্রান্ত হলাম। হার্ভার্ড অধ্যাপক রবার্ট ল্যাংডন; এক হাতে মিকি মাউসের ঘড়ি, আরেক হাতে সিম্বলজির অচল অভিধান নিয়ে ঘুরে বেড়াচ্ছেন। কোন একটা খুন হলো বলে, শহরের পুরোনো গির্জা কিংবা যাদুঘরের ভেতর দিয়ে দৌড়াদৌড়ি শুরু হতে কতক্ষণ বাকি? এসব ভাবতে ভাবতেই সেই পরিচিত ছাঁচে ফেলা গল্প এগোতে শুরু করল। আরও একটা ইতিহাস-প্রযুক্তি-ষড়যন্ত্রের মিশ্রণে টানটান থ্রিলার; এবার গল্পের কেন্দ্রস্থল চেক প্রজাতন্ত্রের প্রাগ শহর, যেখানে দিনভর চলমান এক ঝড়ো অভিযাত্রায় পাঠককে টেনে নিয়ে যান রবার্ট ল্যাংডন।
গল্পের সূত্রপাত ঘটে বিখ্যাত নিউরোসায়েন্টিস্ট ডা: গ্রেসনার এর আউট ইফ বডি এক্সপেরিয়েন্সের মাধ্যমে। শরীর থেকে বেরিয়ে ভাসছেন তিনি, প্রাগের বরফে ঢাকা প্রাসাদ ও শহরকে দূর থেকে দেখছেন। অতিপ্রাকৃতিক এক রহস্যময় আবহে শুরুতেই নড়েচড়ে বসতে হয়।
গুরুত্বপূর্ণ মুখ্য চরিত্র ক্যাথরিন সলোমনকে আমরা দ্য লস্ট সিম্বল বইয়ে আগেই পেয়েছিলাম। তখন ল্যাংডনের সহচর ছিলেন, তবে এবার হাজির হয়েছেন পূর্ণাঙ্গ প্রেমিকারূপে। এক বৈপ্লবিক তত্ত্ব নিয়ে মনোযোগ কেড়েছেন নোয়েটিক সায়েন্টিস্ট ক্যাথরিন,'মানুষের মস্তিষ্ক আসলে কোনো বদ্ধ সিস্টেম নয়, বরং এক ইউনিভার্সাল মাইন্ড এর দরজা। এই দদজার ভেতর দিয়ে যেমন মৃত্যুর পরবর্তী জগতে প্রবেশ করা যায়, ঠিক তেমনিভাবে
ভবিষ্যৎ অনুধাবনের ক্ষমতাও এতে নিহিত। ক্যাথরিন সলোমনের প্রকাশিতব্য বইয়ের পান্ডুলিপি হয়ে ওঠে ষড়যন্ত্রের মূল কেন্দ্রবিন্দু; গোপন এক সংগঠন যেটাকে ধ্বংস করে দিতে চায়, যার দখল নিতে চায় প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বী বিজ্ঞানী, আবার নিজেদের প্রয়োজনে ব্যবহার করতে চায় দুর্নীতিগ্রস্ত সরকারি শক্তি।
বিপাকে পড়েন রবার্ট ল্যাংডন। ক্যাথরিনকে হারিয়ে প্রাগ শহরের আনাচে কানাচে তাড়া খেয়ে দৌড়ে বেড়াতে থাকেন। ঝামেলায় জড়িয়ে পড়েন চেক কাউন্টার ইন্টিলিজেন্স Bezpečnostní informační služba এর সাথেও। চিরাচরিত ঢঙে বইয়ের পাতায় হাজির হয় ড্যান ব্রাউনের সেই বহুপরিচিত উপকরণ: গোপন পথ, রহস্যময় প্রতীক, ঐতিহাসিক সত্যের উন্মোচন। ল্যাংডনের কাঁধে কাঁধ মিলিয়ে পাঠকও ঘুরে বেড়াবেন ওল্ড টাউনের অলিগলিতে। পরিচিত হবেন ছয়শ বছরের পুরনো ���ার্লস ব্রিজ, প্রাগ ক্যাসেল, ভ্লাতেভা নদী, ফোর সিজন'স হোটেল, ক্লেমেন্টিনাম লাইব্রেরি, সেন্ট ভিটাস ক্যাথেড্রাল, স্টাহভ মনেস্ট্রি লাইব্রেরি, অ্যাস্ট্রোনমিকাল ক্লকসহ অসংখ্য ঐতিহাসিক স্থাপনার সাথে। আউট অফ বডি এক্সপেরিয়েন্স, সাডেন স্যাভান্ট সিন্ড্রোম, টেম্পোরাল লোব এপিলেপ্সি, নেয়ার ডেথ এক্সপেরিয়েন্স, স্মৃতিভ্রম এর মতো রহস্যময় অভিজ্ঞতায় শিহরিত হয় পাঠক। 'Consciousness exists outside brain' এর মতো ব্��াখ্যাতীত আধ্যাত্মিক তত্ত্বে বিচলিত হয়ে ওঠে।
রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের আগের বইগুলোর আইকনিক কিলার বা প্রতিপক্ষ চরিত্রগুলোর কথা মনে আছে তো? ড্যান ব্রাউনের প্রায় সব বইয়েই হত্যাকারী বা প্রতিপক্ষ চরিত্রদের ভেতরে পৌরাণিক বা আধ্যাত্মিক আবহ থাকে। তারা নিছক অপরাধী নয়; বরং প্রতীকী রূপ, ইতিহাস বা কিংবদন্তির প্রতিধ্বনি। 'দ্য ভিঞ্চি কোডের' অ্যালবিনো সন্ন্যাসী সাইলাস নিজেকে ঈশ্বরের যোদ্ধা ভাবত, তার সহিংসতার জন্ম হয়েছিল ধর্মীয় উন্মাদনা থেকে। 'এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনস'-এর অ্যাসাসিন নিয়োজিত ছিল ইলুমিনাতি-সংক্রান্ত প্রতীকী বার্তা বহনের জন্য প্রাচীন ষড়যন্ত্রের প্রতিচ্ছবি হিসেবে। 'দ্য লস্ট সিম্বল' বইয়ে মাল’আখের শরীরের ট্যাটু, পৌরাণিক বিশ্বাস আর অবসেশনের কারণে তাকে মনে হতো পৌরাণিক কোন সাধুর মতো। আবার 'ইনফার্নো'-র এন্টাগনিস্ট বিজ্ঞানী বার্ট্রান্ড জোব্রিস্ট বিশ্বকে রক্ষা করার জন্য ভয়ঙ্কর বলিদানের মাধ্যমে নিজের 'দৈবশক্তি' ঘোষণা করেছিল।
ঠিক একইভাবে 'দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস' বইয়ে হাজির হয় গোলেম চরিত্রটি; আধা-মানব, আধা-মিথ, প্রাগের মধ্যযুগীয় কিংবদন্তি থেকে উঠে আসা এক দানবীয় সত্ত্বা। তার মনের ভেতর জন্ম নেয়া দুঃখবোধ ও ভয় একদিকে যেমন ব্রাউনের পুরোনো ভিলেনদের ধারাবাহিকতা বজায় রাখে, ঠিক তেমনি তার উপস্থিতির মাধ্যমে গল্পে আসে ভৌতিক আবহ। কিংবদন্তী অনুযায়ী, গোলেম হলো কাদা বা মাটির তৈরি কৃত্রিম প্রাণী, ইহুদি মিস্টিকরা (বিশেষ করে কাব্বালা চর্চাকারীরা) বিশেষ মন্ত্র-তন্ত্র বা ঈশ্বরের নাম ব্যবহার যার মাঝে প্রাণ সঞ্চার করতেন। গোলেম সংক্রান্ত কিংবদন্তির মাঝে সবচেয়ে বিখ্যাত কিংবদন্তি হলো ষোড়শ শতকের প্রাগ গোলেম; ইহুদি সম্প্রদায়কে রক্ষার জন্য রাব্বি জুডাহ লো (Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, “Maharal of Prague”) এই গোলেম তৈরি করেছিলেন। কিন্তু গোলেম প্রায়ই নিয়ন্ত্রণের বাইরে চলে গিয়ে ভয়ঙ্কর শক্তি ও ধ্বংসযজ্ঞ চালায়, ফলে শেষ পর্যন্ত তার স্রষ্টাই তাকে নিষ্ক্রিয় করতে বাধ্য হন। দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস বইয়ের গোলেম চরিত্রটাও এখানে “বিপজ্জনক জ্ঞান”এর মেটাফোর। যেমনভাবে কিংবদন্তির গোলেম স্রষ্টার নিয়ন্ত্রণকে ছাড়িয়ে যায়, তেমনি ক্যাথরিন সলোমনের পাণ্ডুলিপির জ্ঞানও মানবজাতির নিয়ন্ত্রণের বাইরে চলে যেতে পারে।
কাহিনি যতো এগোতে থাকে, ততোই স্পষ্ট হয়ে ওঠে উপন্যাসের মূল প্রতিপাদ্য: আসল লড়াইটা মানুষের সাথে মানুষের নয়, মানুষের চেতনা ও জ্ঞানের নিয়ন্ত্রণকে কেন্দ্র করেই এই লড়াইয়ের সূত্রপাত। বরাবরের মতোই অ্যাকশন কিংবা সাসপেন্সে কমতি রাখেননি ড্যান ব্রাউন। ব্ল্যাক অ্যাঞ্জেল'স বার কিংবা চার্লস ব্রিজের সিকোয়েন্সগুলো আলাদা করে মনে রাখার মতো।
পাঠক জানেন, ড্যান ব্রাউনের বই মানেই তথ্যে ভরপুর৷ তবে ইতিহাস-দর্শনের পাশাপাশি এবার বিজ্ঞানের দিকে বিশেষ নজর দিয়েছেন লেখক। প্রাগের ইতিহাস কিংবা পৌরাণিক আলোচনার পাশাপাশি জোর দেয়া হয়েছে নিউরোসায়েন্স, ব্রেন-ইন্টারফেস টেকনোলজি, নোয়েটিক সায়েন্সের রেফারেন্সে। নতুন কিংবা চিত্তাকর্ষক কিছু ধারণাকে অবশ্য বিজ্ঞান-বিরোধী বা অতিপ্রাকৃত বলা যায়। অনেক পাঠকের কাছে এই তথ্যগুলোকে বাড়াবাড়ি মনে হতে পারে, আবার অনেকের কাছে এসব তথ্যই যেন আসল রোমাঞ্চের উৎস।
তবে সত্যি বলতে, 'দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস' বইয়েও ড্যান ব্রাউন আগের মতো রিপিটেটিভ। বরাবরের মতোই মাঝপথে তথ্য লুকিয়ে রেখে টান টান উত্তেজনা সৃষ্টির চেষ্টা, একটু একটু করে তথ্য উন্মোচন, মূল চরিত্রের নিখোঁজ হয়ে যাওয়া, গুরুত্বপূর্ণ চরিত্র খুন, পৌরাণিক আদলের এন্টাগোনিস্ট, প্রেডিক্টেবল টুইস্ট সবকিছুর সাথে পাঠক একইভাবে পরিচিত হয়েছে আগের বইগুলোতেও। অনেকদিন বিরতি দিয়ে পড়ার ফলে গল্পের সেই রিপিটেটিভ স্টাইলের বিরক্তিকে আমার মতো নস্টালজিক ইমোশনের দোহাই দিয়ে প্রতিস্থাপন করা যেতে পারে৷
গুগল ঘাটাঘাটি করে যা দেখলান, সমালোচকরা বইটাকে সহজে ছাড় দেননি। দ্য গার্ডিয়ানে বলা হয়েছে: weapons-grade নন্সেন্স from beginning to end, নিছক ভোঁতা উন্মাদনা, আগাগোড়া অযৌক্তিক। ওয়াশিংটন পোস্ট অবশ্য উল্টো দিকটা দেখিয়েছে। তাদের মতে, এই বইয়ে লেখক নিজেই নিজেকে নিয়ে উপহাস করেছেন। ল্যাংডনকে “আর্ম ক্যান্ডি” বানানো কিংবা ক্যাথরিনের বইকে অলৌকিক গুরুত্ব দেওয়া- সবই একধরনের আত্মপরিহাস।
বই শেষ করে আমার কী মতামত? সব আলোচনা-সমালোচনার ঊর্ধ্বে দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস এর এক অদ্ভুত ক্ষমতার কথা উল্লেখ করতে হয়। নিছক এক শ্বাসরুদ্ধকর তথ্যনির্ভর থ্রিলার উপন্যাস হিসেবে নয়, বরং বইয়ের গুরুত্বকে পুনঃপ্রতিষ্ঠা করার এক নস্টালজিক প্রয়াস হিসেবে ড্যান ব্রাউনের এই বইটা গুরুত্বপূর্ণ। বহু সমস্যায় জর্জরিত হয়ে যখন আমাদের বইপাড়া ঝিমিয়ে আছে, ঠিক এমন একটা সময়ে ৬৮৮ পৃষ্ঠার বিশাল একটা ইংরেজি বই প্রকাশের আগেই রীতিমতো ঝড় তুলে ফেলেছে। ড্যান ব্রাউন তো আর সাধে বলেননি, "একটি বই এখনও জীবন বদলে দিতে পারে, বিতর্ক উসকে দিতে পারে, এমনকি হত্যা করাতেও প্ররোচিত করতে পারে।"
'দ্য সিক্রেট অফ সিক্রেটস' ড্যান ব্রাউনের সেরা কাজ নয়, একে বরং ক্লান্তিকর পুনরাবৃত্তি বলা যেতে পারে। তবুও এই বইটাকে আমি এঞ্জেলস এন্ড ডেমনস এবং দ্য দা ভিঞ্চি কোডের পরে (রবার্ট ল্যাংডন সিরিজের ছয়টি বইয়ের তালিকায় আমার পছন্দ অনুযায়ী তৃতীয়) স্থান দেবো। এত বছর পরে এসে দ্য দা ভিঞ্চি কোড পড়ার সময়কার সেই কৌতূহলপূর্ণ উন্মাদনা অনুভব করলাম, তাতেই বা আনন্দ কম কীসের?
September 30, 2025
Can’t recapture that moment in time when The Da Vinci Code was a cultural phenomenon, but it was an entertaining curiosity to read my first Dan Brown. This one lacks any innovative or controversial ideas, but I knew the protagonist from the movies, so it felt like an okay episode of a TV series I like.
September 9, 2025
After a eight-year hiatus, Dan Brown delivers his most intellectually provocative and scientifically grounded thriller to date with The Secret of Secrets, the sixth installment in the beloved Robert Langdon series. This latest adventure takes the Harvard symbologist from the mystical spires of Prague to the cutting-edge frontiers of consciousness research, weaving together noetic science, CIA covert operations, and ancient mythology into a narrative that challenges everything we think we know about the human mind.
A Journey Through the Langdon Legacy
For readers who have followed Robert Langdon's evolution from his debut in Angels & Demons (2000) through the Vatican mysteries, to his encounters with the Illuminati in The Da Vinci Code (2003), his exploration of Masonic secrets in The Lost Symbol (2009), his descent into Dante's Inferno (2013), and his confrontation with futuristic science in Origin (2017), The Secret of Secrets represents both a culmination and a bold new direction. Brown has masterfully aged his protagonist while maintaining the intellectual curiosity and moral compass that made Langdon iconic.
The series has always balanced historical intrigue with contemporary scientific mysteries, but this sixth book pushes deeper into the realm of consciousness studies than any previous installment. Where Origin flirted with artificial intelligence and the future of human evolution, The Secret of Secrets asks more fundamental questions about the nature of consciousness itself and what it means to be human.
Prague: A City of Spires and Secrets
Brown's choice of Prague as the primary setting proves inspired. The city's gothic architecture, medieval fortifications, and centuries-old mysteries provide the perfect backdrop for a story that bridges ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science. From the soaring towers of Prague Castle to the underground laboratories hidden beneath Crucifix Bastion, Brown transforms the Czech capital into a character in its own right.
The author's descriptive prowess shines in his portrayal of Prague's "hundred spires" (actually closer to seven hundred, as Langdon notes with typical precision). The city's blend of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture mirrors the novel's own fusion of historical intrigue and modern scientific thriller. Brown's Prague feels lived-in and authentic, from the cobblestone streets of Old Town to the mysterious depths beneath Folimanka Park.
The Science of Consciousness: Noetic Research Takes Center Stage
Katherine Solomon, returning from The Lost Symbol, brings her expertise in noetic science to the forefront of this thriller. Brown demonstrates impressive research into consciousness studies, exploring concepts from out-of-body experiences to the nature of memory and perception. The scientific foundation feels solid without becoming overly technical, a balance Brown has perfected throughout his career.
The exploration of consciousness as potentially existing outside the physical brain represents some of Brown's most ambitious scientific territory. While maintaining the thriller pace that readers expect, he delves into legitimate scientific debates about the nature of mind, memory, and human potential. The integration of real consciousness research with the fictional Threshold project creates a believable foundation for the story's more extraordinary elements.
Character Development and Relationships
The romantic relationship between Langdon and Katherine Solomon adds emotional depth without overshadowing the intellectual intrigue. Their partnership feels natural and evolved, built on mutual respect and shared fascination with mysteries both ancient and modern. Brown handles their dynamic with maturity, avoiding the romantic subplot pitfalls that can derail thriller pacing.
The antagonists, particularly the mysterious Mr. Finch and the tragically manipulated Dr. Brigita Gessner, represent some of Brown's most nuanced villains. Rather than cartoonish megalomaniacs, they're driven by genuine beliefs about national security and scientific progress, making their actions more chilling because they're understandable.
The character of Sasha/The Golěm provides the novel's most compelling mystery and its emotional heart. Without spoiling the revelations, this character represents Brown's most sophisticated exploration of identity, consciousness, and what makes us human.
The CIA's Shadow Science
Project Threshold, the covert consciousness research facility, represents a logical evolution of real-world programs like the CIA's historical Stargate remote viewing project. Brown skillfully grounds his fictional black ops program in documented history, making the extraordinary seem plausible. The moral questions surrounding weaponized consciousness research add ethical weight to the adventure.
The author's portrayal of intelligence agencies feels more nuanced than in previous books. Rather than presenting the CIA as uniformly sinister or heroic, Brown explores the genuine national security concerns that drive controversial research programs. The tension between scientific progress and ethical boundaries provides thematic depth beyond the surface thriller elements.
Strengths That Elevate the Genre
Brown's greatest strength remains his ability to make complex academic subjects accessible and exciting. His integration of symbology, consciousness research, medieval architecture, and modern espionage creates a uniquely educational entertainment experience. The short chapters and cliffhanger structure maintain relentless pacing while allowing space for exposition that never feels forced.
The author's research is evident throughout, from architectural details of Prague's historic sites to the legitimate scientific theories underlying Katherine's noetic research. Brown transforms potentially dry academic material into page-turning adventure without sacrificing intellectual integrity.
The puzzle elements that define the Langdon series remain satisfying. From the symbolism on RFID access cards to the hidden passages beneath Prague's medieval fortifications, Brown provides readers with genuine mysteries to solve alongside his protagonists.
Areas for Critical Consideration
While The Secret of Secrets represents a strong addition to the Langdon canon, it's not without minor shortcomings. The novel's ambitious scope occasionally leads to rushed plot developments, particularly in the final act. Some revelations about the Threshold project could have benefited from additional setup earlier in the narrative.
The technical aspects of consciousness research, while fascinating, sometimes slow the thriller pacing. Brown generally balances exposition with action well, but certain scientific explanations feel slightly awkward within the fast-moving plot structure.
The resolution, while satisfying on an emotional level, leaves certain questions about the broader implications of consciousness research deliberately ambiguous. Some readers may find this open-ended approach frustrating after following such a complex mystery.
A Worthy Addition to the Langdon Legacy
The Secret of Secrets succeeds as both a standalone thriller and a meaningful addition to the Robert Langdon series. Brown demonstrates that after six books, he can still find fresh mysteries to explore and new ways to challenge both his protagonist and his readers. The novel's exploration of consciousness research feels particularly timely as real-world advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence raise similar questions about the nature of human awareness.
For longtime fans, the book provides satisfying character development for both Langdon and Katherine Solomon while introducing compelling new mysteries. The Prague setting offers visual splendor and historical depth that rivals the best locations in the series. The scientific foundation feels more substantial than some previous installments, grounding the fantastic elements in legitimate research.
Final Verdict
The Secret of Secrets represents Dan Brown at his most intellectually ambitious, successfully expanding the Langdon universe into new scientific territories while maintaining the historical intrigue and breakneck pacing that define the series. The novel's exploration of consciousness research adds genuine philosophical depth to the thriller framework, creating a reading experience that entertains while provoking thought about fundamental questions of human existence.
While not perfect, the book succeeds in its primary mission: delivering an intelligent, educational thriller that respects its readers' intelligence while providing the escapist entertainment they expect. Brown proves that after more than two decades, Robert Langdon still has mysteries worth solving and readers still have reasons to follow him into the unknown.
For fans of the series, The Secret of Secrets provides a satisfying continuation that honors the past while pointing toward future possibilities. For newcomers, it offers an accessible entry point that demonstrates why Dan Brown became a global phenomenon. In a literary landscape crowded with mindless entertainment, Brown continues to prove that readers hunger for stories that challenge their assumptions about history, science, and human potential.
A Journey Through the Langdon Legacy
For readers who have followed Robert Langdon's evolution from his debut in Angels & Demons (2000) through the Vatican mysteries, to his encounters with the Illuminati in The Da Vinci Code (2003), his exploration of Masonic secrets in The Lost Symbol (2009), his descent into Dante's Inferno (2013), and his confrontation with futuristic science in Origin (2017), The Secret of Secrets represents both a culmination and a bold new direction. Brown has masterfully aged his protagonist while maintaining the intellectual curiosity and moral compass that made Langdon iconic.
The series has always balanced historical intrigue with contemporary scientific mysteries, but this sixth book pushes deeper into the realm of consciousness studies than any previous installment. Where Origin flirted with artificial intelligence and the future of human evolution, The Secret of Secrets asks more fundamental questions about the nature of consciousness itself and what it means to be human.
Prague: A City of Spires and Secrets
Brown's choice of Prague as the primary setting proves inspired. The city's gothic architecture, medieval fortifications, and centuries-old mysteries provide the perfect backdrop for a story that bridges ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science. From the soaring towers of Prague Castle to the underground laboratories hidden beneath Crucifix Bastion, Brown transforms the Czech capital into a character in its own right.
The author's descriptive prowess shines in his portrayal of Prague's "hundred spires" (actually closer to seven hundred, as Langdon notes with typical precision). The city's blend of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture mirrors the novel's own fusion of historical intrigue and modern scientific thriller. Brown's Prague feels lived-in and authentic, from the cobblestone streets of Old Town to the mysterious depths beneath Folimanka Park.
The Science of Consciousness: Noetic Research Takes Center Stage
Katherine Solomon, returning from The Lost Symbol, brings her expertise in noetic science to the forefront of this thriller. Brown demonstrates impressive research into consciousness studies, exploring concepts from out-of-body experiences to the nature of memory and perception. The scientific foundation feels solid without becoming overly technical, a balance Brown has perfected throughout his career.
The exploration of consciousness as potentially existing outside the physical brain represents some of Brown's most ambitious scientific territory. While maintaining the thriller pace that readers expect, he delves into legitimate scientific debates about the nature of mind, memory, and human potential. The integration of real consciousness research with the fictional Threshold project creates a believable foundation for the story's more extraordinary elements.
Character Development and Relationships
The romantic relationship between Langdon and Katherine Solomon adds emotional depth without overshadowing the intellectual intrigue. Their partnership feels natural and evolved, built on mutual respect and shared fascination with mysteries both ancient and modern. Brown handles their dynamic with maturity, avoiding the romantic subplot pitfalls that can derail thriller pacing.
The antagonists, particularly the mysterious Mr. Finch and the tragically manipulated Dr. Brigita Gessner, represent some of Brown's most nuanced villains. Rather than cartoonish megalomaniacs, they're driven by genuine beliefs about national security and scientific progress, making their actions more chilling because they're understandable.
The character of Sasha/The Golěm provides the novel's most compelling mystery and its emotional heart. Without spoiling the revelations, this character represents Brown's most sophisticated exploration of identity, consciousness, and what makes us human.
The CIA's Shadow Science
Project Threshold, the covert consciousness research facility, represents a logical evolution of real-world programs like the CIA's historical Stargate remote viewing project. Brown skillfully grounds his fictional black ops program in documented history, making the extraordinary seem plausible. The moral questions surrounding weaponized consciousness research add ethical weight to the adventure.
The author's portrayal of intelligence agencies feels more nuanced than in previous books. Rather than presenting the CIA as uniformly sinister or heroic, Brown explores the genuine national security concerns that drive controversial research programs. The tension between scientific progress and ethical boundaries provides thematic depth beyond the surface thriller elements.
Strengths That Elevate the Genre
Brown's greatest strength remains his ability to make complex academic subjects accessible and exciting. His integration of symbology, consciousness research, medieval architecture, and modern espionage creates a uniquely educational entertainment experience. The short chapters and cliffhanger structure maintain relentless pacing while allowing space for exposition that never feels forced.
The author's research is evident throughout, from architectural details of Prague's historic sites to the legitimate scientific theories underlying Katherine's noetic research. Brown transforms potentially dry academic material into page-turning adventure without sacrificing intellectual integrity.
The puzzle elements that define the Langdon series remain satisfying. From the symbolism on RFID access cards to the hidden passages beneath Prague's medieval fortifications, Brown provides readers with genuine mysteries to solve alongside his protagonists.
Areas for Critical Consideration
While The Secret of Secrets represents a strong addition to the Langdon canon, it's not without minor shortcomings. The novel's ambitious scope occasionally leads to rushed plot developments, particularly in the final act. Some revelations about the Threshold project could have benefited from additional setup earlier in the narrative.
The technical aspects of consciousness research, while fascinating, sometimes slow the thriller pacing. Brown generally balances exposition with action well, but certain scientific explanations feel slightly awkward within the fast-moving plot structure.
The resolution, while satisfying on an emotional level, leaves certain questions about the broader implications of consciousness research deliberately ambiguous. Some readers may find this open-ended approach frustrating after following such a complex mystery.
A Worthy Addition to the Langdon Legacy
The Secret of Secrets succeeds as both a standalone thriller and a meaningful addition to the Robert Langdon series. Brown demonstrates that after six books, he can still find fresh mysteries to explore and new ways to challenge both his protagonist and his readers. The novel's exploration of consciousness research feels particularly timely as real-world advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence raise similar questions about the nature of human awareness.
For longtime fans, the book provides satisfying character development for both Langdon and Katherine Solomon while introducing compelling new mysteries. The Prague setting offers visual splendor and historical depth that rivals the best locations in the series. The scientific foundation feels more substantial than some previous installments, grounding the fantastic elements in legitimate research.
Final Verdict
The Secret of Secrets represents Dan Brown at his most intellectually ambitious, successfully expanding the Langdon universe into new scientific territories while maintaining the historical intrigue and breakneck pacing that define the series. The novel's exploration of consciousness research adds genuine philosophical depth to the thriller framework, creating a reading experience that entertains while provoking thought about fundamental questions of human existence.
While not perfect, the book succeeds in its primary mission: delivering an intelligent, educational thriller that respects its readers' intelligence while providing the escapist entertainment they expect. Brown proves that after more than two decades, Robert Langdon still has mysteries worth solving and readers still have reasons to follow him into the unknown.
For fans of the series, The Secret of Secrets provides a satisfying continuation that honors the past while pointing toward future possibilities. For newcomers, it offers an accessible entry point that demonstrates why Dan Brown became a global phenomenon. In a literary landscape crowded with mindless entertainment, Brown continues to prove that readers hunger for stories that challenge their assumptions about history, science, and human potential.
September 14, 2025
I’m being very generous giving this sorry excuse for a thriller two stars.
What you get are stick figures with zero personality being moved around the gorgeous gothic city of Prague. I really want to go back there, this being the only feeling except boredom that this book managed to elicit. Thrown into the mix you have CIA, a revolutionary book about consciousness, depraved experiments in a basement and endless pseudoscientific ramblings. For a while I even thought there was a dash of fantasy thrown in, but that had an explanation.
The plot moves at the pace of a tick on a tar stick and my eyes hurt from rolling so much. Dan Brown is hit or miss for me, with the misses being dominant, so I shouldn’t be surprised. I am surprised that I bothered to finish and NO it wasn’t worth it.
What you get are stick figures with zero personality being moved around the gorgeous gothic city of Prague. I really want to go back there, this being the only feeling except boredom that this book managed to elicit. Thrown into the mix you have CIA, a revolutionary book about consciousness, depraved experiments in a basement and endless pseudoscientific ramblings. For a while I even thought there was a dash of fantasy thrown in, but that had an explanation.
The plot moves at the pace of a tick on a tar stick and my eyes hurt from rolling so much. Dan Brown is hit or miss for me, with the misses being dominant, so I shouldn’t be surprised. I am surprised that I bothered to finish and NO it wasn’t worth it.
November 5, 2025
I'm waiting for this since forever! Another Robert Langdon adventure, and the female lead from The Lost Symbol is returning? Now, that is different. 🤔
November 29, 2025
The longest book I read this year. It took me almost two weeks to finish it. However, the time spent reading was definitely well spent. I consider myself a big Dan Brown & this suspenseful novel did not disappoint. I felt the writing style was very similar to the all the previous Robert Langdon books. For this entry, the author focused on the topics on life after death, the human consciousness, & dissociative identity disorder. The plot twist involving Sasha Vesna was quite shocking but I felt it integrated in the important subplot quite well. I love how the author effortlessly weaved boring technology & scientific facts into the storyline & still makes it interesting to read. I enjoyed the ending because it was happy & quite satisfying… This book is definitely a strong recommend.
November 7, 2025
“Historically speaking, important truths often begin their lives as total impossibilities. And just because we can’t imagine how something could possibly be true, doesn’t mean we can’t observe it to be true.”
…
At some point… skepticism itself becomes irrational.
Professor Robert Langdon is in Prague with his girlfriend Katherine Solomon. She’s a famous scientist who’s about to publish a paradigm-shifting book about human consciousness. But when she disappears from their hotel room, Professor Langdon does what Professor Langdon does: gets drawn into a massive international conspiracy that threatens to change our understanding of the world.
I didn’t love the last book in this series, Origin, but I did enjoy The Secret of Secrets. It’s a solid thriller, well plotted and fast-paced. It reminded me a bit of a Michael Crichton novel, with so much focus on science, in this case, the science of human consciousness. The ideas about an interconnected, non-local human consciousness—not in a hippie way, but in a quantum mechanics single organism way—and the implications it would have on humanity were all really interesting. And the story definitely made me want to visit Prague someday. Recommended.
September 10, 2025
Astonishing
September 23, 2025
This is the 6th book in the popular and highly anticipated bestselling series by Dan Brown. These books feature the leading character of Robert Langdon, a symbologist. I have enjoyed the previous adventures, rating them four stars. I have difficulty rating The Secret of Secrets. I would rate it five stars for how the concept was explained in a clearly defined, persuasive, and believable (though one-sided) manner. The story presents thought-provoking theories that ultimately become mind-boggling. My reading enjoyment is closer to a 2 Star rating.
The underlying concept is that consciousness does not originate in the brain. It exists outside the body. The brain functions as a receiver, filtering out much of the external stimuli. Subjects usually considered supernatural or fake, such as fortune-telling, mind reading, and ESP, which involves the transfer of thoughts or words, and other paranormal activities, become reality under the theory of non-local consciousness. People become more receptive while in an out-of-body state, which is experienced near death, after an epileptic seizure, or on hallucinogenic drugs. People may experience a dissociative state (split-personality) caused stimuli that the mind receives from outside.
Robert Langdon is in Prague with Katherine Solomon, his new Romantic interest. She has written a groundbreaking book dealing with noetic science (the study of consciousness). The book was with the publisher, and copies disappeared when the site was hacked. She was invited to the historic city of Prague to speak about the ideas in her forthcoming book. When she and Robert arrive, the woman holding the conference has been murdered. I spent time googling for pictures of the architecture, buildings, statues, parks, and tourist attractions, which added depth to their background.
The CIA has established a highly secret and secure subterranean research centre under the city of Prague. It is called the Threshold. Their scientists have developed brain chips and a neural mesh to spy using ESP for remote vision and thoughts. They use drugs and near-death out-of-body experiences to heighten and control the subjects' minds. There have been two subjects, a Russian man and a woman, Dimitri and Sasha, who suffered from epilepsy. Under the pretence of an implanted chip to cure them, a chip was placed in their brain for purposes of control. Sasha has disappeared, and Dimitri is believed to have died during the experiments. Robert and Katherine search for Sasha, who can expose the CIA's immoral activities.
Robert and Katherine manage to break into and explore the Threshold. They had been in contact with the American diplomat in Prague. Their search of the subterranean research centre places them in great danger. Is Sasha hidden within? They manage to exit after learning the unethical activities of the CIA just before an unknown person destroys the Threshold. Katherine believes the scientists of Threshold have built on her noetic ideas through access to her book. Prominent in the story is someone calling themself The Golem, with the aim of protecting Sasha. The Golem's true identity comes as a shock.
I was torn between my engagement with the storyline and wanting to quit this rambling 700-page book. I am sure that this will be another bestseller for Dan Brown's many fans.
The underlying concept is that consciousness does not originate in the brain. It exists outside the body. The brain functions as a receiver, filtering out much of the external stimuli. Subjects usually considered supernatural or fake, such as fortune-telling, mind reading, and ESP, which involves the transfer of thoughts or words, and other paranormal activities, become reality under the theory of non-local consciousness. People become more receptive while in an out-of-body state, which is experienced near death, after an epileptic seizure, or on hallucinogenic drugs. People may experience a dissociative state (split-personality) caused stimuli that the mind receives from outside.
Robert Langdon is in Prague with Katherine Solomon, his new Romantic interest. She has written a groundbreaking book dealing with noetic science (the study of consciousness). The book was with the publisher, and copies disappeared when the site was hacked. She was invited to the historic city of Prague to speak about the ideas in her forthcoming book. When she and Robert arrive, the woman holding the conference has been murdered. I spent time googling for pictures of the architecture, buildings, statues, parks, and tourist attractions, which added depth to their background.
The CIA has established a highly secret and secure subterranean research centre under the city of Prague. It is called the Threshold. Their scientists have developed brain chips and a neural mesh to spy using ESP for remote vision and thoughts. They use drugs and near-death out-of-body experiences to heighten and control the subjects' minds. There have been two subjects, a Russian man and a woman, Dimitri and Sasha, who suffered from epilepsy. Under the pretence of an implanted chip to cure them, a chip was placed in their brain for purposes of control. Sasha has disappeared, and Dimitri is believed to have died during the experiments. Robert and Katherine search for Sasha, who can expose the CIA's immoral activities.
Robert and Katherine manage to break into and explore the Threshold. They had been in contact with the American diplomat in Prague. Their search of the subterranean research centre places them in great danger. Is Sasha hidden within? They manage to exit after learning the unethical activities of the CIA just before an unknown person destroys the Threshold. Katherine believes the scientists of Threshold have built on her noetic ideas through access to her book. Prominent in the story is someone calling themself The Golem, with the aim of protecting Sasha. The Golem's true identity comes as a shock.
I was torn between my engagement with the storyline and wanting to quit this rambling 700-page book. I am sure that this will be another bestseller for Dan Brown's many fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2025
Ještě teď se mi kouří z hlavy! 😃
Já mám Brownovy knihy ráda. A jelikož vycházejí s velkým časovým odstupem, nijak mi netrhá žíly, že mají víc nebo míň společných prvků. Kdo má rád Browna a Roberta Langdona, ten bude spokojený i teď. Koho to nikdy extra nebavilo, nebude ho to bavit ani teď, i když se děj odehrává v Praze.
Prahy jsem se trochu bála, ale nakonec jsem to úplně hltala a dozvěděla se spoustu věcí. Až je mi stydno, jaké mám mezery… 😅
Konec jsem neodhadla, kapitoly byly krátké a psané (a přeložené) jazykem, který chcete číst.
Na závěr musím smeknout pomyslný klobouček za veškeré faktické údaje, které se v knize vyskytují. Divím se, že mu to zabralo jen přes 6 let. 😳
A poslední věc: zaznamenala jsem kritiku, že kniha je pro masy a ne intelektuální čtenáře. Mno… řekla bych, že pokud my, průměrní čtenáři, zvládáme a užijeme si knihu, kde se vyskytují věty typu: „Musím říct, že pouhá představa retrokauzality ve mně probouzí kognitivní disonanci.“, tak to s náma vůbec není tak špatný! ☝🏻😃
Já mám Brownovy knihy ráda. A jelikož vycházejí s velkým časovým odstupem, nijak mi netrhá žíly, že mají víc nebo míň společných prvků. Kdo má rád Browna a Roberta Langdona, ten bude spokojený i teď. Koho to nikdy extra nebavilo, nebude ho to bavit ani teď, i když se děj odehrává v Praze.
Prahy jsem se trochu bála, ale nakonec jsem to úplně hltala a dozvěděla se spoustu věcí. Až je mi stydno, jaké mám mezery… 😅
Konec jsem neodhadla, kapitoly byly krátké a psané (a přeložené) jazykem, který chcete číst.
Na závěr musím smeknout pomyslný klobouček za veškeré faktické údaje, které se v knize vyskytují. Divím se, že mu to zabralo jen přes 6 let. 😳
A poslední věc: zaznamenala jsem kritiku, že kniha je pro masy a ne intelektuální čtenáře. Mno… řekla bych, že pokud my, průměrní čtenáři, zvládáme a užijeme si knihu, kde se vyskytují věty typu: „Musím říct, že pouhá představa retrokauzality ve mně probouzí kognitivní disonanci.“, tak to s náma vůbec není tak špatný! ☝🏻😃
September 25, 2025
I was between 3 and 4 stars and the reason is because I love Robert Langdon. I LOVED the previous works of Dan Brown but this time I felt somewhat disappointed. Maybe because I had a higher esteem of his work I expected this to be something grand, something beyond comprehension. But it felt quite dull and I admit I struggled to finish it even though I'm no stranger to lengthy novels.
This story by no means will stir the waters like for example The Da Vinci code. It feels like it had the potential but didn't reach the expectations.
This story by no means will stir the waters like for example The Da Vinci code. It feels like it had the potential but didn't reach the expectations.
September 23, 2025
I did not like this book at all.
The main thing that threw me off was the science. It was simply WAY over explained.
Over explaining how the GABA inhibitor is a new discovery is very unnerving as GABA has been around neuroscience for like 70 years… I was trying to have an open mind but the science wasn’t sciencing.
Culprit A: "Katherine," he said quietly, "can you take a breath and explain to me, in simple English, what's going on?" Like no. I understand that for the general public it’s necessary, but for scientists it’s just too much. Like WAY too much.
Culprit B: The bad guy stopped chasing them and said “before I kill you let me explain to you exactly how this science work so you get the facts straight”💀 (I didn’t get the exact quote, BUT STILL)
I might also have grown out of Brown’s writing style because I physically cringed at some of the sentences.
“Filled with fear, he yanked open the apartment door, burst into the deserted entryway, and ran out of the building into the snow, wearing only his socks. Wheeling in circles in the slush, he shouted into the empty air, "Who are you?! What have you done with her?!"
Who does that? Who receives shocking news and runs barefoot in the snow??? I just couldn’t. As well, some of the dialogue felt forced because there was too much over-explanation. I couldn’t get in the flow of anything without someone pushing science down my throat.
The overall plot was very bad as well. WHAT WAS UP WITH ALL THESE FLASHBACKS???? Are we allergic to a good timeline? I couldn’t keep reading about characters recalling events from the past to get main information. It really wasn’t logical to ALWAYS do this. I felt like I could read each chapter individually and out of order and would probably still understand what is happening with the amount of repetition that I was seeing in this book. There was just so much it was driving me insane.
The Golêm also tried to retrieve a key for 372 pages… This tells you just how much repetition happens. We were getting nowhere.
My last point has to be about the use of chatGPT in this book. The way the IT worker asked people to use chatGPT was just so ew. I didn’t like it at all.
As much as I used to love Robert Langdon, I will not pick up another Dan Brown book. This was my last one.
The main thing that threw me off was the science. It was simply WAY over explained.
Over explaining how the GABA inhibitor is a new discovery is very unnerving as GABA has been around neuroscience for like 70 years… I was trying to have an open mind but the science wasn’t sciencing.
Culprit A: "Katherine," he said quietly, "can you take a breath and explain to me, in simple English, what's going on?" Like no. I understand that for the general public it’s necessary, but for scientists it’s just too much. Like WAY too much.
Culprit B: The bad guy stopped chasing them and said “before I kill you let me explain to you exactly how this science work so you get the facts straight”💀 (I didn’t get the exact quote, BUT STILL)
I might also have grown out of Brown’s writing style because I physically cringed at some of the sentences.
“Filled with fear, he yanked open the apartment door, burst into the deserted entryway, and ran out of the building into the snow, wearing only his socks. Wheeling in circles in the slush, he shouted into the empty air, "Who are you?! What have you done with her?!"
Who does that? Who receives shocking news and runs barefoot in the snow??? I just couldn’t. As well, some of the dialogue felt forced because there was too much over-explanation. I couldn’t get in the flow of anything without someone pushing science down my throat.
The overall plot was very bad as well. WHAT WAS UP WITH ALL THESE FLASHBACKS???? Are we allergic to a good timeline? I couldn’t keep reading about characters recalling events from the past to get main information. It really wasn’t logical to ALWAYS do this. I felt like I could read each chapter individually and out of order and would probably still understand what is happening with the amount of repetition that I was seeing in this book. There was just so much it was driving me insane.
The Golêm also tried to retrieve a key for 372 pages… This tells you just how much repetition happens. We were getting nowhere.
My last point has to be about the use of chatGPT in this book. The way the IT worker asked people to use chatGPT was just so ew. I didn’t like it at all.
As much as I used to love Robert Langdon, I will not pick up another Dan Brown book. This was my last one.
October 8, 2025
Dan Brown has returned to his favorite playground, and this time it's Prague. The book begins with a neuroscientist floating over the city, convinced she is dead, while a hulking figure smeared in clay carves Hebrew letters into his forehead and lectures her about betrayal. Subtlety is off duty. This “Golěm” is convinced he is both monster and guardian, stomping around cobblestone alleys like he's late for a comic-con panel.
Into this mess strides Robert Langdon, once again waking up in luxury sheets, listening to Grieg on his iPhone, and jogging through Old Town like a man whose greatest fear is missing breakfast. His companion is Katherine Solomon, scientist, lover, and convenient mouthpiece for lectures about consciousness. She's written a book that supposedly upends everything we think about the mind, though here it serves mainly as the MacGuffin that sends Langdon through libraries, synagogues, and secret tunnels.
The villain behind the villain is a CIA strategist named Finch, who frets about national security while sending underlings to steal manuscripts from Penguin Random House servers. It's hard to take him seriously when half his plan reads like rejected Bond storyboards. Katherine's research supposedly threatens to topple governments, but the chapters mostly involve people explaining her ideas in long speeches interrupted by explosions.
The Golěm and his clay-smeared theatrics provide the gothic dressing. He believes he is the protector of a woman named Sasha, fractured by trauma and a few too many experiments in a hidden laboratory. When the mask cracks, the “truth” is revealed. This is the novel's grand twist, though I suspect most readers will spot it long before Langdon connects the dots.
As expected, Langdon and Katherine are running through another underground facility that conveniently blows up while they escape, leaving CIA projects ruined, villains scattered, and love interests intact. Katherine's theories about consciousness still hang in the air, both thrilling and suspiciously vague, the sort of thing meant to sound profound in a trailer voice-over.
So what's left? A city full of spires, a dash of Kabbalah, a few chase scenes written as if auditioning for Dolby Surround, and lectures about halos, radiant crowns, and out-of-body experiences. It's brisk, it's silly, it's diverting. But it never lingers on the quirky corners of Prague or the real strangeness of mystical history. Instead, we get step-by-step stage directions for the inevitable film adaptation.
I knew what I was signing up for. The prose is built for popcorn, not for pondering, and the twists arrive with all the surprise of a cuckoo clock. Yet I enjoyed myself. Three stars, for entertainment value, with a small sigh for what might have been if Brown had spent more time with the curiosities of Prague and less time storyboarding his chase scenes.
Into this mess strides Robert Langdon, once again waking up in luxury sheets, listening to Grieg on his iPhone, and jogging through Old Town like a man whose greatest fear is missing breakfast. His companion is Katherine Solomon, scientist, lover, and convenient mouthpiece for lectures about consciousness. She's written a book that supposedly upends everything we think about the mind, though here it serves mainly as the MacGuffin that sends Langdon through libraries, synagogues, and secret tunnels.
The villain behind the villain is a CIA strategist named Finch, who frets about national security while sending underlings to steal manuscripts from Penguin Random House servers. It's hard to take him seriously when half his plan reads like rejected Bond storyboards. Katherine's research supposedly threatens to topple governments, but the chapters mostly involve people explaining her ideas in long speeches interrupted by explosions.
The Golěm and his clay-smeared theatrics provide the gothic dressing. He believes he is the protector of a woman named Sasha, fractured by trauma and a few too many experiments in a hidden laboratory. When the mask cracks, the “truth” is revealed. This is the novel's grand twist, though I suspect most readers will spot it long before Langdon connects the dots.
As expected, Langdon and Katherine are running through another underground facility that conveniently blows up while they escape, leaving CIA projects ruined, villains scattered, and love interests intact. Katherine's theories about consciousness still hang in the air, both thrilling and suspiciously vague, the sort of thing meant to sound profound in a trailer voice-over.
So what's left? A city full of spires, a dash of Kabbalah, a few chase scenes written as if auditioning for Dolby Surround, and lectures about halos, radiant crowns, and out-of-body experiences. It's brisk, it's silly, it's diverting. But it never lingers on the quirky corners of Prague or the real strangeness of mystical history. Instead, we get step-by-step stage directions for the inevitable film adaptation.
I knew what I was signing up for. The prose is built for popcorn, not for pondering, and the twists arrive with all the surprise of a cuckoo clock. Yet I enjoyed myself. Three stars, for entertainment value, with a small sigh for what might have been if Brown had spent more time with the curiosities of Prague and less time storyboarding his chase scenes.
September 23, 2025
I'm the outlier here, but really: 8 years for this? 700 pages of....? I’m absolutely in the minority on this one but the newest Robert Langdon is, sadly, very disappointingly MEH. Do we learn more about Langdon? Not much. As a Robert Langdon fan, this was chock full of predictable villains and heroes, a familiar murder and clue solving formula that was not subverted enough for the core secret to feel truly impactful, weak dialogue, a predictable twist, and the underwhelming concept of "awakened universal consciousness," which felt out of sync with the present and like a techno utopian relic of the 1990s, failing to live up to the promise of its premise. The cringy dialogue detracted from the overall reading experience. Poor Michael Harris though. 2.25/5
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