Inferno by Dan Brown

“The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”—Inferno

A plague was created. The world is in danger. In order to save the world from massive destruction, Professor Langdon has to decode the crucial information hidden in the famous epic poem by Dante: the Inferno.

This masterpiece by Dan Brown is the last of the Robert Langdon series*, and I believe that the story of Professor Langdon has reached its climax in Inferno. This book is much more than just a fiction novel. All of its literature, science, and historical references are real. It might seem easy to construct a novel based on reality, however, Inferno isn’t just based on our trivial everyday life–It is a perfect mixture of imagination and ancient arts. A great amount of background information is thrown at the readers almost all at once, and there must be an impressive amount of time dedicated to research in order to support the novel. I had to have Google by my side when I was reading the book, otherwise, it would’ve quiet confusing for me. Dan Brown used ancient arts and history as clues to solve the problem Langdon has in hand in the modern world. It is said that, “The past is in the past,” however, in this case, the past can be crucial for the present to save the future.

The protagonist, Langdon, in this novel started his adventure having no idea what just happened to him in the past few days just like all the readers. Langdon’s blank memory made it possible for Dan Brown to introduce mind-blowing turning points in the novel. After reading the book for a while, I gave up trying to predict what would happen next.

“Map of Hell” by Botticelli, he drew out the hell described in Dante’s poem.

I found it really interesting how the name of the book is the same as the epic poem: “Inferno,” meaning “hell”. In the epic poem, Dante travels through nine rings of hell and was finally able to escape from it by crawling onto the hairy belly of Satan. I guess it can also serve as a metaphor for human history: we must first suffer, and then reach paradise. Even though I disagree with this statement, some characters in the novel sure believe in it: In order to have a better future, some must be sacrificed.

 

Inferno is the captivating thriller that I have been seeking for a long time. I have not read the first three books of the series, but that did not affect me in any way while I was reading Inferno. Even though the ending was not as satisfying as expected, I would still praise this page-turner as one of the best thrillers of all times.

*The Robert Langdon series includes: Angles & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, and Inferno.

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