The Lost Symbol, by Mr. Predictable

I spent every spare second of last weekend reading Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol. I can descibe it in one word:

Predictable.

It's just like the DaVinci Code. Here's how predictable it is:

Layne read the book the week before I did. I told him when I was about half way through it that I had it all figured out. He thought the same thing, but he said, "There is one pretty big twist at the end."

To which I replied,

"Oh. You mean that _________ is _____________?" (I won't give it away for those of you who still want to read it.)

He laughed and wouldn't confirm or deny, but when the end came, I was right. I was also right about what the lost symbol was and where it was hidden.

Seriously. I could have stopped reading the book with 100 pages left and told you exactly how it would end.

Dan Brown is just too formulaic for me.

The major theme in the book is the Masons (as opposed to his typical rant against the Catholics.) He actually treats them pretty fairly, I thought. Layne said that he heard an interview with Dan Brown where he said he was tempted to become a Mason after researching them, but didn't want to take a vow of secrecy because then he couldn't write his book. (Anyone else find that hypocritical?)

My problem is that Dan Brown is so liberal in his mixture of fact and fiction, that I don't trust a single thing that he listed in the book as fact-- not about the Masons, or about American history.

I don't think that you can even call his books "historical fiction"-- I think he's firmly placed himself in the category of "fantasy."

That being said, if you are going on a trip and need a good airplane/beach read, let me know-- you can borrow my copy. I won't even ask for it back. :-)