Table of contents:

Introduction

“The Lost Symbol” is the fifth book by Dan Brown, published on September 15, 2009. It is the third book by Brown to feature Robert Langdon, a symbologist at Harvard University. following “Angels & Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code”. The novel is set in Washington, D.C., and revolves around the theme of ancient mysteries, secret societies, and codes.

It was the most popular book ever published by Doubleday, with a first run of 6.5 million copies (5 million in North America and 1.5 million in the UK). The book sold a million copies in print and as an e-book on its first day in the U.S., the UK, and Canada. This made it the fastest-selling adult novel in history. It was the number one hardback fiction book on the New York Times Best Seller list for the first six weeks after it came out and stayed on the list for 29 weeks. As of January 2013, 30 million books were in print around the world.

Settings

In Washington, D.C.

Pod 5 Smithsonian Museum Support Center: Peter converted an unused pod in the SMSC into a laboratory for his sister Katherine’s experiments in Noetic Sciences. However, Mal’akh, believing he would be rewarded for destroying Katherine’s accumulated knowledge, manipulated his way into her lab and ultimately blew it up.

The Rotunda at the Capitol Building: Mal’akh left Peter’s right hand, which was shaped and tattooed to resemble the Hand of the Mysteries, in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building.

Mal’akh’s House in Kalorama Heights: After kidnapping Peter, Mal’akh took him to his house in Kalorama Heights to torture him. It was also the same location where Katherine met Mal’akh, known as Dr. Abaddon at the time, as he believed she needed to know certain information about Peter. Later in the story, Mal’akh tricked Langdon and Katherine into coming to his house, where he tortured them in an attempt to uncover the secrets of the Masonic Pyramid.

SBB13: SBB13 referred to a storage room located in the lowest level of the Capitol Building, where Langdon, Sato, and Anderson discovered the Unfinished Pyramid.

The Library of Congress: Katherine sought refuge in the Library of Congress after escaping from Mal’akh at her lab. She later met with Langdon there.

The Jungle: The Jungle was a rainforest area within the U.S. Botanic Garden. Sato took Bellamy there to show him the video that Mal’akh had created about the Masons.

Freedom Plaza: Langdon and Katherine staged a false discovery at Freedom Plaza to mislead a cab driver who was sharing their location with the CIA. This served as a diversion tactic.

The Washington Monument: The Washington Monument became the burial site for the Ancient Mysteries, or the Lost Word, hidden beneath a staircase. After Mal’akh’s death and the resolution of the threat to Masonic politicians, Peter took Langdon to the monument.

In Soganlik Prison, Turkey

A segment of the narrative takes place in Soganlik Prison, located in Turkey. Zachary Solomon finds himself imprisoned there after being apprehended with cocaine during an attempt to cross into Eastern Europe. Despite his parents’ belief that he perished in the prison, Zachary manages to bribe the guards into staging his death as part of his vengeful scheme against his father.

In Greek Islands

Another small portion of the story unfolds in the Greek Islands.

Narration

Third person omniscient narrator.

Language and meaning

Language plays a significant role in the novel as characters grapple with decoding an ancient pyramid filled with various codes and symbols. The protagonists must adopt a unique perspective and think beyond conventional interpretations of words and phrases to unravel the pyramid’s mysteries. A crucial example is the phrase “all is revealed at thirty-three degrees,” which initially appears to indicate that the secrets of the Masons are unveiled upon reaching the thirty-third degree of membership. However, Katherine and Langdon realize they must consider multiple meanings of the word “degree.” Langdon, for instance, must rotate the Masonic ring thirty-three degrees within the box housing the capstone to transform it into a cross. Additionally, heating the pyramid to thirty-three degrees exposes a hidden script that only becomes visible at that specific temperature, with the heat melting the wax cover to reveal more codes.

Symbols in the novel possess their own distinct language. Langdon identifies the dot enclosed in a circle as a circumpunct, symbolizing the Ancient Mysteries. He also recognizes that when combined with the cross, it forms a distinct symbol known as the Rose Cross, different from the conventional Christian cross. Upon discovering that the Ancient Mysteries are concealed within the Washington Monument’s capstone, Langdon observes the resemblance of the National Mall to the flattened box that once housed the capstone, further emphasizing the significance of symbolic language in the narrative.

Structure

In The Lost Symbol, there is a Prologue, an Epilogue and 133 Chapters. Since thirty-three is such an important number in the Masonic beliefs, it is certainly no coincidence that the author chose to end the novel on Chapter 133.

The Lost Symbol is different from the traditional novel because there is exposition (background information) throughout the entire story as characters learn about the pyramid and its relationship to God and America. This exposition lasts to the end of the novel where Peter explains to Langdon about the location of the Ancient Mysteries and their place in the lives of men.

Best sentence

“No more unnerving than Christians praying at the feet of a man nailed to a cross, or Hindus chanting in front of a four-armed elephant named Ganesh. Misunderstanding a culture’s symbols is a common root of prejudice.” — Langdon (Chapter 38)

 THEMES AND MOTIFS CURIOSITY & SUSPENSE PLOT SUMMARY

CRITICAL OVERVIEW IMPORTANT CHARACTERS STRESSFUL MOMENTS & CLIFFHANGERS

DESCRIPTIONS OF OBJECTS, PLACES, ORGANIZATIONS & PROCESSES TV SERIES ADAPTATION