New Dan Brown novel coming this September

[The Evil Genius]

The question is...will his fans still eat it up?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090420/ap_en_ot/books_dan_brown;_ylt=AlVEpZvFfUuf_wyDIWYKwutxFb8C

New Dan Brown novel coming in September

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

NEW YORK – At last, a new Dan Brown novel is coming.

Six years after the release of his mega-selling "The Da Vinci Code," the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group announced that Brown's "The Lost Symbol," a thriller set during a 12-hour period and featuring "Da Vinci Code" symbolist Robert Langdon, will come out in September.

"This novel has been a strange and wonderful journey," Brown said in a statement issued Monday by his publisher. "Weaving five years of research into the story's twelve-hour time frame was an exhilarating challenge. Robert Langdon's life clearly moves a lot faster than mine."

The first printing will be 5 million copies, Knopf Doubleday said Monday, a modest number considering that "The Da Vinci Code" has sold more than 80 million worldwide and inspired a spin-off community of travel books, diet books, parodies and religious works.

A film version, starring Tom Hanks, came out in 2006 and made more than $700 million at the box office. Hanks will again be seen as Langdon when the adaptation of Brown's "Angels & Demons" debuts in May.

Brown, 44, had kept his readers and the struggling book industry in suspense as year after year passed without a new novel. As far back as 2004, Doubleday had hinted that a follow up was coming, tentatively titled "The Solomon Key" and widely believed to be about Freemasons in Washington, D.C. (Brown has been spotted over the years in Washington, researching Masonic temples.)

Monday's announcement did not say where the story was set or who it would be about, and Doubleday spokeswoman Suzanne Herz declined to offer further information. In "The Da Vinci Code," a murder at the Louvre museum in Paris sets Langdon on an investigation that includes secret religious cults and speculation that Jesus had fathered a child with Mary Magdalene — a scenario that enraged scholars, critics and religious officials, all of it only bringing the book more readers.

Eager for success, but unprepared for obsession, Brown became increasingly reluctant to make public appearances or talk to the media. His reserve was only magnified by a copyright infringement lawsuit that was decided in his favor, but not before Brown was forced to testify in London and prepare an in-depth brief about his career, writing process and the fury he faced when promoting "The Da Vinci Code."

"I recall feeling defenseless because more than a year had passed since I'd researched and written the novel, and the precise names, dates, places and facts had faded somewhat in my memory," Brown wrote.

The trial, too, only made his book sell more.

Inspired in part by the commercial fiction of Sidney Sheldon, Brown is an Amherst College graduate who has said he long gave up on the idea of being a literary writer and instead wanted to write novels read by many. But neither the author nor his publisher nor booksellers expected such a boom for "The Da Vinci Code," his fourth novel, which remained on best-seller lists for more than three years and made million sellers out of such previous books as "Deception Point" and "Angels & Demons."

The long silence after "The Da Vinci Code," far longer than the time spent between his previous books, led to speculation that Brown was hopelessly blocked, as staggered by fame as "Forever Amber" author Kathleen Winsor or Grace Metalious of "Peyton Place," novelists who never again approached the heights of their controversial best sellers.

Brown is a native of Exeter, N.H., who still lives in his home state with his wife, Blythe Brown, whom the novelist cited during the London trial as a virtual co-author, an energetic researcher who brought an invaluable "female perspective" to a book immersed in "the sacred feminine, goddess worship and the feminine aspect of spiritually."

[Peeping Wizard]

It's about time!

[zoony]

I'll buy it, the man spins a hell of a yarn.

I do wonder sometimes whether he believes his own bull****. It scares me a bit that he does

[The Evil Genius]

I think the 3-5 page chapters help too.

[rd421]

Sweet another Movie!....

I really liked the Davinci Code Movie( I never read the book I am not much of a reader) Im stoked for Angels and Demons....this should be cool...

[Zguy28]

Sounds like he's trying to bank off of the success of productions like the show 24.

[Jaron]

1. Angels & Demons

2. Deception Point

3. Da Vinci Code

4. Digital Fortress

[Titaw]

I'll buy it, the man spins a hell of a yarn.

I do wonder sometimes whether he believes his own bull****. It scares me a bit that he does

Whats even scarier is the fact that people that a majority of people who read his books believe what he writes.

[rincewind]

I would expect this to be one of the largest fiction releases in a long, long time. He wasn't that well known of an author when the Divinci Code hit and that was obviously a HUGE success. He know has that to build on and this book will sell huge numbers thanks to his name alone.

[deejaydana]

Whats even scarier is the fact that people that a majority of people who read his books believe what he writes.

What's scary to me is that so many people read his books at all.

I made the mistake of reading Da Vinci Code and seeing the movie (shoot me). The book was bad but the movie was unbearable. The best part of the movie was where they had these ancient scrolls kicking around in an old church. That was straight up Austin Powers ****!

[Peeping Wizard]

The best part of the movie was where they had these ancient scrolls kicking around in an old church. That was straight up Austin Powers ****!

Huh?

I agree that the movie sucked but what do you mean by that, exactly?

[deejaydana]

Huh?

I agree that the movie sucked but what do you mean by that, exactly?

Ancient scrolls. Sitting in open air in a hidden compartment. They look the same as 2 week old newspapers. Suspending disbelief. Suspending disbelief. It was beyond implausible. That was a really weak part of that film (and it had more than a few week parts).

The other part I liked was the historian name sounded like 'TeaBag.'

[LaxBuddy21]

I will definitely buy it. I like his writing style and have enjoyed all of his books so far.

[boofMcboof]

I enjoyed reading the Da Vinci Code. Not so much Angels and Demons. The guy's a pretty poor writer, imo.

[zoony]

Ancient scrolls. Sitting in open air in a hidden compartment. They look the same as 2 week old newspapers. Suspending disbelief. Suspending disbelief. It was beyond implausible. That was a really weak part of that film (and it had more than a few week parts).

The other part I liked was the historian name sounded like 'TeaBag.'

I don't think they were ancient, nor was it implied. Just that the Priory kept the secret on a scroll that would disolve if not opened correctly.

At least if that's the part you're talking about. The scroll and the trap were relatively new.

Actually, in the book, Brown goes thru extraordinary detail to describe the Vatican archives and the sealed chambers. It's part of the plot. As is his having to read a 15th century book with a pair of tweezers because the material was so delicate. So really, I'm not sure what you're talking about- unless maybe you never did read his books and are just going off what Bill O'Reilly told you to believe. (or was that from A&D, lol, can't remember)

I enjoyed reading the Da Vinci Code. Not so much Angels and Demons. The guy's a pretty poor writer, imo.

That's amazing- Angels & Demons was probably the best page-turner I've ever read. Probably one of the best plots of all time. Completely original and very cool- probably one in 10 billion people could come up with something like that

And to say he's a "poor writer". Well, you can say that about Grisham. Or Crichton. Or pretty much any popular fiction writers. Listen, if I want great writing I'll torture myself with Wuthering Heights. If I want to be entertained with great storylines and face-paced action, I'll read Crichton or Brown or King, etc.

"not a good writer" is a pretty poor reason for not liking Dan Brown, imo.

But it is important to recognize that his stories are fiction

[boofMcboof]

That's amazing- Angels & Demons was probably the best page-turner I've ever read. Probably one of the best plots of all time. Completely original and very cool- probably one in 10 billion people could come up with something like that

And to say he's a "poor writer". Well, you can say that about Grisham. Or Crichton. Or pretty much any popular fiction writers. Listen, if I want great writing I'll torture myself with Wuthering Heights. If I want to be entertained with great storylines and face-paced action, I'll read Crichton or Brown or King, etc.

"not a good writer" is a pretty poor reason for not liking Dan Brown, imo.

But it is important to recognize that his stories are fiction

I have no ill feelings toward Dan Brown. I've read a ton of Crichton's books and some of Grisham's, mostly when I was younger. It's not the stories and plots Brown comes up with that irk me, it's his writing style and construction.

[Slacky McSlackAss]

I like both The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, but Deception Point was his best work IMO.

I also REALLY liked Digital Fortress. But that's probably because I love the mathematics in the book, and code cracking has always been interesting to me.

[deejaydana]

I don't think they were ancient, nor was it implied. Just that the Priory kept the secret on a scroll that would disolve if not opened correctly.

At least if that's the part you're talking about. The scroll and the trap were relatively new.

Actually, in the book, Brown goes thru extraordinary detail to describe the Vatican archives and the sealed chambers. It's part of the plot. As is his having to read a 15th century book with a pair of tweezers because the material was so delicate. So really, I'm not sure what you're talking about- unless maybe you never did read his books and are just going off what Bill O'Reilly told you to believe.

What? I don't remember exactly but it was towards the end where they went to the (Rosalind or Rose?) castle and lo and behold! there were 'aged' scrolls there which they found quite easily (that part was also a stretch). It was even more implausible that something that was so coveted was so easy to find. They literally opened a door and they find them? What? You thought that was good? OK. You can call me out on some specifics but it was pretty weak (and I'm talking about the movie). If I can't recall specifics on the book it's simply that some time has passed and I've done my best to forget about that book. If it's hugely popular I guess it must be good though, right?

The O'Reilly thing? What does that have to do with anything?

I'll just stay out of this thread (I don't have anything good to say about this book or movie).

[zoony]

What? I don't remember exactly but it was towards the end where the went to the (Rosalind or Rose?) castle and lo and behold! there were 'aged' scrolls there which they found quite easily (that part was also a stretch). It was even more implausible that something that was so coveted was so easy to find. They literally opened a door and they find them? What? You thought that was good? OK. You can call me out on some specifics but it was pretty weak (and I'm talking about the movie). If I can't recall specifics on the book it's simply that some time has passed and I've done my best to forget about that book.

Oh okay, I'm not sure about that but I'll have to go back and read. I'm usually a very sceptical reader and I don't remember a red flag being raised at all. I didn't make it that far in the movie- I shut it off b/c it was so bad. The book was great imo

The O'Reilly thing? What does that have to do with anything?

Because most of Dan Brown's biggest critics don't like him simply because they are offended by his subject matter.

On a personal note the only thing that offends me is that Brown seems to believe it - and won't just come out and say he's making fiction. Maybe he's just doing it for more book sales, who knows.

But to say that the stories suck or that the writing was bad just because Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity are ranting every night about how heretical the books are is bad form. I was guessing you were in that camp- guess not.

[deejaydana]

But to say that the stories suck or that the writing was bad just because Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity are ranting every night about how heretical the books are is bad form. I was guessing you were in that camp- guess not.

I didn't know there was criticism from those guys, this is the first I've heard of it actually. What kooks. It's only a book afterall, right?

The scrolls thing at the end of the movie might only have been in the film (and not the book). It really killed it for me in the movie, it was just so unbelievable. At least that French girl was fun to look at ;-D

The one thing that came across in the book was that Brown, whether fictionalizing or not, has done a wealth of research on the subject---I'll give him that.

[boofMcboof]

Anyone read Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco? Similar subject matter but presented in a much deeper manner. I bought the book recently but haven't pushed through the first 100 pages yet. Supposedly, the author made it difficult to read thru the beginning on purpose.

[deejaydana]

Anyone read Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco? Similar subject matter but presented in a much deeper manner. I bought the book recently but haven't pushed through the first 100 pages yet. Supposedly, the author did it on purpose.

I bought that years ago and couldn't make it through. It was sooooo dense I don't think my brain allowed me to progress far enough. Maybe I need to try again. What was the gist of it?

[zoony]

The one thing that came across in the book was that Brown, whether fictionalizing or not, has done a wealth of research on the subject---I'll give him that.

he definitely has- which makes his fiction a bit dangerous for many.

[boofMcboof]

I bought that years ago and couldn't make it through. It was sooooo dense I don't think my brain allowed me to progress far enough. Maybe I need to try again. What was the gist of it?

I haven't read the whole thing yet but from what I hear there's underlying cynicism from the author and that remembering and trying to understand the beginning of the book is not important.

[SUSkinsFan]

And to say he's a "poor writer". Well, you can say that about Grisham.

I agree with that for Grisham's newer stuff. I couldn't stand The Associate and The Broker.

But Grisham's earlier stuff is amazing. A Time to Kill is one of my favorite books.

But back to Brown, I can't WAIT for this book. I loved Angels & Demons and The DaVinci Code (I need to re-read them because I read them about 5 years ago so I'm sure I've forgotten the finer points). I still need to read Deception Point and Digital Fortress though.