The Lost Symbol (2009) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Robert Langdon: Harvard symbologist. Main character of the plot.
• Mal'akh: The villain. joins the order of Freemasons to exact revenge and get to their secrets. has many identities
• Peter Solomon: Secretary at the Smithsonian, Freemason of he 33rd degree sister is Katethrine Solomon and son is Zachary and mother is Isabel
• Katherine Solomon: Noetic scientist, sister of Peter Solomon, aunt of Zachary Solomon, mother is Isabel Solomon
• Trish Dunne: Add a description of this character.
• Warren Bellamy: Architect of the Capitol, Freemason.
• Inoue Sato: Director of the Office of Security at the CIA, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star
• Nola Kaye: Sato's analyst at the CIA.
• Rick Parrish: security specialist at the CIA.
• Turner Simkins: field operations leader at the CIA.
• Reverend Colin Galloway: dean of the Washington Cathedral, Freemason.
• Trent Anderson: police chief at the Capitol.
• Alfonso Nuñez: security guard at the Capitol.
• Jonas Faukman: editor.
• Omar Amirana: cab driver in Washington DC.
• Zachary Solomon: Peter's son who was killed at a Turkish prison.
• Dr. Christopher Abaddon: Peter Solomon's psychiatrist.
• Albrecht Durer: a German artist of the Melencholia I.
• Hartmann
• Dean Galloway: one of the 33rd degree brotherhood and a priest.
• Isabel Solomon: Mother of Peter and Katherine Solomon assasinated by Mal'akh on a Christmas Eve.

Quotes edit see section history

• “He gazed up through the rain-speckled glass ceiling at the mountainous form of the illuminated Capitol Dome overhead. It was an astonishing building. High atop her roof, almost three hundred feet in the air, the Statue of Freedom peered out into the misty darkness like a ghostly sentinel. Langdon always found it ironic that the workers who hoisted each piece of the nineteen-and-a-half-foot bronze statue to her perch were slaves — a Capitol secret that seldom made the syllabi of high school history classes.”

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• Since the days of Michelangelo, sculptors had been hiding the flaws in their work by smearing hot wax into the cracks and then dabbing the wax with stone dust. The method was considered cheating, and therefore, any sculpture “without wax”—literally sine cera—was considered a “sincere” piece of art. The phrase stuck. To this day we still sign our letters “sincerely” as a promise that we have written “without wax” and that our words are true.

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• Phaistos Disk, the Dorabella Cipher, the mysterious Voynich Manuscript.

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• Masonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”

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• “Living consciousness somehow is the influence that turns the possibility of something into something real. The most essential ingredient in creating our universe is the consciousness that observes it.”

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• The religion of the future, Einstein had predicted, will be a cosmic religion. It will transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology.

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• ‘That which is impenetrable to us really exists. Behind the secrets of nature remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion.’ ” “Who said that?” Langdon said. “Gandhi?” “No,” Katherine interjected. “Albert Einstein.”

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• From the Crusades, to the Inquisition, to American politics—the name Jesus had been hijacked as an ally in all kinds of power struggles. Since the beginning of time, the ignorant had always screamed the loudest, herding the unsuspecting masses and forcing them to do their bidding. They defended their worldly desires by citing Scripture they did not understand. They celebrated their intolerance as proof of their convictions. Now, after all these years, mankind had finally managed to utterly erode everything that had once been so beautiful about Jesus.

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• The Complete Zohar. Although Katherine had never read the Zohar, she knew it was the fundamental text of early Jewish mysticism, once believed so potent that it was reserved only for the most erudite rabbis.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Washington, D. C.: the action of the book takes place here.
• U. S. Capitol Building, Washington, D. C.: the secret is somewhere here.
• Masonic Pyramid
• Washington Monument
• Capitol Rotunda

Organizations edit see section history

• Freemasons (Order of the Free and Accepted Masons, Freemason Brotherhood): Freemasonry is an international fraternal organization that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century
• Invisible College: The Invisible College or "philosophical college" consisted of a group of natural philosophers that work to acquire knowledge through experimental investigation.
• Office of Security: Division of the CIA, focus on homeland security.
• SMSC: Smithsonian Museum Support Center - located in Suitland MD, the SMSC is the main off-site conservation and collections facility for multiple Smithsonian museums.
• Institute of Noetic Sciences: Founded in 1973 to conduct research on human potentials.
• Order of the Eastern Star: A fraternal organization that allows both men and women to become members. This organization is open to all Theistic beliefs.

First Sentence edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• symbolon: From the Greek, symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half.
• apotheosis: When man makes his final step to being godly.
• circumpunct: A circle with a dot in the middle. This symbol represents the highest deity in all religious aspects.
• Elohim: Hebrew word for god or gods
• noetic science: The study of mind and intellect connected to and in relation to modern science.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Science: Science is seen to be moving mankind closer to a period where science will bring about a modern age of enlightenment.
• Religion: Many references to Noetic Science, Freemasonry and mystical rituals throughout the story.
• The Importance of Faith: Describe this theme.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Preceded by The Da Vinci Code.

Preceded by Gone With the Wind, and followed by Shantaram.

Preceded by Inkheart, and followed by The Titan's Curse.

Preceded by A Wrinkle in Time, and followed by The Poisonwood Bible.

Preceded by The Scarlet Letter, and followed by The Last Olympian.

Preceded by The Summons, and followed by The Catcher in the Rye.

Preceded by Emma, and followed by Ender's Game.

Preceded by The Eight, and followed by Goldfinger.

Followed by The Associate.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Dan Brown (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. Paul Michael (Narrator)
2. Jason Kaufmann (Editor)
3. Miguel Batista - Reviewer
4. Carlos Pereira (Translator)
5. Ester Cortegano (Translator)
6. Fernanda Olivera (Translator)
7. Marta Teixeira Pinto (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PS3552.R685434 L67
• Dewey: 813.54 22

Notes for Parents edit see section history

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Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Authors, A-Z › ( B ) › Brown, Dan
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary
• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Thrillers

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• The Lost Symbol: Author's official website with additional details on this book.

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history