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David McK (3180 KP) rated The Lost Symbol: (Robert Langdon Book 3) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The third Dan Brown book featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and, like his previous books ("Angels and Demons", "The Da Vinci code", "Deception Point" and "Digital Fortress" - the first two in that list also featuring Robert Langdon), I found it to be an entertaining enough read without being anything special.
I have to say, I also think that (one of) the supposed big reveals was actually pretty obvious from roughly 1/3 of the way into the story, which didn't really help ...
I have to say, I also think that (one of) the supposed big reveals was actually pretty obvious from roughly 1/3 of the way into the story, which didn't really help ...
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Inferno in Books
Aug 21, 2018
One of the best books I've read so far. Robert Langdon, as usual, leaves me breathless and Dan Brown knows how to keep the story going. I couldn't put the book down. It is one of the many that still haunt me, after hours, and I believe it will haunt me for days and months. All the symbols in Dante's "Inferno", of which I wasn't aware of are simply amazing.
[a:Dan Brown|630|Dan Brown|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1399396714p2/630.jpg]'s fifth Robert Langdon book, largely set in and around Barcelona, Spain, and which I read while on holiday to that location.
If you've read any of Brown's previous Robert Langdon - a role which, now, I assocaite firmly with Tom Hanks - books, then you'd know pretty much what to expect: a mad dash around the various locations within, a bit of science (some of which I'd already heard, other of which I hadn't relaised before) thrown in, some plot elelments that would make you roll your eyes if you stopped and thought about them, but actually, all-in-all, a pretty fun read.
In other words, a case where (like in most of his books) the sum is greater than the parts.
Even if, in this case, I found the supposed 'twist' (the identity of Kirsch's killer) to be as plain as the nose on your face.
If you've read any of Brown's previous Robert Langdon - a role which, now, I assocaite firmly with Tom Hanks - books, then you'd know pretty much what to expect: a mad dash around the various locations within, a bit of science (some of which I'd already heard, other of which I hadn't relaised before) thrown in, some plot elelments that would make you roll your eyes if you stopped and thought about them, but actually, all-in-all, a pretty fun read.
In other words, a case where (like in most of his books) the sum is greater than the parts.
Even if, in this case, I found the supposed 'twist' (the identity of Kirsch's killer) to be as plain as the nose on your face.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Jackie Brown (1997) in Movies
Aug 8, 2018
A little forgotten...
It's hard to say a Tarantino film is forgotten; however, not nearly as many people still talk about Jackie Brown as most of his other work which is a shame since it still holds up as another brilliant character study of a caper gone wrong and lots of double-crossing.
Robert De Niro is funny in the film mostly because he doesn't say or do much and is pretty subdued most of the time. The standouts are Pam Grier and Robert Forster with other nods to Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda and her feet and the always amazing Samuel L. Jackson.
If you haven't seen in a while or have never seen, please give it another look.
Robert De Niro is funny in the film mostly because he doesn't say or do much and is pretty subdued most of the time. The standouts are Pam Grier and Robert Forster with other nods to Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda and her feet and the always amazing Samuel L. Jackson.
If you haven't seen in a while or have never seen, please give it another look.
Melanie Johnson (34 KP) rated The Last Five Years (2014) in Movies
Aug 15, 2018
Songs are amazing (2 more)
Story is relatable
Jason Robert brown yall
So glad it's a movie. Too bad there's no character
I'm a theater person. More specifically I'm a musical theater person. When word came that they made my favorite show into a movie I went fan girl ape s*** about it. Upon watching the movie, it fell flat. The actors didnt bring any pizazz to these dynamic characters and sang the songs without emotion. Watch it to appreciate what it could have been
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Origin in Books
Aug 14, 2018
Book Review by Cari Mayhew.
This is arguably the best Dan Brown book yet! I had been a big Dan Brown fan up until I read The Lost Symbol, which is his most tedious Robert Langdon book. But The Origin has made me a fan once again!
In the prologue, an accomplished computer scientist and atheist secretly meets up with 3 religious leaders, and there are 100 pages of build up before the scientist makes his announcement public – only to be assassinated a moment before his discovery is announced.
Central character Robert Langdon and his companion, the future queen of Spain, set out to unravel the mystery and make it public. But, halfway through the book, conspiracy theorists go wild - Robert is made out to be a kidnapper and becomes a wanted man.
As you might imagine, Dan Brown enabled the scientist’s message to be revealed, and this involved a science lesson for the reader. It was 2 chapters long, and to be honest I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dan Brown’s Robert Landon books usually contain a profound, revelatory lesson, but in this book, the message didn’t feel particularly revelatory, and the nature of it could well be guessed at during the early stages of the book. (No spoilers!)
Right at the very end, however, was a disturbing twist when the identity of the individual leaking info to conspiracy.net is finally revealed. (Again no spoilers!)
I like how Dan Brown tells his tales through the minds of several of his characters in turn. It really adds depth to the story, giving insight into the bad characters as well as the good.
This time around, the best elements of the story were told in the personal sides of the events, rather than the main thread of the story, for example in the relationships between the prince and his father and the prince and his fiancé.
Sometimes Dan Brown’s scenes are done an injustice by being described in words, when the architectural pieces really belong on the big screen. Whilst I don’t find fault in the descriptions as such, I found it hard to picture the details.
Although the book has just over 100 chapters, these chapters are very brief, and you’ll likely read them in quick succession. If you decide to give the book a try, please stick it out to the end!
For more of my reviews, check out www.bookblogbycari.com
This is arguably the best Dan Brown book yet! I had been a big Dan Brown fan up until I read The Lost Symbol, which is his most tedious Robert Langdon book. But The Origin has made me a fan once again!
In the prologue, an accomplished computer scientist and atheist secretly meets up with 3 religious leaders, and there are 100 pages of build up before the scientist makes his announcement public – only to be assassinated a moment before his discovery is announced.
Central character Robert Langdon and his companion, the future queen of Spain, set out to unravel the mystery and make it public. But, halfway through the book, conspiracy theorists go wild - Robert is made out to be a kidnapper and becomes a wanted man.
As you might imagine, Dan Brown enabled the scientist’s message to be revealed, and this involved a science lesson for the reader. It was 2 chapters long, and to be honest I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dan Brown’s Robert Landon books usually contain a profound, revelatory lesson, but in this book, the message didn’t feel particularly revelatory, and the nature of it could well be guessed at during the early stages of the book. (No spoilers!)
Right at the very end, however, was a disturbing twist when the identity of the individual leaking info to conspiracy.net is finally revealed. (Again no spoilers!)
I like how Dan Brown tells his tales through the minds of several of his characters in turn. It really adds depth to the story, giving insight into the bad characters as well as the good.
This time around, the best elements of the story were told in the personal sides of the events, rather than the main thread of the story, for example in the relationships between the prince and his father and the prince and his fiancé.
Sometimes Dan Brown’s scenes are done an injustice by being described in words, when the architectural pieces really belong on the big screen. Whilst I don’t find fault in the descriptions as such, I found it hard to picture the details.
Although the book has just over 100 chapters, these chapters are very brief, and you’ll likely read them in quick succession. If you decide to give the book a try, please stick it out to the end!
For more of my reviews, check out www.bookblogbycari.com
Corey Richard Bennett (10 KP) rated The Lost Symbol: (Robert Langdon Book 3) in Books
Jul 19, 2019
Drags on after action ends (1 more)
Unsatisfactory ending
Contains spoilers, click to show
Okay, so the third book in the Robert Langdon takes Robert through Washington D.C. as he tries to save a friend, who has been taken hostage. With help from the hostage's sister, Robert unravels a secret path by the Freemasons. Long story short, Robert saves his friend gets the girl and learns truths of the Freemasons no else has.
So overall the story is typical Dan Brown. Twists and turns at every turn, switching views from each chapter. Robert does Robert stuff with figuring everything out in due time. (By the way, I can't read these without thinking of Tom Hanks being Langdon anymore).
But the one thing I want to focus on is the villain. He is by far the most compelling part of this whole book. Spoiler is he dies about 3/4ths of the book in and once he is gone, that dragging on feeling sets in. There is no trouble, no sense of urgency and the book dies off after that for me. But back to our villain. He is revealed to be Mr. Hostage's son who was once thought dead, but more like transformed into a whole different person. You learn that he came from money, went to prison, is left there by his father, fakes his death, and then tries to steal a family heirloom he feels will help him unlock the secrets of Freemasonry and being the perfect human. My one gripe is Dan Brown pretty much tells you it's not the son, and then says oh yeah it is the son. There's a difference from being sneaky, and just lying to create suspense. Oh well, but before his death, the son is cunning, stealthy, and barbaric (drowning an assistant for a key card). He is a very interesting character and you do miss him once he is killed.
Overall its an okay book, but Inferno or Da Vinci Code were better stories, but if you like U.S. History, it should kill some time for you and keep you enthralled for most the book.
So overall the story is typical Dan Brown. Twists and turns at every turn, switching views from each chapter. Robert does Robert stuff with figuring everything out in due time. (By the way, I can't read these without thinking of Tom Hanks being Langdon anymore).
But the one thing I want to focus on is the villain. He is by far the most compelling part of this whole book. Spoiler is he dies about 3/4ths of the book in and once he is gone, that dragging on feeling sets in. There is no trouble, no sense of urgency and the book dies off after that for me. But back to our villain. He is revealed to be Mr. Hostage's son who was once thought dead, but more like transformed into a whole different person. You learn that he came from money, went to prison, is left there by his father, fakes his death, and then tries to steal a family heirloom he feels will help him unlock the secrets of Freemasonry and being the perfect human. My one gripe is Dan Brown pretty much tells you it's not the son, and then says oh yeah it is the son. There's a difference from being sneaky, and just lying to create suspense. Oh well, but before his death, the son is cunning, stealthy, and barbaric (drowning an assistant for a key card). He is a very interesting character and you do miss him once he is killed.
Overall its an okay book, but Inferno or Da Vinci Code were better stories, but if you like U.S. History, it should kill some time for you and keep you enthralled for most the book.
David McK (3180 KP) rated Angels & Demons (2009) in Movies
Mar 20, 2019
Ron Howard's take on the Dan Brown book of the same name, with that book actually being the first (albeit less famous) of his Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon mystery novels (The Da Vinci code being the more famous).
Like the book, this takes place almost entirely in Rome, with Langdon (Tom Hanks) in a race against time and through the city to unravel the mysteries of the Illumunati during the period immediately after the death of the Pope but before the choosing/ordination of the next.
Also starring Ewan McGregor playing an Irish priest, I have to say that this - unfortunately - didn't really had my attention all that much (although I did have fun playing 'been there! seen that!)
Like the book, this takes place almost entirely in Rome, with Langdon (Tom Hanks) in a race against time and through the city to unravel the mysteries of the Illumunati during the period immediately after the death of the Pope but before the choosing/ordination of the next.
Also starring Ewan McGregor playing an Irish priest, I have to say that this - unfortunately - didn't really had my attention all that much (although I did have fun playing 'been there! seen that!)
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated American Crime Story Season 1: The People v. O.J. Simpson in TV
Mar 6, 2018
Performances are all brilliant (1 more)
The script is great
Gripping TV
This retelling of one of the most high profile American crime investigations in recent history is well acted, well written and gripping throughout. Everyone puts in a great performance, from Cuba Gooding Jr as O.J, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian and Sterling K Brown and Sarah Paulson as the prosecuting lawyers.
Whether you think that O.J did what he was accused of is left up to you, but that honestly doesn't really matter here as the show focuses more on the mentality of the main players involved in the case.
If you are a fan of high quality courtroom dramas, then this show is perfect for you.
Whether you think that O.J did what he was accused of is left up to you, but that honestly doesn't really matter here as the show focuses more on the mentality of the main players involved in the case.
If you are a fan of high quality courtroom dramas, then this show is perfect for you.
