Hello my Art History lover.
Alas, art was not the primary focus of this novel, no that would never do in a Dan Brown world. There were several other scenarios playing out throughout the pages which held Brown's talented "LOOK! here comes a bomb!" method. The threat of overpopulation and its effects on our world are discussed and in their wake we as readers are properly introduced to other government-type agencies, like CERN, but this one is named the WHO. I certainly was in denial myself about the evil doer's driving force, Transhumanism. So I had to google it. You're welcome for the links. On to the good stuff....
Brown must have had his thinking cap on tight while writing Inferno. He takes us to modern day Florence where we reunite with Robert Langdon as he wakes up without knowledge of his location or reasons for being where he is. Quickly the book progresses into a cat and mouse game, while he is, with his astounding symboligist mind, trying to uncover his reasons for being said mouse. Excitement is laced throughout the pages while Langdon uncovers his mission via la mappa dell'inferno whose clues ignite paralyzing visions for Langdon. This map was somehow, he can't remember, deposited on his person. Dante's The Divine Comedy is not the focus of the book but instead a guiding light for the evolution of plot within.
As we know Robert likes his women intelligent and helpful. His female counterpart in this book, Sienna, aka Dr. Brooks, saves hiss life and to his surprise does it blindly. She is a master of intellect, a freak of brainy nature but as he soon discovers, doesn't quite know it all. He is afforded the ability to flex his historian muscles and show off a bit while solving his current Robert Langdon sized puzzle. Soon we are taken on a gorgeous journey through Florence via Langdons mission to seek and find. Dante leaves plenty of clues through his masterpiece The Divine Comedy. (Which guess what? Langdon just so happens to be an expert on. He even teaches a course on him. Sign me up). We follow the duo as they are guided by Dante and threatened by an impending collapse of all that we know.
After his previous Robert Langdon books, I didn't expect anything less from Brown and he certainly delivered. Inferno, keeps you in the know about Dante and his life enough to understand his method of writing the comedy (ha!) and why our protagonist worships him. Him and loads of people through the ages. And in typical Brown fashion, he educates you as he moves Langdon through as the crisis unfolds. In case you weren't abreast of the Divine Comedy, or Florentine architecture, or perhaps you weren't aware of all that was effected by Dante's poetic justice, you shall be once you finish the newest of Dan Brown's books.
