'The Lost Symbol' reminded me of 'National Treasure'

I recently finished reading “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown, and I have no problem saying that this is the best book that I’ve read in a long, long time.

Published in September 2009, this novel is set in Washington, D.C. and is the third Dan Brown novel to feature the character of Robert Langdon, a Harvard University symbologist. Many of you will remember Langdon from the 2000 novel, “Angels & Demons” and 2003’s “The Da Vinci Code.” (Tom Hanks played Langdon in the blockbuster motion picture version of “The Da Vinci Code,” which was directed by Ron Howard.)

The events in “The Lost Symbol” take place after the events in “The Da Vinci Code,” but the two novels are very different (and you won’t have to have read one to enjoy the other). “The Da Vinci Code” is set in Paris and centers on a murder investigation that ends up including the search for the Holy Grail.

The plot for “The Lost Symbol” relies heavily on elements of freemasonry, and many of the novels central characters are high-ranking freemasons themselves. Before all is said and done, Langdon is called on to help a friend (who happens to be a 33rd degree Mason) who has been kidnapped by a madman bent on unearthing freemasonry’s biggest and best kept secret.

To me, this novel reminded me of the movie, “National Treasure,” which has a similar plot. Many of you will remember this movie. It starred Nicholas Cage, Harvey Keitel and Jon Voight.

People apparently eat this stuff up because “The Lost Symbol” helped make Dan Brown an even richer man. According to The New York Times, the book sold one million hardcover and e-book copies in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada on its first day, making it the fastest selling adult novel in history.

Those of you who enjoyed “The Lost Symbol” will be interested to know that a motion picture version of the book is in the works. Columbia Pictures will distribute the film, which is scheduled for release in 2012. And, yes, Tom Hanks is supposed to return in the role of Robert Langdon.

In the end, I’d like to know how many of you have had a chance to read this book. What did you think about it? What did you like, dislike about it? Let us know in the comments section below.