Starting months ago, I eagerly waited for my name to ascend the library's waiting list (I started at number 500!) for The Lost Symbol. Little did I know, the wait would be for naught and I would be utterly disappointed by the 500 page novel. I really enjoyed the rapid fire pace of The Da Vinci Code and I loved the story and twists in Angels & Demons. But in my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined that Brown would utilize the same exact devices, archetypes, and outline in his latest thriller as those he used in his previous Robert Langdon adventures. This made for a very boring experience since every page and character felt repetitive. I should have given up after a few pages but I stuck with it. While the story picked up speed around page 180 and my enjoyment picked up, I was extremely bored by the prologue and the few chapters. There were some intriguing themes regarding the intersection of religious and science eloquently expressed but Brown kept going back to the well and repeating certain statements and ideas over and over and over again. Save yourself some time and just read the spoilers online. (2/16/2010)