Book review: Origin by Dan Brown

Origin by Dan Brown (first published in 2017 by Bantam Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House)

This book caused me a great deal of stress, respiratory problems, and a bout of insomnia, but trust me, these are signs of an excellent story. Dan Brown is the unrivalled king of build ups, and the number of times I held my breath or gasped while reading this is beyond counting. 

I also stubbornly continued to read, bleary-eyed and dedicated to my literary fix, late into the night. Origin is that good.

Langdon’s newest adventure is set in Spain, and kicks off at the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, where his friend and billionaire technologist Edmond Kirsch is set to make an announcement that will uproot the beliefs of the pious across the globe. 

The secrecy and dramatics surrounding the announcement create a tangible excitement in the media and among key invites to the event, Langdon included. But Kirsch does not get to make his announcement; a dramatically-timed bullet sees to that. 

In addition, the small group of people who knew about his impending presentation seem to be disappearing, one by one.

Langdon swears to uncover Kirsch’s find and present it to the world, all the while faced with the real possibility that in so doing, his own life may be in danger. Not only that, but the dark forces behind Kirsch’s killing appear to have reach in the highest levels of government and the church, meaning that trust and assistance are not luxuries afforded to our man. 

As always, it’s Langdon against the clock, but we can only hope he has the smarts to emerge triumphant. 

While it’s (almost) frustrating that Langdon is once again thrown into the depths of an international religious scandal, with no help save his intellect and a beautiful woman, you cannot help but love the story. 

Brown is a storyteller extraordinaire, weaving fact and fiction into a brilliant and unpredictable tale that will have you ignoring the world beyond the covers of the book until you’re done. Be warned that this book will consume hours of your time, but that you will love every moment.

Purchase a copy of the book from Raru.co.za.

Read more of Samantha’s reviews on her book blog and check out her Instagram account.

WATCH: Origin book trailer