The Lost Symbol
by Dan Brown
★ Top 10 book of 2009 · #10 on Best Books of 2009
Set in Washington, D.C., this novel brings back Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon after the events of The Da Vinci Code. Freemasonry forms its central theme and supplies its major characters, making it the third Langdon adventure.
Best for: Fans of Robert Langdon who enjoy symbol-driven thrillers built around secret societies
The Lost Symbol is #10 on BookWard's Best Books of 2009, out of 42 2009 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Lost Symbol is about
Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist from Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, is invited to give a lecture at the U.S. Capitol, supposedly by his mentor Peter Solomon, a high-ranking Freemason. The invitation is a trap. It came from Mal'akh, the man who has kidnapped Solomon, and he demands that Langdon find the Mason's Pyramid and the Lost Word, or Solomon will be killed.
Langdon is soon caught between competing agendas. The CIA's Inoue Sato cares more about catching Mal'akh than saving Peter, while Capitol architect Warren Bellamy offers help of his own. Set across Washington, D.C., the story draws on Freemasonry, secret societies and hidden knowledge, with a personal grudge behind the villain's plan. It moves quickly and keeps the tension high, a good fit for readers who like a code to crack and a clock to race.
The Lost Symbol on the Best Books of 2009
The Lost Symbol came out in 2009. Of the 42 books first published in 2009 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #10 on our Best Books of 2009 list.
Why it made the list: 977 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (102 ratings); 56 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2009 list
- The Demigod Files Rick Riordan, #8
- Wintergirls Laurie Halse Anderson, #9
- Under the Dome Stephen King, #11
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Travis Bradberry, #12
See all Best Books of 2009 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2008 Best Books of 2010.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 724 want to read it, 56 are reading it now and 197 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.6 out of 5 from 102 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 88 | 55% |
| Reader love | 10 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 88 | 20% |
Questions about The Lost Symbol
When was The Lost Symbol published?
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown was first published in 2009.
Was The Lost Symbol one of the best books of 2009?
The Lost Symbol is #10 on BookWard's Best Books of 2009, out of 42 2009 books that cleared our data bar. 977 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (102 ratings); 56 are reading it right now.
Why is The Lost Symbol on the Best Books of 2009 list?
977 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (102 ratings); 56 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2009
- The Last Olympian Rick Riordan, #1
- Catching Fire Suzanne Collins, #2
- The Maze Runner James Dashner, #3
- The Help Kathryn Stockett, #4
- Dork Diaries Rachel Renée Russell, #5
- I Will Teach You to Be Rich Ramit Sethi, #6
See the full Best Books of 2009, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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