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Inferno: A Novel (Robert Langdon) Hardcover – Unabridged, May 14, 2013

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 82,921 ratings

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#1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings.

“One hell of a good read.... As close as a book can come to a summertime cinematic blockbuster.” —USA Today

“A diverting thriller.” —
Entertainment Weekly

With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee.

Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri's
The Inferno.

Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again, combining classical Italian art, history, and literature with cutting-edge science in this captivating thriller.


The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: Inside Inferno

Explore the sights of Inferno alongside Robert Langdon in this exclusive first look at Dan Brown's latest thriller.

As Langdon continued on toward the elbow of the square, he could
see, directly ahead in the distance, the shimmering blue glass dial of the
St. Mark’s Clock Tower—the same astronomical clock through which
James Bond had thrown a villain in the film
Moonraker.

The Tetrarchs statue was well known for its missing foot, broken
off while it was being plundered from Constantinople in the thirteenth
century. Miraculously, in the 1960s, the foot was unearthed in Istanbul.
Venice petitioned for the missing piece of statue, but the Turkish authorities
replied with a simple message:
You stole the statue—we’re keeping our
foot
.

Amid a contour of spires and domes, a single illuminated facade dominated
Langdon’s field of view. The building was an imposing stone fortress
with a notched parapet and a three-hundred-foot tower that swelled
near the top, bulging outward into a massive machicolated battlement.

Langdon found himself standing before a familiar face—that of Dante Alighieri.
Depicted in the legendary fresco by Michelino, the great poet stood before
Mount Purgatory and held forth in his hands, as if in humble offering,
his masterpiece The Divine Comedy.

Amazon Exclusve: Additional Reading Suggestions from Dan Brown

  • The Divine Comedy: Volume 1: Inferno—(Penguin Classics)
  • The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology—Ray Kurzweil (Author)
  • Brunelleschi's Dome—Ross King (Author)
  • The Lives of the Artists Volume 1—Giorgio Vasari (Author), George Bull (Translator)
  • The Book Of Symbols: Reflections On Archetypal Images—ARAS

Q&A with Dan Brown

Q. Inferno refers to Dante Alighieri´s The Divine Comedy. What is Dante’s significance? What features of his work or life inspired you?

A. The Divine Comedy—like The Mona Lisa—is one of those rare artistic achievements that transcends its moment in history and becomes an enduring cultural touchstone. Like Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, The Divine Comedy speaks to us centuries after its creation and is considered an example of one of the finest works ever produced in its artistic field. For me, the most captivating quality of Dante Alighieri is his staggering influence on culture, religion, history, and the arts. In addition to codifying the early Christian vision of Hell, Dante’s work has inspired some of history’s greatest luminaries—Longfellow, Chaucer, Borges, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Monteverdi, Michelangelo, Blake, Dalí—and even a few modern video game designers. Despite Dante’s enduring influence on the arts, however, most of us today have only a vague notion of what his work actually says—both literally and symbolically (which, of course, is of great interest to Robert Langdon). A few years ago, I became very excited about the prospect of writing a contemporary thriller that incorporated the philosophy, history, and text of Dante’s timeless descent into The Inferno.

Q. Where did do your research for Inferno? How long did you spend on it?

A. Researching Inferno began with six months of reading, including several translations of The Divine Comedy, various annotations by Dante scholars, historical texts about Dante’s life and philosophies, as well as a lot of background reading on Florence itself. At the same time, I was poring over all the new scientific information that I could find on a cutting edge technology that I had decided to incorporate into the novel. Once I had enough understanding of these topics to proceed, I traveled to Florence and Venice, where I was fortunate to meet with some wonderful art historians, librarians, and other scholars who helped me enormously.

Once this initial phase of research was complete, I began outlining and writing the novel. As is always the case, when a book begins to take shape, I am drawn in unexpected directions that require additional research. This was also the case with Inferno, which took about 3 years from conception to publication.

With respect to the process, the success of these novels has been a bit of a Catch-22. On one hand, I now have wonderful access to specialists, authorities, and even secret archives from which to draw information and inspiration. On the other hand, because there is increased speculation about my works in progress, I need to be increasingly discreet about the places I go and the specialists with whom I speak. Even so, there is one aspect of my research that will never change—making personal visits to the locations about which I’m writing. When it comes to capturing the feel of a novel’s setting, I find there is no substitute for being there in the flesh...even if sometimes I need to do it incognito.

Q. What kind of adventure will Robert Langdon face this time? Can you give us any sneak peak at the new novel?

A. Inferno is very much a Robert Langdon thriller. It’s filled with codes, symbols, art, and the exotic locations that my readers love to explore. In this novel, Dante Alighieri’s ancient literary masterpiece—The Divine Comedy—becomes a catalyst that inspires a macabre genius to unleash a scientific creation of enormous destructive potential. Robert Langdon must battle this dark adversary by deciphering a Dante-related riddle, which leads him to Florence, where he finds himself in a desperate race through a landscape of classical art, secret passageways, and futuristic technology.

Q. What made Florence the ideal location for Inferno?

A. No city on earth is more closely tied to Dante Alighieri. Dante grew up in Florence, fell in love in Florence, and began writing in Florence. Later in life, when he was exiled for political reasons, the longing he felt for his beloved Florence became a catalyst for The Divine Comedy. Through his enduring poem, Dante enjoyed the “last word” over his political enemies, banishing them to various rings of Inferno where they suffered terrible tortures.

From Publishers Weekly

The threat of world overpopulation is the latest assignment for Brown's art historian and accidental sleuth Robert Langdon. Awakening in a Florence hospital with no memory of the preceding 36 hours, Langdon and an attractive attending physician with an oversized intellect are immediately pursued by an ominous underground organization and the Italian police. Detailed tours of Florence, Venice, and Istanbul mean to establish setting, but instead bog down the story and border on showoffmanship. Relying on a deceased villain's trail of clues threaded through the text of Dante's The Divine Comedy, the duo attempt to unravel the events leading up to Langdon's amnesia and thwart a global genocide scheme. Suspension of disbelief is required as miraculous coincidences pile upon pure luck. Near the three-quarters point everything established gets upended and Brown, hoping to draw us in deeper, nearly drives us out. Though the prose is fast-paced and sharp, the burdensome dialogue only serves plot and back story, and is interspersed with unfortunate attempts at folksy humor. It's hard not to appreciate a present day mega-selling thriller that attempts a refresher course in Italian literature and European history. But the real mystery is in the book's denouement and how Brown can possibly bring his hero back for more. Agent: Heide Lange, Sanford J. Greenberger Associates. (May)

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0385537859
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday; First Edition (May 14, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780385537858
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385537858
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.7 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.37 x 1.64 x 9.52 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 82,921 ratings

About the author

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Dan Brown
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Dan Brown is the bestselling author of Digital Fortress, Deception Point, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol and most recently, Inferno. Three of his Robert Langdon novels have been adapted for the screen by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks. They have all been international blockbusters.

His new Robert Langdon thriller, Origin will be out on 3rd October 2017.

Dan Brown is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he has taught English and Creative Writing. He lives in New England.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
82,921 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book intelligent, informative, and enjoyable. They also appreciate the clever use of paintings, symbols, and other artefacts. Readers describe the geographical tour as very interesting and consistent with what they remember from the places they've been. They describe the plot as incredibly interesting, scary, and non-stop. Opinions are mixed on the descriptiveness, pacing, and characterization. Some find the historical and architectural detail compelling, while others say it's too much.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

9,502 customers mention "Plot"6,895 positive2,607 negative

Customers find the plot fascinating, engrossing, and suspenseful. They also appreciate the constant cliffhangers, twists, and turns. Readers also mention that the history of Florence is fascinating. They appreciate the author's attention to detail and descriptive powers.

"...generation readers has once again struck with his powerful pen, a mesmerizing and wonderful fiction, worth reading many times...." Read more

"...The "moral" of the story is topical and will get you thinking about real world issues - unlike the Da Vinci Code or the Lost Symbol, and if read..." Read more

"...At times exciting, slow, intelligent, sophomoric, surprising and frustrating, this novel was better than the The Lost Symbol,..." Read more

"...will be tricky to direct, since the plot's convoluted and often implausible premises, combined with its mad-dash action will present problems of..." Read more

8,587 customers mention "Literary merit"7,551 positive1,036 negative

Customers find the book intelligent, enjoyable, and brilliant. They also say the novel starts out strong and is challenging but highly rewarding. Readers also mention that the book is well written and edited.

"...has once again struck with his powerful pen, a mesmerizing and wonderful fiction, worth reading many times...." Read more

"...For all that, it is a good summer book with a great deal of material on some of the world's artistic masterpieces...." Read more

"...The novel starts out strong, with our favorite symbologist, Robert Langdon, waking up with amnesia and a bullet crease to the skull in Florence,..." Read more

"...This is an intelligent novel in which we learn more about not only Dante, but also Michelangelo and his famous statue of David; the Doge's..." Read more

2,128 customers mention "Literary aspects"1,707 positive421 negative

Customers find the book intelligent, great, and fast-paced. They also appreciate the clever use of paintings, symbols, and other artefacts. Readers say the characters are complex and brilliant. They say the plot has an excellent message to the world.

"...At times exciting, slow, intelligent, sophomoric, surprising and frustrating, this novel was better than the The Lost Symbol,..." Read more

"...Overall, 'Inferno' is a thoroughly enjoyable and intelligent read...." Read more

"...Inferno was a very quick read for me, as I'm sure it will be for most people...." Read more

"...Brown does a fantastic job of keeping readers off balance as one never knows who to trust or who is lying, who is telling the truth and who is..." Read more

1,741 customers mention "Content"1,586 positive155 negative

Customers find the book very informative, intelligent, and interesting. They also say the socio-economic elements are thought provoking, and the author expertly researches his locales. Readers also mention that the book is entertaining and encouraging, with relevant population questions.

"...The author’s outstanding talent in his research abilities and zeal to pursue world history through art and architecture is absolutely unmatched as..." Read more

"...While the socio-economic elements are thought provoking, the methodology that is used to convey them is sometimes a little preachy, and similar to..." Read more

"...At times exciting, slow, intelligent, sophomoric, surprising and frustrating, this novel was better than the The Lost Symbol,..." Read more

"...Intelligent, and thrilling. We never know what's going to happen next. All 100+ chapters of 'Inferno' keep us on the edge of our seat...." Read more

424 customers mention "Travelogue"376 positive48 negative

Customers find the geographical tour very interesting and consistent with what they remember from the places they visited. They also appreciate the superb locations, history, literature, and writing style. Readers say the book serves as an incomparable travelogue, and they get a strong sense of place.

"...Pros: Some of the greatest places of interest in art and architecture across Italy, Venice and Turkey have been widely described with a lot of..." Read more

"...There are some serious positives... I loved the locales, and the author does his usual thorough guide-book coverage of the venues the characters..." Read more

"...and familiar to Dan Brown's writing style, this is worth taking an adventure into Italy and finding appreciation to the country's well preserved art..." Read more

"...Great history, culture, geography: a typical Brown effort...." Read more

1,711 customers mention "Pacing"1,172 positive539 negative

Customers are mixed about the pacing. Some mention that the author does what he does best by creating a fast-paced, symbolic treasure hunt that keeps them curious and moving. They also say the book is a great read and perfect for a long flight. However, some customers feel the pace of the story suffers and the character development suffers.

"...At times exciting, slow, intelligent, sophomoric, surprising and frustrating, this novel was better than the The Lost Symbol,..." Read more

"...I enjoyed Inferno’s suspense and fast pace...." Read more

"...The shifts are not seamless. The pace of the story suffers. And worst of all, character development suffers. No character is developed well...." Read more

"...To Mr. Brown's credit is his ability to write an exciting, fast-paced novel...." Read more

1,211 customers mention "Descriptiveness"558 positive653 negative

Customers are mixed about the descriptiveness. Some mention that it keeps them invested, has plenty of historical and architectural detail, and a nicely crafted characterization of Langdon. They also appreciate the background on Dante Alighieri and cultural themes to a mainstream audience. However, others say that it's too descriptive, wordy at times, and ignorant throwaway statements. They are disappointed that there was no map of the sites included in the book.

"...repetition, lectures on art history, disjointedness, redundancy, and flat prose...." Read more

"...And it is based in exotic medieval locations with so much art/architecture/history/trivia commentary, you could use this as a guidebook while..." Read more

"...He has a terrible habit of overstating and restating details, as if he doesn't trust his readers to remember in Chapter 14 something that happened..." Read more

"...It is a brilliant literary strategy.I was awed by the amazing architecture and wondrous scenes of people going about their business...." Read more

781 customers mention "Characterization"492 positive289 negative

Customers are mixed about the characterization. Some mention that the author is very good at creating interesting characters, while others say that there is zero character development. They also say that all women are described by their appearance only.

"...The overall plot was interesting, and the villain was reasoned, if crazed, allowing the author to take on a controversial topic...." Read more

"...He is a flat, never changing character who can be expected to be the same in nearly every scenario...." Read more

"...He also is very good at creating interesting characters. Robert Langdon is a character I don't mind returning to again and again...." Read more

"...It’s a great story with intriguing characters, twists and turns that will compel you to reread previous chapters, and tantalizing pieces of history..." Read more

Non-stop thrill ride. Could not put it down!
5 out of 5 stars
Non-stop thrill ride. Could not put it down!
This is one of the best books I’ve read! From the first page of the book, I was hooked. Each page draws further into the story until you can’t put it down! If you like adventure, travel, history, or murder-mystery you will thoroughly enjoy this book!
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2014
The favorite author of the new generation readers has once again struck with his powerful pen, a mesmerizing and wonderful fiction, worth reading many times.

Robert Langdon, the American professor, highly talented and expert in mythological symbols of the old world is called upon by the World Health Organization (WHO) to break the secret code of the famous painting of Dante’s Map of Hell also referred as La Mappa dell’Inferno, to unveil a dangerous plot by a renowned genetic engineering scientist Bertrand Zobrist, to destroy human race. The plot opens in Florence, Italy and winds up in Istanbul, Turkey passing through a series of twists and turns in tracing the final destination of the secret place and date where the scientist proposes to release the dangerous virus to the world, in a Sunken Palace somewhere in the middle of the world. In this journey, the reader is taken through a beautiful journey in gaining exquisite knowledge of Dante Alleghieri’s famous work “The Divine Comedy” composed in early 1300s, wherein he describes his great journey through the various stages of the so-called Hell in Christian religion. This great composition is the most widely read and respected in the world. Dante’s interpretation of his Hell and the Great Plague of Europe in the 1300s (also referred as Black Death) were contemplated to arrive at a disturbing fact that the World is over-populated as of now and needs to downsize the existing population by some means as fast as possible to help the human race to continue for some more centuries. This called for Bertrand’s wild and brilliant idea of creation of highly virulent air-borne vector virus that if enters the human body renders him/her infertile forever. This according to the scientist is the only immediate solution to curb the ever increasing human population that shall lead to widespread calamities, famines, starvation deaths and disasters in the near future. His great leadership on the Transhumanist movement whose fundamental tenets is that we as humans have a moral obligation to participate in our own evolutionary process and use our technologies to create healthier, stronger and intelligent human beings without waiting for the long periods of natural evolutionary process. However, Robert Langdon with the help of WHO and Sienna Brooks, lover of Bertrand Zobrist and a highly intelligent doctor do find the place and date of the release of virus. But will they be able to save the world? One must read this wonderful work of Dan Brown to catch the excitement!

Pros: Some of the greatest places of interest in art and architecture across Italy, Venice and Turkey have been widely described with a lot of information on the history and significance of each and every great monument built that stands as a mark of human intelligence in the ancient period. The author’s outstanding talent in his research abilities and zeal to pursue world history through art and architecture is absolutely unmatched as of today. The reader will remain hypnotized and carried right into the middle of the scenes as long he/she is reading the book.
The description of Piazza Del Duomo, the statue of David, Vasari’s paintings, cylinder seals, Death masks, the Medici, Palazzo Vecchio’s Hall of Five Hundred, Boboli gardens, Buontalenti Grotto, the Vasari Corridor, Uffizi Gallery, Mappa Mundi, the church of Dante, the Baptistry of San Giovanni, Gates of Paradise, The Rod of Asclepius, the grandeur of Vatican city, the Doge’s Palace, St.Mark’s Basilica, the Transhumanist Philosophy, the cupola of San Simeone Piccolo, story of St. Lucia’s bones, the origin of the word ‘quarantine’, the Grand Canal of Venice, the Venetian Gothic Architecture, the Byzantine architecture, the history of Horses of St.Mark’s, the Pala d’Oro, the Bosporus Waterway of Istanbul, the mosque of Hagia Sophia (considered as the eighth world wonder), Istanbul’s 300 yr old Spice Bazaar, the tomb of Henricus Dandalo, the Sunken Palace and finally the Dante Symphony by Franz Liszt are some of my interesting topics for study in this book.

Cons: The fact that the great American professor was mentally manipulated through a series of illusions by the World Health Organization to help them decode the secret lying behind in Dante’s painting to save the world was not acceptable to me. Though Bertrand’s vision and cause is worth a standing ovation, the means he chose to achieve the goal seemed to be wrong.

My favourite quote in the book :
“The decisions of our past are the architects of our present”

My rating is 5 out of 5
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2013
Dan Brown's new Robert Langdon adventure will attract a broad audience. When you see copies for sale on point-of-purchase standups in the grocery store, you can count on that.

Will it please his cohort of current readers? Probably. Will it top The DaVinci Code as a cultural phenomenon? Probably not.

It is definitely a `Robert Langdon book'. Much of the plot consists of Langdon running around Florence and Venice, hand in hand with an attractive, intelligent woman who is younger than him. They will see many magnificent works of art, particularly architectural works. Each will have a deep history and each will have aspects, quirks, symbols and secrets that Robert Langdon will explain to us. The plot is quite complex and the ongoing commentary on Dante's Inferno (and the rest of the Divine Comedy) will hold the reader's interest.

The story (keeping spoilers to a minimum): Langdon wakes up in a Florence hospital with amnesia and a wound to the head. He escapes through the offices of a young doctor, as individuals are attempting to either kill him or at least keep him from pursuing his quest. The quest is to discover a plot perpetrated by a very rich and very intelligent but potentially quite mad, neo-Malthusian scientist, who is concerned about overpopulation and grand ways to abruptly curtail it. The scientist has hired a secret firm directed by `the provost' (this will be an odd choice of title, to most academics), who is running interference for the scientist and facilitating his plans. The provost, however, is not fully aware of the nature of the scientist's plans and after the scientist commits suicide and the nature of those plans becomes clear, the provost has second thoughts.

Simultaneously, the plans are a great concern to a woman who heads the World Health Organization. Either she or the provost (this is not immediately clear at the novel's outset) has, at his or her disposal, a small group of darkly-clad shock troops who are also after Langdon.

The chief mysteries are: what is the scientist's plan? Why does Langdon have amnesia? Who is after him and why? Who is on his side and who isn't? Will he be able to foil the now-dead scientist's plan? And, ultimately, who can he trust, since the characters may not all be what they pretend to be?

The art history/architectural/Dantean materials are all interesting and, Brown claims, all quite true. The Dantean materials, however, are not as integral to the plot as the title would suggest. The title also refers to the scientist's plan and that is the central plot element in the book, not some new, canny, revolutionary reading of the Divine Comedy.

Bottom line: this is not a book in which religion, theology or intellectual history play a central role. It is a `mad scientist' book, though the scientist might not actually be mad.

It is also not a terribly plausible book. At some points we almost feel as if we have walked onto the set of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (if Napoleon Solo were an art historian). The factual content is very imposing and impressive, but, sentence-by-sentence, the writing can be crude and nearly comic.

The book will meet the expectations of most Dan Brown readers and it will hold nearly every reader's attention. It will doubtless be made into a movie, but that movie will be tricky to direct, since the plot's convoluted and often implausible premises, combined with its mad-dash action will present problems of integration and continuity. Unless the material is handled very skillfully (and perhaps seriously tweaked), I would expect some gasps of incredulity from the audience.

For all that, it is a good summer book with a great deal of material on some of the world's artistic masterpieces. While it is not up to the standard of The DaVinci Code it will not challenge or shock any religious sensibilities.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Leonardo dos Reis Bastos Souza
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótimo produto
Reviewed in Brazil on December 3, 2023
Atendeu às expectativas
Vinay Raj
5.0 out of 5 stars Top knotch and gripping
Reviewed in India on March 21, 2024
Dan Brown fans are never disappointed with Mr Langdon and his adventures and this one is no different. Absolutely thrilling and gripping from the beginning to the end and what a fantastic conclusion it has got. Some of the ideas in his books are really surprising on how close they are to real life issues to the world and what some of the environmentalists think of it. Crazy read and a thrilling finish!
One person found this helpful
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Stephen Clynes
5.0 out of 5 stars Written long before Covid-19 but it makes you wonder.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2023
And another book with the lead character of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. This time he has to solve a puzzle that has many riddles and codes to understand.

I am impressed by the quality of storytelling that Dan Brown puts into his books. Many years ago I read his The Da Vinci Code, was blown away by it’s content and abandoned my daily newspaper to read novels instead. Inferno has the same intensity as The Da Vinci Code and the storytelling dazzled me again. My interest was maintained throughout as there are tonnes of background to enjoy. I got so much reading pleasure from this very long read that runs to 528 pages.

I enjoyed this thrilling adventure which has lots of twists and turns together with many lies, plenty of deception and a lot of reasoning. This conspiracy develops at a good pace and Dan Brown quotes numerous examples from the past to back up his novel. Inferno was written in 2013, long before Covid-19 but it makes you wonder considering all the references to China in this story and what happened in 2020 globally in real life. Inferno is an intelligent read that poses the scary question of what mankind can do about overpopulation and the future of our planet and species. Along the way the reader learns a lot about art, history, numbers, religion and symbols.

I enjoyed reading Inferno and found it very entertaining. I liked how Robert was able to find hidden secret passages and there was even a hint of romance between Robert and Sienna Brooks. Looking back I consider Inferno to be an OUTSTANDING 5 star read. This book has it’s critics but I found it fun and very engaging.
3 people found this helpful
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Hector Stanislaw De Garza
5.0 out of 5 stars Big Typography
Reviewed in Mexico on August 24, 2020
I recommend 100% the seller. With the cellphone screens my eyesight have deteriorated very fast. So the large print books are great for me. I just wished that the publishers paid more attention to this. The book is in perfect, almost pristine condition. And if you like informed and exciting thrillers and walk through the streets and museums of Florence, Inferno is a very good option, and Dan Brown is a great and cultured guide. (Note: Inferno it's not about hell, but Dante's masterpiece).
aracla
5.0 out of 5 stars Corgi Penguin edition - engaging story !!! Well done again Dan Brown
Reviewed in Italy on March 10, 2021
The quality of the paper is bad, but I noticed this is the case with most English editions.. I am probably used to the good quality of the Italian editors. As for the story itself it's really great, Dan Brown as usual is able to take the reader to the adventures with the characters, and it is possible to lean new things, in this case artwork and buildings..I couldn't put the book down, it is really engaging.
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aracla
5.0 out of 5 stars Corgi Penguin edition - engaging story !!! Well done again Dan Brown
Reviewed in Italy on March 10, 2021
The quality of the paper is bad, but I noticed this is the case with most English editions.. I am probably used to the good quality of the Italian editors. As for the story itself it's really great, Dan Brown as usual is able to take the reader to the adventures with the characters, and it is possible to lean new things, in this case artwork and buildings..I couldn't put the book down, it is really engaging.
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