In most thrillers, "hardware" consists of big guns,
airplanes, military vehicles, and weapons that make things explode. Dan
Brown has written a thriller for those of us who like our hardware with
disc drives and who rate our heroes by big brainpower rather than big
firepower. It's an Internet user's spy novel where the good guys and bad
guys struggle over secrets somewhat more intellectual than just where the
secret formula is hidden--they have to gain understanding of what the
secret formula actually is.
In this case, the secret
formula is a new means of encryption, capable of changing the balance
of international power. Part of the fun is that the book takes the reader
along into an understanding of encryption technologies. You'll find yourself better understanding
the political battles over such real-life technologies as the Clipper
Chip and PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) software even though the book looks
at the issues through the eyes of fiction.
Although there's enough globehopping in this book for James Bond, the
real battleground is cyberspace, because that's where the "bomb" (or
rather, the new encryption algorithm) will explode. Yes, there are a few
flaws in the plot if you look too closely, but the cleverness and the
sheer fun of it all more than make up for them. There are enough twists
and turns to keep you guessing and a lot of high, gee-whiz-level
information about encryption, code breaking, and the role they play in
international politics. Set aside the whole afternoon and evening for it
and have finger food on hand for supper--you may want to read this one
straight through. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable
edition of this title.
Book review
I have so far
read 4 of Dan Brown's books (Angel & Demons, DaVinci Code, Deception
Point & Digital Fortress) and three features of his writings stand
out. First, audacious plotlines; Brown does not believe in small measures
but goes out on a limb. The plotlines are way over the top but have just
that crucial amount of credibility to draw in a reader, even when he knows
it is fiction. Second, the pace is mercilessly quick; the entire plot of
the book plays out over a few days at most. Last but for me the best of
all, his books have a wealth of esoteric information that one would not
normally read about. I found myself enthralled by a never ending series of
factoids that had me rushing to the Internet for explanation or
elaboration.
Digital Fortress follows the above lines. A quick
capsule : Set with a cryptographic background, it describes a battle of
wits between a governmental agency focused on breaking codes (used by good
and bad guys alike in order to forestall terrorism) with a former employee
who passionately believes in individual privacy. In a rapid-fire series of
thrust and counter-thrust, the action cuts between Washington and Madrid
with the standard does of blood, explosions and romance. Unlike Brown's
other novels, this is very undemanding of a reader's intelligence - the
average reader will see the signposts well before the protagonists
themselves.
Sadly, there are flaws aplenty that seriously impact
the plot credibility. Apart from the likelihood of an amateur professor
being used as a proxy agent, the ease of the bypassing of the Gauntlet
anti-virus software, particularly when Gauntlet safeguards not only
TRANSLTR but also the databank is simply not possible. In such a situation
there would be multiple layers of safeguards, not just a single bypass
attributable to a single individual no matter how senior. More to the
point, having raised the whole issue of individual privacy vis--vis
governmental oversight, Brown never follows through on the implications. A
pity, as this is of key topical importance as well.
Nevertheless,
this is a good weekend read when you want to just enjoy a story and not
get too caught up in the process. Three stars for that, with a star each
subtracted for the plot credibility lapses and inadequate research.
Author
introduction
Dan Brown is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including the
#1 New York Times bestseller, The Da Vinci Code -- one of the best selling
novels of all time. In early 2004, all four of Dan Brown's novels held
spots on the New York Times bestseller list during the same week.
Recently named one of the World's 100 Most Influential People by
TIME Magazine, Dan Brown has made appearances on CNN, The Today Show,
National Public Radio, Voice of America, as well as in the pages of
Newsweek, Forbes, People, GQ, The New Yorker, and others. His novels have
been translated and published in more than 40 languages around the world.
Dan is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where
he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts fully to
writing. In 1996, his interest in code-breaking and covert government
agencies led him to write his first novel, Digital Fortress, which quickly
became a #1 national bestselling eBook. Set within the clandestine
National Security Agency, the novel explores the fine line between
civilian privacy and national security. Brown’s follow-up techno-thriller,
Deception Point, centered on similar issues of morality in politics,
national security, and classified technology.
The son of a Presidential Award winning math professor and of a
professional sacred musician, Dan grew up surrounded by the paradoxical
philosophies of science and religion. These complementary perspectives
served as inspiration for his acclaimed novel Angels & Demons—a
science vs. religion thriller set within a Swiss physics lab and Vatican
City. Recently, he has begun work on a series of symbology thrillers
featuring his popular protagonist Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor of
iconography and religious art. The upcoming series will include books set
in Paris, London, and Washington D.C.
Dan’s wife Blythe—an art history buff and painter—collaborates on his
research and accompanies him on his frequent research trips, their latest
to Paris, where they spent time in the Louvre for his thriller, The Da
Vinci Code.
The Da Vinci Code has sold some 50 million copies worldwide and is now
being adapted for film by Columbia Pictures.
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