Origin: A Novel by Dan BrownSeries: Robert Langdon #5
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Pages: 480
Add on: Goodreads
Rating: ★★★½
Source: Personal Copy
Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Publisher: Doubleday / Penguin Random House
THE #1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER FROM THE ICONIC AUTHOR OF THE DA VINCI CODE, THE LOST SYMBOL, AND INFERNO
“Fans of The Da Vinci Code rejoice! Professor Robert Langdon is again solving the mysteries of the universe.” —People
“A life-or-death adventure.” —Entertainment Weekly
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist, and one of Langdon’s first students.
But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced to flee. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch. They travel to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.
Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade an enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace. They uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery . . . and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.
REVIEW
REVIEW
Dan Brown’s fifth Robert Langdon novel drops you into the heart of Spain, where sleek museums and ancient cathedrals set the stage for a race against time. This time, Langdon isn’t chasing after dusty religious relics—he’s caught up in a battle over the future of humanity itself. The story kicks off when tech billionaire Edmond Kirsch invites Langdon to witness a revelation that could upend everything we think we know about our origins and our destiny. Before Kirsch can make his announcement, violence erupts, and Langdon is forced to go on the run with Ambra Vidal, a sharp-witted museum director.
Brown’s formula is still here: short, punchy chapters, relentless cliffhangers, and a whirlwind tour through art, architecture, and secrets hidden in plain sight. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, with its twisting metal curves, practically steals the show in the opening. What’s new is the book’s obsession with the collision between science and faith, and the role artificial intelligence might play in the next chapter of human evolution. Kirsch’s AI assistant, Winston, brings a modern twist to Brown’s usual arsenal of codes and symbols.
Origin is at its best when it digs into big questions—Can science and religion ever coexist? How much should we trust technology to guide our future? Brown keeps these ideas accessible, even if the answers sometimes feel less explosive than the build-up promises. The biggest knocks? Some characters feel like mouthpieces for ideas, and the plot twists won’t surprise readers who know Brown’s style. The story occasionally gets bogged down in lectures about art and tech, but even those moments add colour to the novel’s ambitious scope.
This is a thriller for the brainy crowd: part chase, part philosophical debate, and all wrapped up in Brown’s signature pacing. If you’re after a fast read that makes you think about where humanity is headed, Origin delivers. If you want deeply complex characters, you might be left wanting.
Rating: ★★★½ out of 5
Perfect for: Fans of smart, high-speed mysteries and anyone fascinated by the push and pull between science and religion.
Skip if: You want layered characters or prefer thrillers that stay away from long detours into history and technology.
