Symbol of success as fans rush to read Da Vinci Code follow-up

The book’s commercial clout is likely to be reinforced by the novel’s controversial assertion that President George Washington, a Freemason, was a traitor who negotiated with the British during the American War of Independence.

Brown’s use of faction, where he couches historical inaccuracy in a historical context, has led to many criticisms, including condemnation from religious leaders.

But the author’s ability to create a fast-paced plot and page-turning thrills led to him producing the biggest-selling paperback of all time.

A price war has already broken out over The Lost Symbol, with amazon.co.uk selling the book for £4.99, a penny less than Asda is charging. The recommended retail price is £18.98.

At Borders in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street, “hundreds” of copies were sold on pre-order and a small cluster of loyal Brown fans were outside the store when it opened at 8am yesterday. In London, there were reports that people had queued outside one booksellers at 4am to purchase one of 200 copies signed by the author.

Steven Donaldson, 20, a student from Edinburgh, was one of the first in Scotland to get his hands on The Lost Symbol.

He said: “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while – that’s why I’m up so early. I’ve read all of his previous books, and I’d be disappointed if this one isn’t at the same standard.

“Structurally they’re quite typical thrillers, but they’re easy to read, and there’s been quite a lot of variety among the ones published so far. It’s rubbish to say he’s not a proper writer. He sells so many books; if he’s not a real writer, who is?”

Linda Dykes, 38, an operations manager from Busby, said: “He just keeps you turning the pages. I don’t know how much truth there is in what he writes about – it’s open-ended, you can just take what you want from it.”

Keith Phillips, 31, an accountant from Ayr, added: “I’ve read all his books and seen all the movies. To be honest, though, I’m hoping his writing’s improved a bit. His style was pretty poor at the start of his career, but it seems to have got better as he’s gone on.”

David Marshall, manager of Borders in Glasgow, said that the new books arrived at the store late on Monday night, with a strict 8am sale embargo set by the publishers.

“It is the biggest book release since the last Harry Potter book. Dan Brown’s books have been as much as a publishing phenomenon as the JK Rowling books, but for adults. By a country mile it is the biggest book so far this year.

“People are always interested in crime books and thrillers and I think the [Brown] books tie into the whole secret society thing, which people get really intrigued by.

“Interest in The Da Vinci Code started off relatively slowly and its popularity grew through word of mouth. Slowly, over time, it became a genuine phenomenon and lots of people who don’t normally read a lot of books were reading the Da Vinci Code.

“Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code have now become their own industry.”

The power of the books can be detected through countless on-line communities set up to discuss the Dan Brown mysteries.

The Lost Symbol is based on the theory that the Holy Grail was taken to Scotland in 1368 by a Scottish Knight Templar, Henry Sinclair – the grandfather of the man who built Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian.

Visits to the chapel soared after “set jetters” embarked on tours of the locations found in the Da Vinci Code and the film that followed.

Robert Cooper, curator of the Grand Masonic Lodge of Scotland in Edinburgh, is the author of two books that explore the links between the chapel and the Freemasons.

He said of the Dan Brown books: “When a book is published as fiction, really anything goes. When people come along and analyse the details he puts forward about Rosslyn Chapel and the Freemasons, you find that almost all of its is incorrect.

“It makes for great storytelling but in terms of factual information it is no good.

“There is no potential to harm people in a lot of historical fiction because a lot of the people are not real. But Dan Brown is actually writing about places and people who are in existence.”

Review, by Simon Mundy

After the film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code grossed more than $750m (£455m) worldwide, Dan Brown could have been forgiven for letting his thoughts drift to Hollywood when he sat down to write this third book in his Robert Langdon trilogy.

It shows: the novel flits constantly between scenes long beloved of action movie audiences, from an exploding laboratory to a helicopter chase across the American capital. It’s enough to keep the pages turning – but fails to redeem a convoluted plot that too often loses itself in jargon and trivia.

The Masons were an obvious target for Brown after his portrayal of Catholic secret societies in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. The subject matter gives him a chance to base the novel in Washington: several of the Founding Fathers were Masons, we learn, and Brown’s symbologist hero is forced to scour some of the city’s most venerable buildings for clues that will save his captive friend’s life.

Brown wins few plaudits for stylistic brilliance, and his formulaic approach to fiction is at times painfully obvious. The novel would read better without the attempts at sardonic humour – italicised in case the reader misses them.

Still tantalising suggestions of a hidden story behind America’s foundation will no doubt ensure this joins its predecessors at the top of the bestseller lists.

Read the full review in The Herald’s ABC magazine this Saturday.

Author facts

The Da Vinci Code was published in 2003. Two years later, it was estimated that Dan Brown had earned £76.5m.

All four of Brown’s novels featured in the New York Times Best Seller List in the same week in 2004.

His books have been translated into more than 51 languages, with 81 million copies of The Da Vinci Code in circulation worldwide.

He has told fans that he hangs upside down wearing gravity boots to help with writer’s block.

He writes in his loft and gets up at 4am to work.