Book Review: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
Recently, my book group landed on Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, and I must admit: I’m still recovering from the experience. As someone who has never been drawn to Brown’s work, I was curious but also skeptical. How could an author this renowned not align with my tastes? Little did I know, the book would provide a whirlwind of eye-rolls and disbelief, steering me through a narrative that is both confounding and baffling.
At its core, Digital Fortress revolves around the National Security Agency (NSA) and its struggle with secrecy in a world increasingly dependent on digital communication. The protagonist, Susan Fletcher, is seemingly the epitome of perfection—brainy, stunning, and entirely integral to the NSA’s attempts to crack codes and save the world. In a fascinatingly repetitive manner, Brown makes sure we never forget her name, which appears so frequently it’s almost a drinking game in itself—“Take a shot every time you see Susan Fletcher mentioned!” I found myself hopping from incredulity to amusement, a roller coaster fueled by clichés.
As the narrative unfolds, we follow Susan and her fiancé, David Becker. While Susan cracks codes underground, David embarks on a hastily orchestrated adventure in Spain that feels less like an organic journey and more like a collection of coincidences guided by hidden arrows pointing him to the next clue. Here’s the kicker: I genuinely appreciated the moments where the story had a pulse; at times, I couldn’t predict who the antagonist really was. However, just as I was intrigued, the narrative would swiftly revert to painting Susan and David as infallibly brilliant, truthfully tarnishing the subtle suspense that had built.
On the technical side, Brown’s writing style left me yearning for more depth. His penchant for “telling” over “showing” dripped from every page. It felt as if he was shouting “Look! Isn’t Susan Fletcher amazing?” instead of letting her actions speak for themselves. The characters felt more like cardboard cutouts, each adorned with a label that reminded the reader of their beauty and brilliance rather than allowing for organic character development.
Among the notable aspects, I chuckled at how often Brown described not only Susan’s striking features but also the almost supernatural qualities of David’s squash play. A character’s merits shouldn’t solely consist of perfect looks or odd athletic encounters, yet each moment seemed to contribute to a surreal image that, while entertaining, left much to be desired in terms of relatability.
In conclusion, Digital Fortress is a curious concoction that might appeal to those who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with a healthy dose of melodrama. For readers who thrive on character depth and nuanced storytelling, however, it might be a hard pill to swallow—much like the experience I had thanks to my well-meaning book club. Will I forgive them? Perhaps once the hangover of Susan and David’s escapades fades. If anything, it sparked interesting conversations for our next meeting, where I plan to bring a list of discussion questions, steering us through this literary minefield together. So, here’s to book groups: for better or worse, they do make us read outside our comfort zones!