Characters

• Robert Langdon: A professor of symbology at Harvard University and the protagonist of the novel.
• Mal'akh: A Mason whose body is covered with tattoos and the novel's main antagonist. He is revealed by the end of the story to be Zachary Solomon, the estranged son of Peter Solomon, long-believed to be dead, whose appearance was made unrecognizable to his family, in part due to the use of steroids. Zachary sees himself as a physical manifestation of the angel Moloch, as he worshipped the Black Arts in order to grow stronger and he performed numerous aspects of black magic which allowed the angel to enter his body. Mal'akh is the Hebrew word for 'angel'. Throughout the book, he also uses the name Dr. Christopher Abaddon to gain his father's trust, and Andros Dareios, a name he used while hiding out in Greece before the book's events. Of note, he is the first antagonist in the Robert Langdon series who serves as both the killer and the mastermind of events.
• Peter Solomon: A Smithsonian secretary, billionaire philanthropist, Freemason, father of Zachary Solomon, and close friend of Robert Langdon. His kidnapping sets into motion Langdon's race to find the Mason's Pyramid and the Lost Symbol.
• Katherine Solomon: Noetic scientist, sister of Peter Solomon, aunt of Zachary Solomon.
• Isabel Solomon: mother of Peter and Katherine Solomon, grandmother of Zachary Solomon. She was killed ten years before the events of the book by Zachary, disguised as Andros Dareios.
• Warren Bellamy: Architect of the Capitol and fellow Freemason to Peter Solomon. He aids Langdon and Katherine Solomon by helping them escape from Inoue Sato, briefly suspecting her of helping Mal'akh, but he later learns that he and Sato are on the same side.
• Inoue Sato: Director of CIA's Office of Security, from whom Langdon must flee after she accuses him of criminal acts.
• Trent Anderson: Capitol police chief.

                                Robert Langdon

Summary

The action takes place in Washington, DC.

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is invited to give a lecture at the United States Capitol, with the invitation apparently from his mentor, a 33rd degree Mason named Peter Solomon, who is the head of the Smithsonian Institution. Solomon has also asked him to bring a small, sealed package which he had entrusted to Langdon years earlier. When Langdon arrives at the Capitol, however, he learns that the invitation he received was not from Solomon, but from Solomon's kidnapper, Mal'akh, who has left Solomon's severed right hand in the middle of the Capitol Rotunda in a recreation of the Hand of Mysteries. Mal'akh then contacts Langdon, charging him with finding both the Mason's Pyramid, which Masons believe is hidden somewhere underground in Washington D.C., and the Lost Word, lest Solomon be executed.

Langdon is then met by Trent Anderson, head of the Capitol police, and Inoue Sato, the head of the CIA's Office of Security. Sato claims that Mal'akh poses a threat to the national security of the US, and that his capture is more important than Peter's rescue, although she refuses to elaborate. Examining Solomon's hand, they discover a clue leading them to Solomon's Masonic altar in a room in the Capitol's sub-basement, where they find a small pyramid lacking a capstone, with an inscription carved into it.

Sato then confronts Langdon with the security x-ray taken of his bag when he entered the Capitol, which reveals a smaller pyramid in the package Langdon brought in response to the request by the kidnapper posing as Solomon. Langdon explains that he was unaware of its contents, but Sato, dissatisfied with this, attempts to take Langdon into custody. Before she can arrest him, however, she and Anderson are assaulted by Warren Bellamy, the Architect of the Capitol and a Freemason, who then flees with Langdon during the melee. He later explains to Langdon that he too has been in contact with Mal'akh, and wants Langdon's assistance in rescuing Peter.

The Author

Dan Brown

Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the best selling novels of all time as well as the subject of intellectual debate among readers and scholars. Brown’s novels are published in 52 languages around the world with 200 million copies in print.

In 2005, Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, whose editors credited him with “keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”

The son of a mathematics teacher and a church organist, Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination with the paradoxical interplay between science and religion. These themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he later returned to teach English before focusing his attention full time to writing.

Brown is currently at work on a new book as well as the Columbia Pictures film version of his most recent novel.

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you for your comment. I'm so happy what I foun one more person, who shares my interest in these two books("Da Vinci code" and "Angels and Demons"). I read 22 chapters and I can say "The lost symbol" is interesting book. Thanks once again!