For the fans of Dan Brown, the celluloid adaptation of "Inferno" is worth the wait. It will be scheduled for release on October 28, three years after the publication of the novel. Tom Hanks reprised his role as Robert Langdon, whom fans fondly describe as Indiana Jones in Harris tweeds. This would be Langdon's third screen appearance, but he appeared in four books. ("The Lost Symbol" has yet to make it to pre-production stage. Sony Pictures planned to adapt the novel to the big screen, but producers changed their mind. The project is shelved at the moment.) There are those who dismiss Langdon, preferring his colleague with a fedora hat and a whip. But Brown didn't shrug off the criticism.
"There are some people who understand what I do, and they sort of get on the train and go for a ride and have a great time, and there are other people who should probably just read somebody else," he said.
Sony Pictures is confident of the box-office chances of "Inferno", without any superhero and magic creatures to keep Brown fans from lining up on the night before opening day. (Both "Doctor Strange" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" are scheduled for November release.) This will further cement Brown's literary success, but it remains to be seen if his works will be a part of the university curriculum in a generation or two. Let's take a look at its merits:
Dan Brown do knows how to tell a story. Many historians will doubt Brown's research on the historical landmarks in Florence, Paris, and Rome, hinting of a common denominator that would link these structures. They were classical creations, without a doubt. They would lure thousands of tourists. (It should be millions.) The artists were members of a secret society, and they would possess a knowledge that only few should know. Langdon, an academician whom most people wouldn't give a second glance, would be one of those people. He could've left his academic career to pursue the truth, but he was a sensible fellow. This would be interesting enough.
Europe is not the place for meeting other people. Some don't see American tourists in the same level as their European counterparts. In fact, they would suspect that they travel to Europe to mingle with other white people. Langdon hailed from Exeter, which was part of New England. This was the bastion of Transcendentalism. Some foreigners may be mistaken.
Brown mustn't be blamed for not being a literary snob. Many readers have a general impression of authors. They devoted their life in search of their literary muse. They lived in Paris for years. They had been long dead before their works were recognized. Brown had a musical career before taking authorship seriously. He could've collaborated with the likes of Taylor Swift, but he took a leap of faith. And don't be surprised if Langdon will make his fifth appearance soon.
