slim7117's Full Review: Dan Brown - Digital Fortress
In 1998, several years before the DaVinci Code controversy, Dan Brown published Digital Fortress. This was his first book, and so as I began reading it, I was not expecting perfection. I was however, expecting an entertaining story, which to some extent I was rewarded with. Sure, it may not be the most exiting novel I have ever read, and sure it may have some other obvious shortcomings, but for a first novel, it is a nice read. Although it may not be worth the price, especially for the hardcover, it should at least be checked out from the library.
Digital Fortress begins as all other Dan Brown novels begin, with a mysterious murder, then the story really takes off. Susan Fletcher is the top cryptographer (code breaker) working for the National Security Agency, or NSA, and her fiancé David is a schoolteacher. The NSA’s most powerful computer, called TRANSLTR, can usually break any code it comes across within minutes. However it has come across a code that is unbreakable. This code was created by former NSA employee Ensei Tankado, who quit his job and now hates the agency. If the code is not broken in a certain time limit, eventually all of the United States’ classified information will be at risk. It is now up to Susan and David to save the day.
Sounds great, right? Well, it’s entertaining enough, certainly a great way to waste some extra time, but there are some things that I can’t stand about this book. First and foremost are the characters. At best they are drab, uninteresting, and stereotypical. When you actually have trouble liking the protagonists, it can really make a decent storyline seem a lot worse than it actually is. It is almost impossible to identify with Susan, the rich and pretty genius, or David, the tough, smart, good-looking teacher. They are both rather generic and a huge disappointment.
Another major disappointment was the story’s ending. Of course, I can’t explain about it here, but don’t expect too much. If you’ve read any thrillers before, or even watched any movies, you will be able to see it coming a mile away. Sad, considering there are a few nice plot twists, and some exciting moments, which the conclusion could never live up to.
In short, it may be worth it to check Digital Fortress out from the library, or borrowing it from a friend, but I don’t recommend actually purchasing it. If you are a devoted thriller fan or Dan Brown lover, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to purchase it used, if possible. A nice plot and some good twists and turns just can’t cover up the book’s shortcomings, so I’m giving Digital Fortress 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars.
When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher,...More at Audible.com
When the National Security Agency's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptogra...More at Audible.com
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