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A stunningly inventive new novel from the world's most popular thriller writer.
Whoever You Are.
Whatever You Believe.
Everything Is About To Change.
Bilbao, Spain
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend a major announcement - the unveiling of a discovery that "will change the face of science forever." The evening's host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon's first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough ... one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.
As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch's precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch's secret.
Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain's Royal Palace itself... and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch's shocking discovery ... and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.
Origin is stunningly inventive - Dan Brown's most brilliant and entertaining novel to date.
What are you reading this week? (8/28/2025)
I just completed Origin by Dan Brown as I plan to read the new Robert Langdon book when it is published later this month. It was another fun dose of history/travel/intrigue. I have now s...
-Laura_K
"The plot is absurd, of course, but the book is a definitive pleasure. Prepare to be absorbed—and in more ways than one." - Kirkus
"Dan Brown is back with another thriller so moronic you can feel your IQ points flaking away like dandruff... All this might be worth enduring if the story's infinitely hyped revelations didn't finally show up at the end of a trial of blood sounding like an old TED Talk. Kirsch's posthumous answers to the big questions — Where did we come from? Where are we going? — will surprise no one technologically savvy enough to operate a cellphone. Darwinians, fundamentalists, atheists and believers: Pray that this cup pass from you." - The Washington Post, Ron Charles
"As he does in all his novels, Brown spackles over any weaknesses in the plot with the richness of his true-to-life details. His extensive research on art, architecture, and history informs every page. Rating: B." - Entertainment Weekly
"Tackling the scientific and philosophical underpinnings of God's role (or lack thereof, depending on your beliefs) in our existence within an action-adventure is an idea full of fascinating potential. Unfortunately with Origin, Brown's theory needs more evolution." - USA Today
This information about Origin was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 international bestsellers, including Origin, Inferno, The Lost Symbol, The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, Deception Point, and Digital Fortress.
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