I have been a big fan of Dan Brown’s books, all the way back to Digital Fortress and Deception Point. Origin, the latest book in the Robert Langdon series, is no exception. Even though the books follow a fairly predictable structure, i.e. “middle aged professor saves the world from a shadowy foe with attractive young woman against backdrop of old buildings and paintings”, I still enjoy them.
What I enjoy most is the way that a crucial real-world question of philosophy, science or religion is woven into what appears on the surface to be a low-reader-investment thriller. With this approach, I think Dan Brown has managed to reach an audience which would otherwise never pick up a book on the ethics of genetic engineering, comparative religious studies, ancient architecture or synthetic intelligence.
I won’t go into the plot here, you should go and read the book yourself. What I did find, was that I was stopping every 10 pages to look up a painting, building or religious cult on the internet. In order to save you some time, I have created a list of links to some of the key elements of the book. Some of them I had heard of before, others were entirely new to me. There are no real spoilers in the list, hopefully it will save you some googling.
One day I hope to make it to Spain to do an Origin tour, as I was able to do in Rome and Washington D.C. focused on the content of Angels & Demons and The Lost Symbol. Let me know what you thought of the book, and if you think I have missed anything.
(this post has no association with Dan Brown or Penguin/Bantam, links are all to external sites)
Works of Art
Yves Klein
Leap into the Void: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1992.5112/
Monotone Silence (nudity): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkHoWUwxEFM&t=5s
Luis Boureois
Maman: https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/10856
Richard Serra
The Matter of Time: https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/21794
Joan Miro
Signs and Meteors (not specifically mentioned, but Joan is referenced):
https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/8519
Pablo Picasso
El Guernica: http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/collection/artwork/guernica
Antoni Gaudi
Parc Guell: https://erasmusu.com/en/erasmus-barcelona/what-to-see/parc-guell-1897
La Sopa Primordial: http://www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/features/barcelona-history-underfoot-the-city%27s-tiles/
Paul Gauguin
Where do we come from what are we doing where are we going?:
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/where-do-we-come-from-what-are-we-where-are-we-going-32558
William Blake
Vala or the Four Zoas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vala,_or_The_Four_Zoas
The Ancient of Days: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Europe_a_Prophecy_copy_K_plate_01.jpg/800px-Europe_a_Prophecy_copy_K_plate_01.jpg
Buildings/Locations
Montserrat
http://www.complexmania.com/montserrat-rack-railway/
Library – http://www.montserratvisita.com/en/culture/montserrat-library
Guggenheim – Bilbao
https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/the-building/
Dohany Synagogue in Budapest
360 internal: http://www.synagogues360.org/synagogues.php?ident=hungary_003
Local photos, plus weeping willow sculpture: https://www.budapestbylocals.com/budapest-great-synagogue.html
Catedral de la Almundena
http://www.catedraldelaalmudena.es/imagenes/
Royal Palace of Madrid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid
Palacio de la Zarzuela
https://www.digitalsevilla.com/2017/10/17/alerta-zarzuela/
Szechenyi Chain Bridge
Basilica of Palmar De Troya
(visit by former nun) http://www.mariahallwriter.com/basilica_visit/
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/El_Palmar_de_Troya.jpg
Casa Mila (by Gaudi)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Mil%C3%A0
video mentioned in book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utaTcNq2mHs&t=5s
La Basilica De La Sagrada Familia
Must be seen to be believed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lYdrhYYWpg&t=733s
Plan for completion by 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ8NcKNlZzg
El Escorial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Escorial
Barcelona Supercomputing Center
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/barcelona-supercomputing-center
Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_de_los_Ca%C3%ADdos
Organisations or People
Palmarian Catholic Church:
(totally real) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmarian_Catholic_Church
Spanish Royal Guard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Royal_Guard
Random Information
What is a Whiffenpoof?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whiffenpoofs
Symbols of Franco
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_Francoism
D-Wave (Quantum Computer)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Wave_Two
Miller-Urey Experiment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller%E2%80%93Urey_experiment