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shreyas1599's reviews
235 reviews
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
3.0
Unfortunately, this was the first book by Dan Brown I picked up. I’ve heard a ton of praises for his writing and this book sure did disappoint.
The entire story revolves around cracking a simple “three” which I’m sure is not too much to expect from seasoned NSA cryptographers, add to that specialists in their field. The entire plot seems laughable in hindsight. An additional layer of complexity or at the very least a more plausible and non-deductible ending could’ve been laced out. I, for one, am not a cryptographer but a mere student and if I could’ve figured out that the key to the puzzle was “three”, I have no doubt that a individual with a degree in cryptography could’ve figured it out in no time, let alone an employee of the NSA.
It was an uninteresting plot at best interspersed with bits and pieces of elements of thrill.
I hope the next Dan Brown I pick is far more interesting and challenging to follow than this piece of work.
The entire story revolves around cracking a simple “three” which I’m sure is not too much to expect from seasoned NSA cryptographers, add to that specialists in their field. The entire plot seems laughable in hindsight. An additional layer of complexity or at the very least a more plausible and non-deductible ending could’ve been laced out. I, for one, am not a cryptographer but a mere student and if I could’ve figured out that the key to the puzzle was “three”, I have no doubt that a individual with a degree in cryptography could’ve figured it out in no time, let alone an employee of the NSA.
It was an uninteresting plot at best interspersed with bits and pieces of elements of thrill.
I hope the next Dan Brown I pick is far more interesting and challenging to follow than this piece of work.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
4.0
After picking up Digital Fortress as my first Dan Brown book and rushing through it for the plot was medicore at best and the climax hung on cracking a code which a three year old could've done, I'm quite pleased to have read through the Da Vinci Code and completed it successfully without much hesitation and complaint.
This is one of the most hyped up books I've ever come across. While the attention to detail and cliffhangers were all present in abundance, I quit reading the book halfway when it started to seem like a chore and picked it up again a couple of weeks later. I certainly am of the opinion that the second half of the book triumphs the first half or I most definitely would've not completed it. At some point, the attention to detail started to bore me. While the attention to minutiae are of great importance and consequence and some may conjecture that its presence is vital, I for one, was interested in the larger scheme of things and skimmed through the details thereby remaining none the wiser of the various historical details outlined in this book.
Perhaps my approach is entirely wrong and I should read Dan Brown books a lot slower to absorb all the details outlined? I'd definitely like to hear from others.
Overall a pretty decent book, although I still cannot quite make head or tail of why the author is as famous as he is when there are other accomplished writers out there, behind the curtains, with their fame curtailed to a mere mention in the papers or wonderful reviews on Goodreads.
This is one of the most hyped up books I've ever come across. While the attention to detail and cliffhangers were all present in abundance, I quit reading the book halfway when it started to seem like a chore and picked it up again a couple of weeks later. I certainly am of the opinion that the second half of the book triumphs the first half or I most definitely would've not completed it. At some point, the attention to detail started to bore me. While the attention to minutiae are of great importance and consequence and some may conjecture that its presence is vital, I for one, was interested in the larger scheme of things and skimmed through the details thereby remaining none the wiser of the various historical details outlined in this book.
Perhaps my approach is entirely wrong and I should read Dan Brown books a lot slower to absorb all the details outlined? I'd definitely like to hear from others.
Overall a pretty decent book, although I still cannot quite make head or tail of why the author is as famous as he is when there are other accomplished writers out there, behind the curtains, with their fame curtailed to a mere mention in the papers or wonderful reviews on Goodreads.
Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
3.0
The book was great with a lot of Poriot but the repetition of the events that transpired from different perspectives made the read a bit too tedious towards the end.
S.O.S.: A Short Story by Agatha Christie
2.0
An utterly confusing plot with the ending a tad bit more baffling than the story itself. Is it just me? But why would the father kill the adopted child before receiving the inheritance? And why not just divide the inheritance even if he receives it. I get that she was not their "own" child but why take such a big risk to be left with no money in a 8ft*8ft cell? Granted, logic is never granted a spot in the matters of the green paper but if the father really was scared of losing the money he could've just killed her after receiving the money and waited a few days after the stranger left. Why rush into it? And why does the stranger leave her at the mercy of the parents? And the inclusion of an eerie atmosphere to lend to the nature of the crime felt unnecessary. As an admirer of AC's writing, the style is what one would expect, but the plot beats me.