Origin Ending Is A Disappointment

As much as I love to write, so it is when it comes to reading. Since I was young I have always been fascinated with books. Perhaps I got it from my father. He always was reading something for as long as I can remember. Until now.

Lately I have been slacking in the “book reading department”. While I still heavily consume other forms of media such as news, blogs and video content, or practically what the Internet has to offer, it has been years since I last read a book.

Well that changed in 2017.

Last year I read a book. The first of a series of three.

This year I will have finished three more. Book two of said series is already done, and the third is underway. An interesting read so far.

But last week I suddenly had the urge to read Dan Brown’s latest work – Origin.

I have read a number of this author’s previous books. Angels and Demons and Da Vinci Code are marvelous! Deception Point and Digital Fortress to name a few more. Probably one of my most read authors aside from Tom Clancy, Robert Jordan, and the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys creators. In between I have read an assortment of works from different authors. A healthy dose of variety always helps against the monotony of overfamiliarity.

So why is Origin a disappointment?

Well the ending is. Or more like the answers to the questions.

But, first off, isn’t it strange that the characters in the book – Edmond Kirsch and Winston, the creator and the A.I. – sound eerily familiar?

Well, because they are, and can be, like how Tony Stark and Jarvis are. Yes, I am a Marvel movie fan. And I could not help it but that is how I imagined Edmond and Winston. Minus the really cool flying armor with all the weaponry.

And just like in the MCU, I saw Edmond as a pompous ass. Arrogant billionaire who is sort of selfish. Insecure? Perhaps. Self-entitled? Has the money for it. Genius? Definitely. Full of drama? Indeed. Attention whore? He just loves the spotlights on him.

Yes!

He got lucky with his predictions. Methinks. Why not? After all he was aided by super computers.

I am no scientist, but shouldn’t it if you considered yourself a decent one you would at least have your work reviewed by your peers? Publish your findings in a science journal? Let the scientific mind scrutinize and take it apart, if only for it to be verified as scientifically accurate? Corroborated?

Instead, why would you go have an audience with different religious leaders? The very people whose opinion should not matter to you at all. It is like rubbing it to their faces because you can. That is pride. Arrogance. Is that someone who would wish humankind well?

What Robert Langdon said is true. Edmond was being irresponsible. Just because he can get away with it due to his popularity. He was an influencer after all.

Anyway, Edmond’s character in the book was not the disappointing part. If anything, Dan Brown really wove a fantastic tale of its would-be savior of mankind and the entire story around it that would resonate true to his readers the way I thought he would have wanted to. Each chapter was suspenseful.

What was the disappointing bit then? It was the big reveal.

I was preparing myself for the most awaited part of the book. The answers to the 2 big questions – Where do we come from? Where are we going? – that has been repeated several times in the narrative as the ultimate religion killer.

No, it was not.

The whole dog and pony show that came before the actual presentation was just that – an overly-staged, exaggerated promotional campaign to wow the audience. Clickbait. Perhaps because of the lackluster answers. In the end the answers were just little more than firecrackers that were not even loud enough to wake up a napping kitty cat.

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Notice: This article was published on September 5, 2018 and the content above may be out of date.
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