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| Digital Fortress: A Thriller | 
| Author: Dan Brown
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $7.98 (100%)
New (98) Collectible (21) from $0.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  912 reviews
Sales Rank: 35811
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: Second Edition, Revised Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 0312995423
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780312995423
ASIN: 0312995423
Publication Date: January 5, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read -> Recycle -> Reuse!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Mr. Brown serves it February 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Mr. Brown serves it up with a little culinary style to it. Overall, interesting characters, a non-stop plot line and great information make for an exceptional first novel. Mr. Brown's next novel is certain to make it to my nightstand and I look forward to it very much. As long as he doesn't lapse into a formula, he will certainly gain more recognition in the future.
Plot hole bigger than the ultimate computer -- but fast paced January 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First, the good news. Writing a "commercial" thriller is harder than it looks (otherwise we'd all be millionaires), and it's clear that Dan Brown worked hard from the beginning to master all the tricks. Even in this, his debut novel, he shows many of the novelistic skills that would later contribute to the success of "The Da Vinci Code"... specifically, he keeps throwing twists at you and seems to have mastered the "cliff hanger" style of writing.
It's odd, then, that Digital Fortress sold only a few thousand copies initially, while Da Vinci Code is up to 70 million in sales. What gives?
Well, look at the bad news. There are many small errors that people quibble with in Digital Fortress, but there is one logic error in particular that is huge. The Digital Fortress of the title is a supposedly unbreakable code, the algorithm for which is posted on the Net. However, the code itself is used to encrypt it. The code is allegedly unbreakable because the public key is insufficient to break it; you also need the algorithm itself. So various characters spend the entire novel chasing down the key. However, by Dan Brown's own logic, that means that the premise doesn't make any sense... because he already told you that the key itself is not enough!
This may seem complex, but trust me, if you read the novel and think about it, you'll see that the premise of the story is illogical.
Beyond that, the style is flat and the characters are little more than archetypes, just as they are in Brown's other thrillers. In this case they are a beautiful woman who works for the NSA and her Georgetown prof husband. Odd, then, that Da Vinci Code should be so much more successful. Put it down to Dan Brown's talent for throwing you lots of plot twists and puzzles to solve. In Digital Fortress, these puzzles are not nearly as intriguing as in Da Vinci Code. In particular, he milks the ending of Digital Fortress for far too long. Good idea, but by that time we've had enough twists to satisfy us... and let's face it, the bad guys are already dead. He shoulda found a way to end more crisply, not overstaying his welcome.
That being said, you have to give him some credit even in this debut novel for proving that he could keep the twists coming.
 a Gift. My son loved it January 28, 2008
This was a Christmas gift and my son really enjoyed the book. He wants me to read it next. He said he couldn't put it down and read about half of it on the flight home.
 You might save some time on this one January 21, 2008
Dan Brown is a great author. His books after this one were fun, fast, and the example of a "page tuner".
Like many people when I find a discover author that I like I devour the books they have written. In this Case I wish I'd missed this one. Mr. Brown must have thought the public was stupid as he gives the bad guy up in the first 50 pages.
While writing about the best code breakers in the world and telling us what they look for, he gives his bad guy with the most simple "code" for the reader to discover.
I do look forward to his new book but I am done with his early stuff.
Digital fortress is a great example why publishers avoid first books. Even great writers can take a while to learn how to write.
I am glad Dan got it His books now do just what you want from a book they entertain, stimulate and make you think.
Enjoy the new ones skip but skip this ne.
Dan Renfro
Entertaining read, but misses something.... January 8, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Obiously, this is not Brown's best, I would rather say it is his worse. I would call this book an easy to read and entertaining story. Some parts of the plot are ending in a weird fashion and the characters seem too fictive. I could not really feel the emotions of the characters, they are too easily "written". Also, their psychological evolution is unrealistic and predictable.
However, Brown's writing style is there: the story is filled with action and the novel is divided in numerous, short well-written chapters. If you like Brown's other books and you are looking for a action-filled story for a weekend read, this is for you. Go for Deception Point or Da Vinci Code if this is your first DB novel.
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