A Robert Langdon Addiction

My name is Paula, and I’m a Robert Langdon addict.

I admit it. I can’t help myself.

Yes, this is another WWK blog about Dan Brown’s novels. I know Shari Randall has written beautifully about having to force herself from the Inferno rollercoaster in her June 17, 2013 message. But, as I said, I can’t help myself.

I love Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon novels which include (in publication order rather than movie order): Angels and Demons (dealing with the Illuminati and the Catholic Church), The DaVinci Code (searching for the Holy Grail), The Lost Symbol (concerning freemasonry), and Inferno (exploring Dante Alighieri’s work and depiction of Hell). Like Shari, I feel as if I must consume each novel whole once I start, but my addiction goes beyond the fascination with the nonstop action and historical mysteries. It attaches to the protagonist himself. Robert Langdon. Who could ever imagine a Harvard college professor of religious iconology and symbology (a fictional field of study) to be so very appealing?

Why do I feel such affinity for this character? And why is he marketed as a “person”? See for instance, The Official Robert Langdon website at:
http://www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/davinci/robertlangdon/

Attraction is hard to analyze, but here are a few thoughts:

(1) He’s an unapologetic bachelor, who enjoys female companionship, but never feels guilty or unusual about being alone in the world. Except for elderly women or nuns, female protagonists often deliberate or get questioned about choosing a single lifestyle, no matter how accomplished they may be at a particular profession.

(2) He’s a true Male in Jeopardy--how often do you see that? And, he doesn’t fall into the trap many Women in Jeopardy characters do. He’s resourceful, courageous, and not stupid. He doesn’t go into dark places just because of what he might find there. He reasons out how to react to situations and goes into the unknown with a plan. Even though he may be inept in executing the plan.

(3)  He’s thoughtful and funny and self confident, but he's not stuck on himself. He realizes he’s no super hero--often readily admits it--and doesn’t try to be one.

(4) He’s a good lecturer. I know, those flashbacks to his class and conference presentations are pure info dumps, but he’s like your favorite professor, you’ll follow him down that rabbit hole because it’s sure to lead to something interesting. Something you thought you understood that suddenly has a different twist. Even if you know what he’s explaining, being on a level with his expertise makes you feel superior.

(5) He travels to unique places and has fascinating friends. Besides he always gets to go behind the scenes of tourist attractions.

(6) His eidetic (photographic) memory comes in handy, particularly for solving codes.

(7) He wears Harris tweeds. So preppy, yet unassuming. Sure, they are an expense, but what else does he have in his life besides adventure?

(8) He’s got an Achilles’ heel. Not something wriggling and venomous like Indiana Jones' snakes, but a phobia anyone might encounter--of being closed up in a narrow place. And, the reason behind his fear makes him even more endearing: as a child he fell into a well and remembers the horror of being stranded there.

(9) He’s sweetly sympathetic to the women who intrude upon his life. Sometimes, there’s a hint of a sexual relationship (example Vittoria Vetra in Angels and Demons), but, now he’s older, in Inferno, he’s almost like a father figure.

(10) He wears a vintage Mickey Mouse watch, a gift from his parents, that reminds him to always be “young at heart.” It also links Langdon’s admiration for Walt Disney, a prolific user of symbols in animation, to Langdon’s career choice.

Robert Langdon is portrayed in the movies by Tom Hanks, who has Langdon’s charming qualities. Hanks is not how I pictured Langdon as I read the books. I saw Langdon as a thinly veiled Dan Brown, mostly because of the character description and author photo. According to Wikipedia, that was Brown’s intention and the reason Brown gave Langdon his same birth date, birthplace, and school background.

Picture of author Dan Brown, copyright by Dan Courter

In a May 13, 2009 article at http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1611240/how-does-tom-hanks-robert-langdon-fare-against-other-crime-fighters.jhtml, Tom Hanks responded to a question from Eric Ditzian and Josh Horowitz about how Robert Langdon would place in a fight among Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Sherlock Holmes. Hanks suggested that Jones and Bond would duke it out first; then Holmes would take on and triumph over the winner of that contest; and, in the end, Holmes and Langdon would resolve the matter by a game of chess. While filming The DaVinci Code, Hanks remembered a point where Langdon was knocked out cold by the villain and the female lead had to come to the rescue. Hanks asked, “What kind of action hero is this?” Yet, Hanks said he enjoyed playing characters that depended upon “synapes of the brain as opposed to reflexes in the muscle.”

Picture of Tom Hanks from the movie Angels and Demons (Sony Pictures)

That’s a pretty good description of Robert Langdon. 

Would I marry Robert Langdon? Definitely not. Too high maintenance. But, I would go out on a date with him. Maybe several. Particularly if we traveled by private jet to Italy, France, Scotland, D.C., or other intriguing locations.

So, give me a call, Robert. I’m ready for a rollercoaster experience. I’ll even help you save the world from destruction. As long as I can be back to work on Monday.

Does anyone else have a character addiction?