DAN BROWN’S INFERNO

If I had known that Dan Brown was going to continuously reference Dante’s Inferno, I wouldn’t have read his own version. I hate Dante’s Inferno. I haven’t read it, but I have listened to Dante’s Purgatorio, and it instilled the same fear I felt the first time I read the book of Revelation at the age of 10. It’s ironic that the whole poem is considered “The Divine Comedy”, but then Dan Brown manages to explain in his book why it bears that name.

I’m not here to write about Dante’s nine rings of hell; I am here to write about Dan Brown’s Inferno, the book.

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Dan Brown is an American “conspiracy”, mystery, and thriller writer, popularly known for his Robert Langdon series. I can’t start explaining his books, but Robert Langdon is a symbology professor or lecturer who is always reliable for solving ancient mysteries considered myths. The problem here is with Inferno; the plot line is different. I am about to ruin the whole thing.

We are presented with a transhumanist who has been motivated by his studies of the Doomsday clock, as well as other theories regarding the existence of humans and resources required for their survival, to save the human race from an apocalypse.

It’s very believable because many government officials or people in power have suggested that some diseases remain incurable and wars are necessary in order to keep the population of humans in check. So our transhumanist, Betrand Zobrist, creates and unleashes a virus. Bertrand Zobrist is obsessed with Dante’s work, and so he hides the pathway or map to the location where he released the virus in things about Dante’s existence.

The twist to this virus is that it’s a vector virus that can cause a DNA modification which leads to sterility in some humans. So this virus basically takes away the ability to reproduce from some individuals.

When I read the part where Zobrist argued with the head of the World Health Organization that some necessary media has to be implied to prevent the apocalypse. I stopped to think,

I understand that there is a beginning and an end, and I also remember that God, according to Christianity, ordered His creatures to “Go forth and multiply.” Why then did Zobrist think it was necessary for him to play creator and control a situation such as the existence of humans? I was very conflicted in that moment because trust me, there’s a bit of truth in Dan Brown’s writings. Is it that the Creator didn’t create enough resources to sustain his creations? That doesn’t make any sense now, does it?

But then we’ve seen mothers abandon their children because they could not cater for them, and these children either find dangerous ways to survive or they die.

It’s believable, right? I have nowhere I am going with this, just me thinking out loud.

I mean, we’re currently watching the world at war. Nations are at war, war victims are starving, the rate of crime is spiralling, diseases are rampant, and even currently scientists have reported that the Y chromosome in men is gradually…disappearing (Yayyy..I’m happy, sorry. Don’t worry, they’ll figure out a way for women to reproduce without the use of sperm for fertilization)Science mehn. Beautiful chance for man to play God.

Minor Digression: I have to add that while I was listening to the explanation of Dante’s Purgatorio, there was a mention of how virtues can cross over to become vices. When it’s done too much, it becomes a vice. When whatever good deed is rendered with too much toxic intensity, it becomes a vice. In Zobrist’s case, this vice would be Pride. Low-key aligns with the Gospel reading of today. Jesus’s temptation. During the homily, I had an epiphany. I have read it before that Jesus took on human flesh in order to be tempted like us and prove that we can strive through temptation and remain holy. It gave me a new perspective to view Him as a man and not God during the temptation. He was tempted with riches and co., and yet, He chose not to put Himself above God. So maybe if Zobrist consulted God, I don’t know, he might have found kinder ways to go about it rather than forceful and non-consensual stripping of the right and ability of humans to reproduce.

And at the beginning of the book, there was this quote,

Through the novel, it was applied to the head of the World Health Organization, who, despite her knowledge of the probable near-apocalypse, chose not to find a solution. But then I believe our ability to play God stops at predicting the future. The genetic engineers, however, believed that their actions could predict tomorrow. Who knows? What if the virus eventually triggered an opposite effect, given that it must have been tested on white mice alone? What if the victims of the DNA modification weren’t up to 10? Would that still save mankind from the impending doom? Nobody knows tomorrow

Anyways. Thanks for reading my thoughts. I’ll probably reread it in the next five years and have other perspectives.

How are you? How’s life? I hope you’re surviving.

It almost feels like I have chosen to ignore human experience, seeing that I have little control over the occurrences in this sad world. Reading is my only source of escapism currently. I set a task to read more than 5 chapters of a book daily, and so far, so good; it’s been helpful. I guess I’ll write to you soon about a new book I am reading.

I love you.

Stay safe

Media I have consumed recently

I read Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, The DaVinci Code, The Lost Symbol, and Inferno. Then I took a break from reading his works and read Arinze Ifeakandu’s God’s Children Are Little Broken Things. It’s a queer novel, and it managed to break a record by being the first novel that’ll make me cry. It is a compilation of recurring themes in the queer experience, rejection, and grief. Multiple stories in different forms, yet possessing the pain and sorrow of Queer survival. I am currently reading Sarah Pinborough’s Insomnia, and I AM LOVING THE THRILL. On the book cover, there is a comment by Lisa Jewell

“If you enjoyed Behind Her Eyes, prepare to be totally and utterly blown away by Insomnia”.

And I enjoyed Behind Her Eyes. It left me wondering and questioning a lot of things. I’m not even done with Insomnia, and I already admire her storytelling ability.

I watched A Cure For Wellness. Sometimes I postpone watching certain movies because I believe that at that point, I don’t have the mental capacity to contain whatever message the maker is trying to pass across. I watched Love, Simon, People We Meet on Vacation, Zootopia 2, and Abbott Elementary Season 5. Now I’m watching Girlfriends. I started watching it because I was trying to build a moodboard for the sort of outfits I would love to wear as a woman in physiotherapy. If I had watched it as a child, I don’t think I would have opted for a scrub-wearing profession, but anyway, here we are. Maybe later I’ll take a real estate course or something. I love it, I love watching series that address societal problems. This one especially touches navigating female friendships, relationships, workplace ethics, racism, misogyny, etc. I am loving it. I’ve been hooked on watching YouTube videos from Figtree, the archaeologist, Ease, Nailea DeVora’s podcast, and many video essays. That’s how I got to watch Dante’s Purgatorio.

I have listened to a lot of beautiful music. Sometimes I just play a certain song I like on Spotify and allow its recommendations. Then I discover more beautiful music.

That’s all from me. Till next time. Stay safe