Origin

What view of radicalization does the novel present? How do people become radicalized on both sides, and how are they exploited for power?

Why does Brown create a villain in Bishop Valdespino, only to dispel the suspicions in the third act? How else does Brown use red herrings throughout?

Why does Brown choose Spain as the setting for this clash between science and religion, conservatism and liberalism?

In every Robert Langdon novel, Langdon teams up with a woman to solve an urgent mystery. In what ways does Ambra Vidal act as a static character meant to enhance or mirror Langdon’s actions, and what does this say about the role of women in thriller novels?

Prince Julián’s worldview is not clear by the novel’s conclusion. Why does the author leave the crown prince’s opinions out of the pages of Origin, and what does this suggest about how Prince Julián might address the issue of the monarchy’s future in Spain?

Art plays an outsized role in Origin as Langdon and Vidal search for the line of poetry that will unlock Kirsch’s presentation. Why does Brown spend so many pages describing art, architecture, literature, music, and poetry, and what thematic or symbolic value does art hold in the context of the story?

The mystery thriller genre deals heavily with suspense, misdirection, unstated motives, and shocking revelations. How does Origin adhere to genre norms and in what ways does it subvert these norms?

Brown often draws inspiration from obscure religious and fraternal organizations. How does the Palmarian Church differ from the antagonistic sects of prior Robert Langdon books, and why?