Doubleday, a division of Random House, will print five million copies in the first run, making the initial print the largest in the history of the publishing company.SeaCoastonline.com: Dan Brown Announces New Book, 'The Lost Symbol' (April 20, 2009)

Many stores began selling the book at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The new book clicks even if at first it looks dangerously like a clone....“The Lost Symbol” manages to take a twisting, turning route through many such aspects of the occult even as it heads for a final secret that is surprising for a strange reason: It’s unsurprising. It also amounts to an affirmation of faith. In the end it is Mr. Brown’s sweet optimism, even more than Langdon’s sleuthing and explicating, that may amaze his readers most. --Janet Maslin, The New York Timeshttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/books/14maslin.html?_r=1&hp

The narrative is still lumpen, witless, adjectivally-promiscuous and addicted to using italics to convey excitement where more adept thriller writers generally prefer to use words. --Jeremy Jehu, The Daily Telegraphhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/fictionreviews/6193943/Dan-Browns-The-Lost-Symbol-review.html