Lost Symbol Sets Record in First Day

To the surprise of exactly no one, Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code follow-up, The Lost Symbol, is a smash hit, selling, between its hardcover and e-book editions, 1 million copies in its first day on the shelves, the New York Times reports. Amazon and Barnes & Noble both say it’s the best first day any adult fiction book has ever seen.

Doubleday has already fired up the presses to crank out another 600,000 copies, to supplement the 5 million copies already in print. Publishers are hoping its success bodes well for the raft of upcoming novels from big names like Margaret Atwood, Stephen King, and Nick Hornby. Also sure to sell big: Ted Kennedy’s memoir, which hits this week. “This is going to be a very good next four weeks for books,” says one analyst. (More Dan Brown stories.)