The DaVinci Code

[chrissandvick 0]

I have been noticing that I've been seeing a lot more people reading Ayn Rand on the subway lately. On average, one or two a month - and that's only the ones I've noticed. The only thing I notice people reading more frequently that Rand's books is The DaVinci Code.

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Speaking of the The DaVinci code has anyone hear read it and what did think of it? When I first heard the title I dismissed it as a Bible Code followup but then found out it was a thriller.

Worth reading?

[Bryan 0]

I read it and it was decent. It wasn't the best pop novel I've read, but it wasn't the worst. It takes some pretty good digs at Catholicism, which I liked. I would say it's worth reading but not worth purchasing in hardback.

[Arnold 0]

Speaking of the The DaVinci code has anyone hear read it and what did think of it?  When I first heard the title I dismissed it as a Bible Code followup but then found out it was a thriller. 

Worth reading?

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On the National Geographic Channel, a 2 hour investigation dismissed the whole theory. As I had suspected, it was a speculation built on false premises. Your best bet is to look for this documentary, and skip the book. (Unless you liked Chariots of the Gods)

[Bill Bucko 0]

Read the reviews on Amazon, both positive and negative. It will not be hard to conclude that it's pseudo-historical, New Age garbage. It appeals to those who have never studied history (or any other subject) systematically, but who would like the illusion that they've somehow acquired some profound sort of knowledge.

The author believes that the Holy Grail was actually the uterus(!) of Mary Magdalene.

I forget whether it was Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, or Martin Gardner who (commenting on the pseudo-scientific fallacies of Velikovski) said:

"With that kind of 'scholarship,' you can 'prove' that Moses is the same as Mississippi. You just drop the -oses, and add the -ississippi."

[Ed from OC 0]

Speaking of the The DaVinci code has anyone hear read it and what did think of it?  When I first heard the title I dismissed it as a Bible Code followup but then found out it was a thriller. 

Worth reading?

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Haven't read it, but last summer I read "Deception Point", another novel by the author. Ugh. Really weak writing, plot holes, cardboard characterizations... I have no desire to read another of his books.

[PhilO 0]

I heard on the radio that the Catholic Church is in a complete tizzy over the success of The DaVinci Code - wanting to educate people on the historical inaccuracies.

I haven't read the book, though I can easily imagine that it's as rife with historical errors as has been suggested here. The irony to me is a religious organization such as the Catholic Church defending "historical accuracy", as though the arbitrary claims of one popular book were worse than the arbitrary claims of the Bible and their other dogma. It's as to say: Oh no, don't pay attention to *that* low class arbitrary stuff, you need to have faith in *our* Time Tested arbitrary dogma, which of course is the real word of God...

To which I would reply: It's all fiction - but Brown's book is probably a lot more entertaining.

[Ed from OC 0]

Haven't read it, but last summer I read "Deception Point", another novel by the author.  Ugh.  Really weak writing, plot holes, cardboard characterizations... I have no desire to read another of his books.

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Whoops! It was actually "Digital Fortress" that I read. It deals with a conspiracy and some NSA cryptographers... but in a very undramatic, bland writing style. He could have built an interesting plot, but he didn't.

[adriaticfish 0]

Speaking of the The DaVinci code has anyone hear read it and what did think of it?  When I first heard the title I dismissed it as a Bible Code followup but then found out it was a thriller. 

Worth reading?

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I have read it and I can say that it was worth reading once. The most interesting hypothesis in the book to me is that Jesus was married, and not only that, was NOT the product of an immaculate conception. These are the most pregnant (no pun intended), and realistic ideas in the book.

[Guest Dan Edge]

The irony to me is a religious organization such as the Catholic Church defending "historical accuracy", as though the arbitrary claims of one popular book were worse than the arbitrary claims of the Bible and their other dogma. It's as to say: Oh no, don't pay attention to *that* low class arbitrary stuff, you need to have faith in *our* Time Tested arbitrary dogma, which of course is the real word of God...

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Thanks, man, you gave me a good chuckle. The Catholic Church is a good source of comedy!

--Dan Edge

[Vladimir Berkov 0]

I would say it is generally a mediocre book even disregarding the historical aspects of it. The writing and plot development was generally just sub-par.

What I find so amusing is how such a bad novel has generated such interest. For instance it seems like every cable TV channel has some documentary talking about the issues raised in the book.

I suppose this is simply one result of the contemporary refusal to separate entertainment and news/facts.

[Nodrog 0]

Several hundred pages too long and very repetitive in the middle-end. But the first ~150 pages were highly enjoyable.

[Free Capitalist 0]

I've just read the entire book in about four days -- it's a lot shorter than it looks at first. Overall, I would say that I found the book enjoyable, and worthy of a recommendation. The best part about it was how thoroughly, and how well, the author mixed in history into the plot, so as to make past events both interesting, and relevant to the reader. The sheer erudition of the author is what I gather to be one of the major selling points of the book, and I certainly have found my understanding of history (especially that of Christianity) enriched by it. That is not to say that the book is accurate, because I'm not qualified to evaluate it on its subject matter either way, but its primary virtue to me was how much it involved history, made it interesting to the reader, and I liked the book just for that.

[Bill Bucko 0]

History?? erudition?? You really think the Holy Grail was the uterus(!) of Mary Magdalene?

"With that kind of 'scholarship,' you can 'prove' that Moses is the same as Mississippi. You just drop the -oses, and add the -ississippi."

[Cicero 0]

History?? erudition?? You really think the Holy Grail was the uterus(!) of Mary Magdalene?

"With that kind of 'scholarship,' you can 'prove' that Moses is the same as Mississippi. You just drop the -oses, and add the -ississippi."

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Having read the book, I agree with FreeCapitalist's opinion of it. The author blends history into the book in a fun, creative way that makes the book an enjoyable read. Note that FreeCapitalist explicitly said he did not know if the history was accurate, but that it was presented in a fun fashion. Also, if you read the book, you will discover that Dan Brown has a very extensive knowledge about the Grail lore. Having read a few of Dan Brown's books, he is very into conspiracy theories. Even though I know they are all false, his extensive research makes them a lot more interesting and just a fun read.

[realitycheck44 0]

I read both the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons and enjoyed both. They are really easy and quick reads (I read them both in a day), but I thought they were good. Of course, I don't believe the history, but I don't think it was meant to be history. Dan Brown says at the beginning something about the book not being factual. It's a novel for crying out loud! I did find the plot twists interesting and captivating. It was one of those that I kept trying to figure it out myself. (My mom actually figured out the password for the last crypt box thingy!)

Overall review: Good enough to recommend, but not worth the overall hype.

Zak

[Free Capitalist 0]

Bill,

History?? erudition?? You really think the Holy Grail was the uterus(!) of Mary Magdalene?

Why not? I am not particularly attached to the official Christian mythology, and of all the great objects of pursuit and fascination throughout history, for me the Holy Grail has been a rather insignificant one (for example, I wish more people would write about the Palladium instead). The only reason I even know about something like the Ark of the Covenant is because Indiana Jones went out on a search for it.

Assuming that we don't take The DaVinci Code at face value and assume everything in it is exactly true and accurate, there's a lot of value that I found in it, especially non-fiction wise. It is a rather dramatic and powerful story of the struggles and convulsions of the early Christian Church, of the various bad and good forces within it originally struggling for dominance, the debt of Christianity to pagan religions, the effects of the both strands of the Church on its followers throughout history, etc. Given how much this book focuses on Christianity, it is interesting how much of a non-Christian book it is, because many of the religion's good parts are traced to pagan roots, and many of its bad parts are traced to the absence thereof. Add to that the author's almost encyclopedic grasp of history, of names, connections, relevances, analysis of men in history, their lives, their thoughts and values, a particular emphasis on Leonardo DaVinci himself and his un-Christian attitude, etc. As I said, it's not the absolutely best book I've ever read (rather than thinking that the Holy Grail is Mary Magdalene's uterus, I am now rather open to the idea that it is she herself, or something related to her), but I did find it enjoyable, intellectually very stimulating, and worth my time.