Monday, May 24, 2004
The Pen is Mightier: The Da Vinci Code
"The Da Vinci Code" has been on the bestsellers list for quite a while; in fact at the book store where I recently purchased my copy, Code author Dan Brown placed all four of his books in the Fiction top 10. The deciding factor in me getting the book however, was hearing the story compared to Indiana Jones. High praise indeed to be compared to film's greatest trilogy.
Well, having read the 600 page book in four days, I can tell you that the book does not compare to cinematic classics "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Or to the underrated "Temple of Doom." Matter of fact we are clearly in Young Indiana Jones territory here. Like "Last Crusade," "The Da Vinci Code" centers around a search for the holy grail. In fact, Brown seems to be a big fan in the movie, since the similarities in plot go beyond grail quests. The book misses out entirely on the humor and great action sequences that drove the Indiana Jones movies, though not for lack of trying. Brown isn't really a great author, he can leave you hanging with suspense at the end of a chapter, but his dialouge is pretty bland. His characters
inspire no empathy whatsoever, I just didnt give a damn that Robert Langdon, main protagonist, was under pursuit from the French FBI, Scotland Yard, the Vatican, and the Swiss National Bankers Union.
The history of The Da Vinci Code is its strength. Brown knows his Reniassance, Catholic mythology, and Grail lore. In fact if this book had been 50 pages of grail history and cut the 550 pages of schlock, I would have been happy. This book is also called the Da Vinci Code, so Brown put lots of clues and codes into the story, a treasure hunt for the reader. A very crappy treasure hunt; Either I am really smart and need to be hired by the NSA as a master cryptologist, or Brown dumbed down the riddles for his audience. I am thinking option one.
Why is this book so popular then? Its about Jesus, the Grail, and the Catholic Church. And Brown makes some pretty staunch accusations against the Church and The Bible. The Vatican and other fundamentalists will not like what Brown's take on the life of Big Baby Jesus. When the movie comes out, starring lets say...Mel Gibson, it will no doubt be met with picket lines from people who haven't read it.
What would I recommend to you? If you are interested in history or religion, ask someone who's read it what Brown has to say. But dont read the book
Well, having read the 600 page book in four days, I can tell you that the book does not compare to cinematic classics "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Or to the underrated "Temple of Doom." Matter of fact we are clearly in Young Indiana Jones territory here. Like "Last Crusade," "The Da Vinci Code" centers around a search for the holy grail. In fact, Brown seems to be a big fan in the movie, since the similarities in plot go beyond grail quests. The book misses out entirely on the humor and great action sequences that drove the Indiana Jones movies, though not for lack of trying. Brown isn't really a great author, he can leave you hanging with suspense at the end of a chapter, but his dialouge is pretty bland. His characters
inspire no empathy whatsoever, I just didnt give a damn that Robert Langdon, main protagonist, was under pursuit from the French FBI, Scotland Yard, the Vatican, and the Swiss National Bankers Union.
The history of The Da Vinci Code is its strength. Brown knows his Reniassance, Catholic mythology, and Grail lore. In fact if this book had been 50 pages of grail history and cut the 550 pages of schlock, I would have been happy. This book is also called the Da Vinci Code, so Brown put lots of clues and codes into the story, a treasure hunt for the reader. A very crappy treasure hunt; Either I am really smart and need to be hired by the NSA as a master cryptologist, or Brown dumbed down the riddles for his audience. I am thinking option one.
Why is this book so popular then? Its about Jesus, the Grail, and the Catholic Church. And Brown makes some pretty staunch accusations against the Church and The Bible. The Vatican and other fundamentalists will not like what Brown's take on the life of Big Baby Jesus. When the movie comes out, starring lets say...Mel Gibson, it will no doubt be met with picket lines from people who haven't read it.
What would I recommend to you? If you are interested in history or religion, ask someone who's read it what Brown has to say. But dont read the book
# posted by Marmaniac @ 7:56 AM 
