Dan Brown and Da Vinci
First of all, let me say I had fun wiht this book, and I’ll probably have fun with the movie. It’s a popcorn-for-your-brain potboiler.
Let me now say this as a Catholic.
I spent six years in the seminary. I understand the dirtyl little secrets. I know where a lot of the bodies are buried. Dan brown manages to string together a couple of out-of context facts, and a few conspiracy theories, to assemble a halfway decent book. Yeah, it’s formuilaic (Dan Brown’s classic formula is “scholarly expert is awakened in the middle of the night to traipse halfway around the world in search of the Real Truth, enduring danger and intrigue in the face of overwhelmiong odds to bring the World out of Darkness and Into the Light”)
Dan desperately wants to be Crichton. He couldn’t carry Crichton’s luggage, never will. He’ll sell books, and has done so, because his stuff is entertaining to many, and catholics are such an easy target of derision- right up there with smokers and obese people as undefended material for comedians everywhere. If Brown opens up people’s eyes and gets them looking for the Truth on their own, and people are diligent enough to FIND the real truth, then that’s god- but unfortunately, the people who are likely to read and enjoy these books, myself included, generally aren’t all that bright.
Don’t take Brown’s word that ANY of this shit is true.
The DaVinci Code is an entertaining novel – a work of fiction. No more, no less. It’s entertaining because of the “What If” factor. Brown did enough homework to make the “What If”s at least semi-plausible, rather than throw up the readers’ BS shields.
That’s all it is – entertaining, “What-If” fantasy fiction. Honestly folks, this isn’t worth getting worked up about. Especially since, by most reports, the book didn’t translate to film well at all.
I’m not even the slight bit interested in seeing it. Unless of course it has a zombie in it heh.
I’m with dragonlady. I’m really indifferent to the whole thing. The book never interested me and the movie even less. *shrug*
Dan Brown couldn’t carry Crichton’s jock-strap. “The Da Vinci Code” is a rip-off of another book titled “Holy Blood, Holy Grail”, which came out in the 80’s. Read them both. “Grail” has the outline of “Da Vinci”, and Brown copied the hell out of it. Got sued for plagerism too. The suit fell, but for technicalities.
Short version: Dan Brown copied another book’s outline and plot, to include all the sooper-seekrit groups and people, and made lots of money off it. I don’t think I’ll go see the movie just for that fact alone. He’s already made money off of an idea that wasn’t his. I don’t need to reward his behavior even more.
A friend saw it last night and said, “It should have been called the Dull Vinci Code. Hanks phoned in his performance. Beautifully shot movie, no fizz.”