Dan Brown: The Da Vinci Code

It's badly written and factually wrong BUT it's a page-turner, so Dan Brown must be laughing all the way to the bank.

Except that I understand that he's being sued for plagiarism.

G

Oh really - Que pasa? Is It that Search for the Grail book that was doing the rounds about 20 yrs ago that has the Poussin tie-in?

throb

I reckon being factually wronng but a page turner can actually be a good thing - think about Peter Ackroyd's 'Hawksmoor' - total cobblers, but while you were reading it you were prepared to believe he was a thorough-goingSatanist and sacrificed children in Limehouse.

Just saw Tom Hanks squriming to avoid a direct answer when asked if rumors that he was in talks about making a film of the DaVinci Code were true.

His main comment was no words on paper that constitute a script.

"Just trying to make a NAIM for myself"

Yep, no doubt it's rubbish, with a particularly lame ending obviously squarely aimed at the megabuck sequel.

It's not the worst around though. For a truly appallingly written thriller try Allan Folsom's latest, The Exile. Now that really is tosh, brings new meaning to the concepts of sloppy writing and contrived plot.

The only new book I've really enjoyed lately is Louis de Bernieres' Birds Without Wings, an excellent, if rambling novel about the end of the Ottoman Empire, WW1 and the subsequent ethnic cleansing.

I've almost given up on thrillers, can't remember the last decent one I read. Any suggestions?

Looks like I am in the minority of people who enjoyed the Da Vinci Code.

I find with a lot of books that it's best not to look too deep and just treat it for what it is,a story,and,treating it this way,i really enjoyed it ( admittedly,it could get a bit relentless at times,but,an enjoyable page turner nontheless.)

BTW. I prefered one of his other books entitled Angels and demons.

Regards

Chris

I'm with Chris - I enjoyed it, even though I agree that most of it is probably mince. I read "Angels & Demons" first which was enjoyable too. I'd say do it in that order, but I'd say that these books are easily read holiday fodder, ideal for reading by the pool...

John

If we take away the early Christanity stuff (it's fascinating to me, as is everything that questions the conventional wisdom of the church) it's a clearly way below average thriller. People just running around and not getting any sleep, no more than that.

There are lot's of much better thriller writers around that doesn't get a tenth of the attention (or money). Our world is unfair.

BTW. About the italian guy proposed and failed as a EU commisioner, Rocco something. It struck me that he might be a member of you know what organisation...

JohanR

I tried to read this, and failed. Taking away the conspiracy stuff I just found the writing too cliched. In particular the ridiculously shallow national stereotypes and 'characterisation'. When I got to the eccentric crippled English Lord I just had to give up.

I like a good trash novel sometimes but the laziness of the author just riled me.

JohanR, if you are interested in books about Christianity and history try this. I bought it because I enjoyed his travel books but was fascinated.

I found it a compulsive read, but at the end I felt cheated by the total lack of any real substance. Certainly a reasonable 'airport' read but hardly great literature. Throb's description of it as an adult Harry Potter probably about sums it up for me too.

if you want high-brow you could try Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum".

cheers

Nigel

First off (lest I be accused of snobbery) 'Digital Fortress is an OK thriller and 'Deception Point' is actually pretty good.

But-- The DaVinci Code, where to start? Some of the lines are just screamers. The Louvre "The world's most famous art gallery", an English aristocrat called 'Sir Leigh Teabing' (I ask you). "Renowned curator Jacques Saunier lay dying on the floor of his gallery" (opening line -- something like that -- I'm quoting from memory).

Anyway, if you thought TDVC was bad, try his 'Angels and Demons'. This must have a good claim to be the biggest load of tripe ever written. (sorry, Chris)

Here's how it opens: (not giving anything away here)

A physicist at CERN who is also a Catholic priest and who has just managed to recreate the moment of the creation of the universe in his laboratory, is found murdered in a particularly grisly manner with a strange design branded on his chest. So what does the rather Nazi-like, wheelchair-bound head of CERN do? Call the Church? Call the Police? Call the Church Police? No. He calls dashing, single Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon ('who bears more than a passing resemblance to Harrison Ford'). As you do. And so on for 500 pages. However, I said elsewhere that you have to keep reading because you just can't believe the sheer brass neck of the bloke. You _have_ to see if it's going to get any more ludicrous than it already is. Hint: it does.

I think the hype with TDVC is that it's seen and marketed as a 'clever' book and by association anyone reading it is clever. A bit like Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time'. This was _de rigeur_ among the chattering classes some years back due to the same hype when it's actually a fairly clearly-written cogent, but hardly mind-stretching little tome.

Anyway, read the opening of the review by Janet Maslin in The New York Times (!) for an illustration of how the book has been stretching reviewers' critical faculties:

"The word for "The Da Vinci Code" is a rare invertible palindrome. Rotated 180 degrees on a horizontal axis so that it is upside down, it denotes the maternal essence that is sometimes linked to the sport of soccer. Read right side up, it concisely conveys the kind of extreme enthusiasm with which this riddle-filled, code-breaking, exhilaratingly brainy thriller can be recommended.


That word is wow.


The author is Dan Brown (a name you will want to remember). In this gleefully erudite suspense novel, Mr. Brown takes the format he has been developing through three earlier novels and fine-tunes it to blockbuster perfection. Not since the advent of Harry Potter has an author so flagrantly delighted in leading readers on a breathless chase and coaxing them through hoops."

"Not since the advent of Harry Potter" ?????

(full text here)

Oh, I'm sorry, my brain's just exploded.

Cheers,

Tim
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Os nid Campagnolo yw hi, dyw hi ddim yn werth ei marcho...

[This message was edited by Tim Danaher on Thu 18 November 2004 at 8:13.]

quote:

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Originally posted by Nigel Cavendish:
if you want high-brow you could try Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum".

cheers

Nigel

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Agreed. Or 'The Quincunx' by Charles Palliser, or 'Lemprière's Dictionary' by Lawrence Norfolk.

Cheers,

Tim
_____________________________

Os nid Campagnolo yw hi, dyw hi ddim yn werth ei marcho...

quote:

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JohanR, if you are interested in books about Christianity and history try this. I bought it because I enjoyed his travel books but was fascinated.

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Thank's Bruce, it seems worth getting.

James Herbert - At least he acknowledges that it's just pulp. My wife read TDVC and thought it was great. Reason enough to avoid.

One of the worst books I've ever read. I was so embarassed that I threw it away, in case anyone found it on my bookshelf.

Some of the books I read I have to hide in case I'm caught.
(Would you ride the tube reading Lee Child or Michael Moorcock? )

I once met a chap (another doctor, worryingly) who quite seriously told me he never read a book unless it had a Swastika on the cover. This guaranteed a good read in his opinion.

I thought it was crap - and read it end to end!

My partner had a friends copy round the house so I read it. It wasn't great but I still enjoyed reading it, except for the end, which was bit of a fizzer.

Steve