Going on holiday without a laptop makes it possible for me to get stuck into a novel or two. So this last week I finally got around to reading Dan Brown’s “The DaVinci Code“.
The basic premise of the novel is that the Holy Grail is not a cup but is instead the secret royal bloodline formed by Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Robert Langdon, an American symbologist, works with Sophie Neveu, a French cryptologist, to uncover the secrets of the Priory of Sion. Along the way they team up with English Grail specialist, Sir Leigh Teabing. Sophie’s grandfather, Jacques Sauniere, a curator in the Louvre museum, is killed at the beginning of the story. But his presence is felt throughout as Langdon and Neveu uncover the clues he has set in the work of Leonardo Da Vinci. We also follow the story of Silas, an albino member of Opus Dei who is ensnared in a plot to discover the Holy Grail.
Putting aside any qualms about historical accuracy, I enjoyed the book as a stirring thriller. Not as cleverly told as someone like Frederick Forsyth or Robert Grisham. But I finished the book in one day.
Dan Brown has pages dedicated to The DaVinci Code at his site, www.danbrown.com. Doubleday/Randomhouse, the publisher, has an interactive site dedicated to the book and its yet-to-be published sequel.
I’d seen the Channel 4 documentary on the non-fiction background to Brown’s work of fiction. “The Real DaVinci Code” was presented by Tony Robinson. It has a micro site at Weird Worlds.
It’s clear that Brown has stringed together a number of speculative theories about the feminine side to religion, the family of Jesus and the Templar Knights, not to mention the role of many well known artists and thinkers throughout the ages. Despite the gaping holes in the evidence and logic of it all, Brown has the knack of making fiction seem believable.
The DaVinci Code is currently in production as a movie directed by Ron Howard, filmed in France (including The Louvre) and England (Lincoln Cathedral). It should be a hit, with Tom Hanks as Langdon, Audrey Tatou as Neveu, Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing, Alfred Molina as Opus Dei Bishop Aringarosa, Jean Reno as detective Bezu Fache, Jean-Pierre Marielle as Jacques Sauniere and Paul Bettany as Silas. The movie opens on May 18 and 19 in 2006, and has a trailer online at Sony’s Da Vinci Code site.
Eagle’s Child – I’ve managed to survive two years without reading the book. One of the incentives for picking it up now was capacity to engage in conversation. The other incentive was of course the attraction of a bit of fiction that is designed to entertain rather than instruct.
Well, Pac”Lander a question:
Since I have an understanding of Gnostic heresy,have read ‘Holy Blood Holy Grail’ (whose authors are suing Dan Brown) and Umberto Eco’s “Focauld’s Pendulum” (the conspiracy theory to end all the other conspiracy theories and theories of everything) do you think I can get by without reading or seeing the Code?
Thing I find wierd is that everybody seems to think its real. You’ve heard the “tour the Da Vinci” sites holidays etc. Like you said in your original post Duncan, Brown seems to have this knack of weaving a few gaping holes together into a work of fiction — but it is a work of fiction. Can’t understand why whenever something becomes hugely popular why every man and his dog needs to weigh in on it and somehow legitimise it. I also think that while it was a good read it was very badly written — seemed to be written with a screenplay in mind — too much exposition and not enough character development. I, like you, avoided it for some time until I was asked to comment on it in home group and then decided I should make an informed and reasoned response. I guess it strikes a chord with readers because it attempts to re-address the role of the patriachal (not sure if this is the right spelling!!) nature of the church.