BooksMay 22, 2006 11:22 pm
Finally jumped on the bandwagon and read the Da Vinci Code, hmmm, someone enlighten me please, why is this book such a hit? The story is somewhat intriguing, a conspiracy theory, and I’ve always been partial to those. But Brown’s writing style leaves a lot to be desired, seems a bit amateurish and the book sort of never got ‘there,’ if you know what I mean. The book is at best mediocre, at least it wasn’t too long so didn’t waste too much time reading it. Might go watch the movie next week, see if that’s any good. I’m hoping my next read, “The Lexus and the Olive Tree” will be better…
i actually read angel and demons first after I found an abandoned copy at uni, then read the da vinci code straight after that. While I’m embarrassed to admit it now, I guess I did enjoy reading at the time, because the story was interesting, and it didn’t really tax my brain. But I can’t even be bothered with the movie. The chances of movies being better their book counterparts are pretty slim, so I don’t have very high expectations of the da vinci code. Although I did like the Harry Potter movies, and was pleasantly surprised with the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, so who knows.
Comment by shimmi — May 23, 2006 @ 3:49 am
(Warning: sort of a spoiler ahead.)I think the hype was all about his new interpretation of the Holy Grail. Even I was somewhat dissapointed with the read. As you said, its too much of a teaser which ends without the expected climax (which makes it a ‘Biatch’ of a book!). Plus, I think he tried a bit too much and brought in some really stretched out examples and theories to prove the great conspiracy. (I know its fiction, but if you try to make it realistic you have to make a better attempt.)
Comment by SpectralCentroid — May 23, 2006 @ 4:01 am
amen to that, child of 25. the da vinci code is SO over-rated. it is badly written and the theories are not so novel and ground breaking. the theory that jesus and magdalene were married is an old one, one that was widely popularized after the ’90s super hit holy grail, holy blood (which is ten times better and more informative that any of the dan browns), after which ensued many more books written by actual experts on the topic. however, it’s fast paced and it’s a mega crowd pleaser, you have to to give it that. i hope the movie is good, although i’m not so hot on the idea of tom hanks as langdon.
Comment by Electra — May 23, 2006 @ 5:07 am
be prepared to be astoundingly disappointed by lexus and the olive tree also…
Comment by xtfer — May 23, 2006 @ 1:12 pm
The writing is just too bland it gets boring, even with an ok plot..
Did anyone notice that both Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code had such similar story lines?? I thought I was reading the same book all over again!! Argh!
I think the reason why people like it so much is because it questions religion as we know it in a rather believable way. As Electra said, the theories put forward are nothing new, BUT as the book is so easy to read, ameteurish, even people who don’t particularly like reading have picked it up, thus the popularity.
Comment by charlotte — May 23, 2006 @ 4:16 pm
I have been following the battle for the banning of the DA VINCI CODE
and
on the eve of the release
of this film world wide I would like to say my part. One of the unique
qualities of Jesus Christ during
His life on earth was His ability to be silent in the face of false
accusation. (In fact false accusation
was the ONLY way that they could nail Him to the Cross, in order to
fulfill God’s eternal plan of salvation
for all humanity).
I believe this is the stance that all Christians require to take.
After
all Christian means ‘little Christ’ and
the very title indicates that we need to emulate Him. WHAT WOULD JESUS
DO
if He were here on day
of the release of the Da Vinci Code? I believe He would stand silent.
He
does not need to defend
Himself or prove anything to anyone. He is GOD and He is Truth. No one
and
nothing can change that.
Psalm 2 in the Bible says, “Why do the nations rage, and the people
plot a
vain thing against the Lord and
against His Christ?…He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The LORD
shall hold them in derision.
Now therefore, be wise O kings, be instructed you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice
with trembling. As Christians, our feelings rage when we see our Lord
maligned and ridiculed, and it is natural
for us to run to His defense. But we must rise from the natural to the
supernatural. The Bible says that the
‘reason’ He suffered silently, while committing Himself to Him who
judges
righteously, was to teach us,
His followers, to do the same. So down through the ages they have
thrown
us to the lions, burned us at the stake,
imprisoned us in solitary confinement and tortured us with unspeakable
means for our faith, yet out victory
comes in suffering in silence because He taught us how. And didn’t He
rise
from the dead and have the last laugh
over His enemies? That is also the end result for all those who put
their
trust in Him. That is the reason He is the
one Man in all of history who has influenced the world more widely and
deeply than any other.
So I write to all Christians everywhere, the Da Vinci Code will pass,
and
many more attempts will be made to
disprove Jesus and His divinity, but He and we will have the last
laugh.
So stand still and see the salvation of
our God. We live in time and space, and so we get impatient and
restless,
but He lives in eternity and even through
this He is working out His eternal plans. Doesn’t it say in Proverbs
15:4
in the Bible, ‘The Lord has made all
things for Himself, yes. Even the wicked for the day of doom?’ The Da
Vinci Code is just another book, but
Jesus Christ is not just another God!
Anne Manning.
Vashi, New Bombay.
Comment by dilsiriw — May 24, 2006 @ 7:01 am
It’s a franchise and media corps love them especially with all the other revenue they generate by pushing the spin offs down our throats.
Comment by Janin — May 24, 2006 @ 8:49 am
haven’t wathced the movie .. yet.. or read the book.. it’s still lying on the floor in my room along with Digital Fortress
but the reviews from Cannes have been pretty sucky about the movie.. funny how Ron Howard cut his press junkets down from 20 mins to 3 mins after the initial negative reviews came out 
Comment by savi3 — May 24, 2006 @ 11:50 am