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| Home > iLife > Review: "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown |
| Review: "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown | | Date Created: Sep 25, 2004, 04:08 PM |
I chose to buy the audiobook of "The DaVinci Code" this summer after listening to just a small portion of it on the preview page online. Having just read several books of an historical nature, along with a book about the Bible, I thought this would be an interesting read, since it had been much talked in the media. The title was intriguing, but more intriguing was the suggestion, by a friend of mine, that a relative of theirs had begun to "buy into the theory" set forth in this book, and had become more religious as a result of reading it. I was curious to find out what could have caused such a reaction.
Dan Brown's best selling thriller (still on the top ten charts after nearly 2 years!) has become "the book" that everyone is talking about. And with good reason. Art Historian/ Code Deciphering Expert Robert Langdon is brought to the Louvre in Paris to solve a complex mystery that is enrapt in a conspiracy that dates back to the time of Christ. With taught suspension, narrow escapes, exotic locations, fascinating history, and a believable premise that links Leonardo DaVinci with a secret society designed to protect the true secret of the Holy Grail, Brown has delivered a novel that is sometimes so detailed and textured that it has caused many a stir within the religious community. A lot of that stems from the book's big "revelation", a surprising twist on the Grail legend that I will not reveal here, but which has set off protests and book banning and discussions about the legitimacy of the Christ story as we know it. Personally, I can't see why the religious community that is in an uproar about it couldn't realize that it's just a novel. A work of fiction. An Indiana Jones story set in modern times. To see it as anything more is a bit extreme.
Many religious people may find the theories set forth by the characters in this book to be highly offensive, since Brown's aim would seem to them to be to make one think of the possibilities that the bible stories were not exactly as accurate as they believe them to be. Personally, I enjoy reading historical books. I love studying pieces of art and trying to imagine what caused it to be in the first place, what the artist was thinking when he created it. And as religious as I can be, I am willing to accept many theories about the Life of Christ and Bible stories in particular. I see the stories as examples to live by, not necessarily as accurate accounts of events that took place. But that's just me. Many people believe everything they read, and so reading a book, be it the Bible, or a book like this, is reading the truth, and so they react to it.
Again, I say....This is just a book. It's an engaging adventure story, so rich in detail, seemingly well researched, deliberately controversial. I have seen Brown on shows defending the premise he sets forth in this book, and it seems he truly believes that a secret society did exist. He has presented his theories convincingly, and has created a Harrison Ford-like central character that is easily identifiable and likeable from the start. While I felt at first that some of the writing was not very strong, particularly in the occasionally ridiculous dialogue spoken by some of the characters, once it took off, it never stopped. Like an Indiana Jones movie, Robert Langdon's life goes from one trial to another, making both History and Art seem like the most exciting topics of discussion ever. Mix religion into the mix, and you have a novel designed to grip even the most casual reader.
Protesters, typically the sort of people who denounce something without having ever read or seen it, should take note that while Brown does offer an alternative view of the religious events we've grown to accept, his ultimate tale is about faith, and about exploring it. He never insults Christianity (as some have chosen to attack him on), and goes through great factions to actually prove Christ's existence. This is not an anti-religious book. It's an adventure story that also allows for presenting an alternate view on a well known subject. It's about faith and its extremities. It's strengths and weaknesses. The theories presented in this book should not make the reader doubt anything that they believe in, neither do I think should they run out and join a cult of DaVinci Code theorists. It's simply a novel that is meant to be pure entertainment. Informative, provocative, dare I say, "illuminating".
This book is a mind-opener for those who may never have stopped to think that there could be a hidden secret in a Mona Lisa smile, or in the famous painting of the Last Supper. Who have never stopped to wonder where the bible stories that we know actually derived from. Or even how they came to be. It's safe to say that once you read this book, you may not look at a DaVinci painting the same way again. That's all I'll say for now, as I don't want to ruin the suspense.
I was surprised, as I am sure many others were, to find out that this book was actually the second book in the Robert Langdon series. Apparently, the success of the DaVinci code eclipsed the first book from memory, which is a shame, because it would have been interesting to read these books in order. I'll review the first book, "Angels and Demons", separately. I can not say whether reading that one first will enhance your enjoyment of the series, as the earlier book deals with a totally different backdrop, but does exhude underpinnings of what is to come. Personally, I found Robert Langdon to be an interesting new version of the old anti-heroes of the 1970's. He is a man thrown into a twisting tale that tests all that he knows and believes he knows.
I understand that a major motion picture of "The DaVinci Code" is in pre-production stage right now with Ron Howard's film company. I look forward to seeing how Hollywood treats a best selling novel that seemed to have already evolved from a big selling script. To give you an idea of the book, my suggestions for the casting would be:
Someone like Eric Bana as Langdon. Someone like Gillian Anderson as Rachel. I can't think right now of other names, but those two came to mind while reading this.
Hey, what's not to like about an archeological hero who watches Star Trek and wears a Mickey Mouse watch???
An enjoyable, thought-provoking thriller. Relax. It's only a novel. As Indiana Jones used to say, "Trust me". Would a real book have a website like THIS?
* * * 1/2 stars (out of 5) |
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