The Da Vinci Code

My dad has that book!!!!!!

 

wasn't very impressed.... poor writing but interesting topic. would have been better in note form as a textbook or something; the story itself was just like a typical cheese romance novel.

 

can anyone tell me how accurate the history in this novel is? it all seems extremely credible to me and fascinating. however, i am aware that it is essentially a theory... albeit a rather well researched one.

i disagree with you. i think the book is fascinating in the way it brings together a plot with intriguing history. im reading it more for the enthrawling imformation, the plot is just a mild distraction. (a well-thought out and interesting distraction...)

 

Thank you so much for these other books, do you know if you can read any of them on the internet?? I would say our town library won't have a single one lolol!! Thanks again!

 

Dan Brown is a foremost storyteller, but do not forget that part of his success is owed to the marketing by his reputable publisher. This creates a form of mass hysteria amongst consumers and using religion as a vehicle of controversy is always guaranteed to be a safe bet. That's not to say his book isn't of good quality. I found myself riveted to the pages. One of the skills that he uses in all his book is pace. The chapters are short and end in cliff hangers. This kind of reading appeals to many casual readers, who may not have the time to read much. He is a well researched author and this shows in the level of detail. A criticism may be that he uses too much of it and may sometime overload the reader with 'technobubble', but thankfully it doesn't distract too much from the story. His plot is almost ludicrous, but that is what actually makes it enjoyable. While his characters would need two lifetimes to accomplish what they achieve in a single day(in ALL his books), their actions make them interesting and draws the reader's curiosity into the adventure. This brings me to my one small complaint about the 'Da Vinci Code'. Whilst I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to buying the next one(I have the whole collection so far), his characters are rather shallow. The pace sacrifices any real identity, or sympathy with all his central characters. That doesn't mean they're 2 dimensional, however it is the plot, rather than the people in it, that will stay in your memory. Still, there's no such thing as a perfect book. Not even mine

 

he ties a plot to the history, yes, but a very cheesy and predictable hollywood-blockbuster one. a mild distraction? i found the plot to be a much bigger distraction, as i was caught between shrivelling my nose at it and throwing out the book, and wanting to finish reading the historical information given.

peace

 

great book

 

Look up dates and information you are wondering about on the internet dear

 

As far as history is concerned, the reason he's able to write this story is because there is remarkably so very little recorded history about Jesus, Mary of Magdala, and the various other "characters." It's easy to construct very intriguing ideas, especially with the obvious gaps in the Gospels. I would recommend reading otehr Gospels that the Vatican won't okay...like the Gospel of Mary, for example. There's only a few passages from it, but you get a really interesting perpective on Jesus. By piecing together enough of the writings of people that knew Jesus or weren't too far removed that the Church won't allow to be diffused throughout the believers, there clear picture of what Jesus intended is much more apparent. It's pretty clear from the little we know about him that he never intended to found a new religion. And it's hard to do much research into at all and not realize that Mary of Magdala was not a whore, like the Bible makes you believe all women that aren't good housewives are, but at the very least his financier, and more probably his wife. Are there people today that claim to be of Jesus' bloodline? I'm Catholic myself, so all of this is so interesting to me.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, the descendants of JC are (supposedly) the Merovingians. If you're a Matrix fan you will recognize the name immediately, but I'll be damned if I know it's relevance to the films (also I don't really care, since only the 1st one was actually good). Going back to the DV code, a good companion guide (and I believe someone has mentioned it above), is a small book by Martin Lunn called: 'The DaVinci Code Decoded'. It explains and expands a lot on the information researched by Dan Brown to create his blockbuster. I, personally, am sceptical about all this. Whilst not being a great fan of religion and all its subsequent conflicts, I nevertheless respect a person's right to find comfort and solace in something that demands faith and not scientific knowledge. However, as with 'Angels and Demons', the author makes a strong, researched case which is, nevertheless, a theory. Some of his facts are indeed stronger than others, whist some, eg.Leonardo being a Grand Master of the Priory of Scion are de facto. The difficult part in the book, is to be able to separate history fact from theory and since it's a novel, Dan Brown gets away with artistic license. I have a theory myself regarding the painting of 'The Last Supper'. If you visit http://www.kissofthewhitescorpion.com/Gallery4.htm you will see a detail that reveals a scary prophecy written hundreds of years before we were born. This may be considered a bit of a spoiler, so if you haven't read the book and intend to, don't see it. Bear in my mind that this is a theory of mine and like Dan Brown, I haven't concrete proof to prove it. A theory is much like an opinion, and I remember Clint Eastwood saying something about opinions in Dirty Harry

 

The author of this book is not accepting correspondence even from major TV companies right now. He was just completely exposed on a major UK TV show over two hours.

In this novel, Dan Brown opens by stating it is a "FACT" that the Priory of Sion are a secret society which has existed since 1099. He surely knows he is duping millions of readers?

It has been known for at least twelve years that this "Priory" is a silly hoax perpetrated by just three Frenchmen beginning in the 1950s only, two of whom admitted to the hoax. They lived in the village of Sion and became a kind of prank club.

So how come Dan Brown can inflame millions, and his publishers, Random House, allow him to, when he's claiming his fictions to be fact?

 

I didn't know that. Thanks Akasha. Can you post some references for us so we can take a look? I myself felt I was being taken for a ride when I saw some errors, but overlooked them considering that it's a novel filled with a plethora of historical information. In one of the books (can't remember if it was 'The Da Vinci Code', or 'Angels and Demons') he mentions: 'he was as lost like Daedalus in the Minos's labyrinth.' (or something like that, not word for word). Any Greek who knows his mythology would laugh, because it was Daedalus that designed the labyrith! If DB can't get simple mythology (that we are taught in junior school) right, then what else has he overlooked? Still, it is an entertaining book to read, as long as we overlook the True Facts misbrand and don't end up embarrassing ourselves in front of a proper scholar.

 

Hi White Scorpion,

I hadn't noticed there are other threads on the book. Do a search and I also replied to you elsewhere on these forums.

Brown refused to be interviewed by a very in-depth UK TV documentary tonight on Channel 4 here. It blew all his 'facts' out of the water. I love to give references but it was on TV and I did not tape it. I DID read an expose years ago of the so-called Priory somewhere, but cannot recall where. They are a fiction, two of the three admitted the hoax, and and all the Priory documents were faked by them. Maybe a good google search would help. Or try a search on the subject on Channel 4 in the UK.

Frankly I so dislike this making of money by duping people. After exposing all the myths in the novel to be fiction - such as the Priory (Dei has some reality) - we then saw US tourists on special trips around all the Paris sites in the novel, looking for the blood spots!

I'd contact Brown himself. Most famous authors DO read email. But he gives no link and won't talk to a soul. Ask me, he knows what he is doing.

Akasha

 

I'm wondering, Akasha7, wat's the purpose of your quest against him? he wrote a STORY, an he fully admits that it's all fiction... sure, he's being a little cagy with the truth, and has made a sensational claim... but that's called MARKETING!!

I'm just trying to understand, what's the purpose of your quest to stop him?

 

Hi World of Dan,

We are meeting on two different threads!

As I explained on the other, I love truth so far as we can know it. On an opening page of the Da Vinci Code book, Brown in bold type states, "FACT..." and that the Priory of Sion is real. So while the story is fiction he declares it boldly as based on fact.

I don't see your problem? The Priory, upon which his entire novel might be said to be based, and which has tourists traipsing all over Paris, is a fiction. I am pretty sure Dan Brown must know that, at least by now.

So I do not appreciate dishonesty, Dan, and am pointing to it. Brown is now writing a follow-up! Is he going to declare the Priory fiction to be "fact" yet again?

Have a good day, dude.

 

If it's 'de facto' that The Priory of Scion is indeed a non-existent society then the publishers of the novel have to retract the words 'fact' and 'actual' from any future advertisements and publications, as they are misleading. I would accept that the writer and publisher were themselves misled by the information that they gathered, but if it's proven that their research was falsified then they should do the honourable thing. As I mentioned in the parallel thread, the book in itself is an interesting read with a fascinating theory and a breakneck plot. Anyway, this is more a matter for the legal eagles to deal with, if they're really interested. As for DB's disappearance from the world of media, don't forget that most authors are very shy people, who only find expression sitting in front of a keyboard. If I may be forgiven for a not so necessary plug, I've written a novel, too, although nowhere near as conspirational, which I had to do a lot of research, interviews and travelling. Nowhere have I written 'true story', or 'fact', because it's a novel (and because certain agencies would pay me a visit ). I will now disappear.

 

White Scorpion,

Thanks so much for understanding my point! Sorry that you have disappeared LOL. By the way, I was one of the four main people who first brought the USA's Skull and Bones into the light in the 80s (which both Bushes belong to), along with Dr Anthony Sutton my late friend, so I do know about research, and secret societies. I even forced Bush Senior to make public statements about his membership in that while he was Pres - but it's another story. S & B is real.

If we accept that Brown and Doubleday (basically Brown) did God-awful research, my point is exactly as you say: they should now retract, especially since he is doing a follow-up. I have emailed them, Random House - no reply yet.

By the way, even the 'biggest' authors often reply: I once had a huge correspondence on the then-Soviet threat with a major author who typed untold pages to me, and I find you do get a reply - but not from Brown. I must admit I think he knows by now the truth about what is untrue, so to speak, but is following the money.

The Priory have been known to be a fiction for years. I should have taped the TV prog. Even the son of one of the three pranksters admits it. Let's just have some truth, I say, as so many have been taken up with all this. There are elements of truth in Brown's books, but only disparate threads.

Have a good day.

 

Michael, hi,

Pleased to meet a member! By the way, try spelling your own society correctly. (Smiley)

 

Seriously, Akasha7, i think you're getting worked up over nothing dude.. just relax. I highly doubt anything will come of this.