The DaVinci Code

[masterthes]

Has anyone ever read this book? It is utterly AMAZING! And also rather blasphemous to an orthodox Catholic. It is a mystery novel about these two secret factions called the Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion. The Opus Dei is a secret sect of the Church in search of the Holy Grail, and the Priory is a group that protects the Grail. Anyway, it said that da Vinci was a member of this Priory and that he put secret messages about the Grail's existence in his paintings. One of the most startling revelations (to me, at least) is in his painting The Last Supper. Take a look

http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/davinci/last-supper-zoom.jpg

Look who is at Jesus' right (it's my left). It's a WOMAN!! Anyway, that is one of the big revelations in this book. I'm not even halfway yet and I'm already blown away. Highly recommended.

[Cogito]

Yes, this book has some truly mind-boggling aspects to it.

As an atheist, with a bit of bible knowledge, I am put off both by pro- and anti-religious messages, and I found this book to hold neither.

But it had a LOT of intriguing information--and I think it's dead cool you checked that information out, btw :)

Looking forward to hearing what you think of the book, once you are through it. It's a facinating read.

[masterthes]

Just finished. Very satisfying read.


SPOILERS




















I must admit, I had a feeling that Teabing had something to do with this whole thing, but then he threw in the red herring with Fache. Loved the way they did tie everything up towards the end. Now that I'm done I'm going to do some research into what stuff is real. It seems like Opus Dei is a real organization.

[Cogito]

Ah great. Glad you liked the ending--personally, I felt let down by it, but I was pretty much convinced that I would be let down by it... Because it could only go one of three ways:

1) The secret turns out to be something spectacular, but gaudy and sci-fi like.
2) The secret turns out to be something relatively mundane and non-controversial (which was what happened).
3) The secret turns out to be something spectacular, but in a conceptual way, so that it blows your mind, but without being gaudy and sci-fi like... (which is what I hoped for, but thought would be nearly impossible to pull off -- but since so much of the book is so incredible, I still held a little hope for this option).

Opus Dei is a real organization, that has real influence in the world. It was was started in Spain, in 1928, and has had a lot of links to fascism. It is part of the Catholic Church's official organization, but it by-steps the power-structure, so the local, catholic bishops have no control over what Opus Dei gets up to in their areas. The spiked chain around the thigh, and the whipping is also real.

They've been accused of being elitist, since they tend to try to recruit well educated people; people of power and prominence. They've also been accused of brainwashing, and whatever else that cults get up to...

I heard about them the first time a couple of years ago, when their founder was canonized. He only died in the 70s, so this was an unusually quick process -- normally, making someone a saint takes a really long time. An exception was made in the case of Mother Theresa, since she was so famous. And an exception was made for Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, simply because Opus Dei is such a powerful organization.

What I read about this event, was that when someone is made into a saint, the followers of this saint-to-be will all flock to Rome for the great event, to celebrate it. And normally, the followers tend to be poor monks, who will be dressed very modestly, and bring a small meal -- everything very low-key and simple. But for Escriva's canonization, things looked really really weird apparently, because for that occasion, the crowd was just these dudes in Armani suits and Rolex watches, heheh.

It's a weird world, after all.

[Cogito]

Oh, found a very interesting article about Opus Dei, or "The Holy Mafia" as they have apparently been called :)

Source (http://www.rickross.com/reference/opus/opus29.html)

Members of Opus Dei claim their organisation is concerned only with the spiritual well-being of its members. Critics, on the other hand, compare it to a Mafia shrouded in white. Robert Hutchison reports on the secretive organisation at the heart of the Catholic Church.

The Guardian (London)/September 10, 1997
By Robert Hutchison
Religion and politics have always been dangerous bedfellows. Christian fundamentalists have brought a backward looking, anti-scientific movement into US politics. The rise of militant Islamic parties has reintroduced theocratic notions that were thought to have died with the Dark Ages. But there is another, less publicised movement that has been quietly pushing at the doors of power on five continents. Opus Dei, the controversial organisation at the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, is seeking to recreate an alliance between the spiritual and secular worlds that was last attempted during the Renaissance - with catastrophic results.

In countries where it has a strong presence, Opus Dei labours silently and stealthily to align government policies with those of the Vatican. But its quest to introduce a neo-Renaissance to the Catholic world has so far produced mixed results.

Because they form a closed, disciplined group guided by an authoritarian ideology, Opus Dei strategists have been largely successful at the Vatican. Under John Paul II, the organisation has become the most dominant force in the Roman Curia, the body of 2,500 prelates and trusted lay people that governs the Catholic Church. Opus Dei's manoeuvrings evoke endless speculation in Rome, where getting on the wrong side of God's Work is not something to be lightly undertaken. But Opus Dei is a relative newcomer to the Vatican power structure. Founded in 1928 by Josemaria Escriva, the son of a bankrupt Aragonese mercer who found power and fame in the priesthood, Opus Dei's rise to influence and fortune has been nothing short of spectacular. As a socio-religious phenomenon, it was intricately bound up with the politics of Franco's Spain. Today, according to Annuario Pontificio (the Vatican yearbook), Opus Dei has 80,000 members around the world, of whom about 2,000 are priests.

As the Catholic Church's only floating diocese - known as a personal prelature - it is governed by a prelate-general, who holds the rank of bishop, and operates above and beyond the authority of local bishops. Said to be richer than many Third World states, Opus Dei publishes no financial statements, no membership lists, and it reports - once every five years - only to the Pope.

Although run from opulent headquarters in Rome's Parioli district, Opus Dei protests that it is 'poor' and does not possess the means of carrying out a political agenda. It claims that its only concern is the spiritual well-being of members. But this is highly deceptive, for the more one gets to know Opus Dei, the more one realises it is highly secretive and elitist. Its primary goal is to return the Catholic Church to the centre of society, as in medieval times.

That by itself may seem harmless enough, but Opus Dei possesses many of the characteristics of a dangerous sect. Members - there are basically two sorts: celibate and noncelibate - are subject to a secret initiation rite. Obedience is sworn to the prelate-general and 'other authorised persons of the prelature'. Once inducted, they must submit to what is known as the 'formative norms' - a manner of mind conditioning. These include reporting weekly to a 'director' who has a right of regard over all their activities, personal and professional. Confessing once a week to an Opus Dei priest is mandatory. Celibate oblates must regularly wear a cilis - a spiked thigh chain used by religious communities in the Middle Ages - and practice self-flagellation. Married members are encouraged to send their children to Opus Dei schools. The schools serve as recruitment centres.

Opus Dei has been accused of being a church within the Church. It has its own doctrine, which it claims was divinely inspired. Moreover, it is the only Roman Catholic organisation - other than the Church herself - that believes it was created by God.

Most sects practice the cult of the founder. In Opus Dei's case, it is determined to have Escriva, who died in 1975, declared a saint before the millennium. But a number of prominent Catholics have protested, claiming that canonisation would weaken the credibility of the Church. One of Spain's leading theologians, Juan Martin Velasco, remarked: 'We cannot portray as a model of Christian living someone who has served the power of the state and who used that power to launch his Opus, which he ran with obscure criteria - like a Mafia shrouded in white - not accepting the papal magisterium when it failed to coincide with his way of thinking'.

Such weighty protests have not moved John Paul II, whose views on Escriva's saintliness, and regard for Opus Dei in general, are well known. A few days before the first 1978 Conclave after the death of Pope Paul VI (which elected John Paul I, who died after only 33 days in office) the future pope paid a visit to the Villa Tevere headquarters and prayed at Escriva's tomb. After the death of the founder's successor, Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, in 1994, John Paul II returned to the prelatic church and knelt before the prelate-general's funeral bier. This bending of protocol - a pope only kneels before the earthly remains of a cardinal - was regarded by many as a sign of fidelity to the organisation that had done everything in its power to raise him to the papal throne.

In spite of opposition from Paul VI's closest adviser, Cardinal Giovanni Benelli, in November 1982 John Paul II elevated Opus Dei to the unique status of personal prelature. Benelli had died of a sudden heart attack the month before. Since then the papal household has increasingly come under Opus Dei's domination.

The Work and its allies control the papal purse strings and the Vatican, after years of piling up deficits, now runs at a profit. It is claimed that the papal secretary, Monsignor Stanislaw Dziwisz, is an Opus Dei associate. During papal travels, Dziwisz makes a point of exchanging the customary Opus Dei form of salutation with local members. Opus Dei Archbishop Julian Herranz, one of the most powerful members of the Roman Curia, is co-chairman of the Papal Council of Advisers. His two co-chairmen are strong Opus Dei supporters, one of them having given key testimony to the Roman tribunal investigating Escriva's saintliness. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, a celibate lay member, holds ministerial status in the papal entourage.

On the secular front, Opus Dei is well represented throughout Latin America, where it has penetrated all levels of government, the military, and the business and financial establishments. In Peru, for example, Opus Dei forged a coalition of business and banking leaders with high-ranking bureaucrats that gave its backing to President Alberto Fujimori. When Tupac Amaru rebels seized the Japanese embassy last December, creating the 126-day hostage crisis, Fujimori called upon Archbishop Juan Luis Cipriani, from the mountain diocese of Ayacucho, to mediate - over the head of the Archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Augusto Vargas Zamora, a Jesuit. Cipriani, one of seven Opus Dei bishops in Peru, is now favoured to succeed Cardinal Vargas, who is past the retirement age, as archbishop of Lima, which traditionally means promotion to the cardinalate.

Opus Dei's fortunes in Europe have been less certain. The exception is Spain, where its political influence regained considerable potency after last year's electoral victory of the conservative Jose Maria Aznar. A devout Catholic whose wife is close to Opus Dei, Prime Minister Aznar's government is laced with Opus Dei dignitaries.

Opus Dei's political ideology has changed little since the 1950s when two of its leading strategists, Rafael Calvo Serer, a former director of the Spanish Institute in London, and Florentino Perez -Embid, published their treatises on Opus Dei as a Catholic regenerator with worldwide reach.

They maintained that the emergence of a new Spain within the European Community presented a God-given opportunity to recreate a form of militant Catholicism initiated by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in the 16th century. Charles V was known as God's viceroy on earth. His imperial policies brought Spain to the height of her creative success, but they also aggravated the European rift between Catholics and Protestants and ended up bankrupting the empire. Nevertheless he placed on Peter's throne two popes of his choosing.

Calvo Serer and Perez-Embid reasoned that with galloping secularism overtaking the Western world, the only way to revitalise Christianity was to resume the Catholic crusade of Charles V - not this time with the resources of a single nation, but through a powerful and vital transnational Catholic movement, headed by Opus Dei. Like the Spanish empire of old, Opus Dei's new-look Holy League was to have large-spectrum antennae in Latin America and the United States.

Opus Dei's American influence blossomed during the Reagan administration. The prelature placed its agents inside the White House and recruited among the middle ranks of the Pentagon. Under Clinton, the situation is more ambiguous, with the exception of the FBI, whose director, Louis Freeh, is said to be a supernumerary (non-celibate) member. When asked for confirmation, Freeh declined to respond, having an FBI special agent reply in his stead. (The official FBI spokesman in Washington had never heard of Opus Dei.) 'While I cannot answer your specific questions, I do note that you have been 'informed' incorrectly,' John E Collingwood stated, without giving further details.

However it seems that Special Agent Collingwood was himself 'misinformed', as Opus Dei subsequently admitted that Freeh's brother, John, was indeed a celibate director of the Work's large centre in Pittsburgh.

In Belgium, France, Germany, and Italy, Opus Dei members are highly placed in the commercial and central banking sectors and within the government bureaucracy. Opus Dei was introduced to the Catholic aristocracy of Europe by former Queen Fabiola of Belgium, who is related through the House of Aragon to the Spanish Borbon family. One of Opus Dei's bitterest reversals occurred earlier this year when a Belgian parliamentary commission placed the organisation on a list of dangerous religious sects, proposing legislation to bring them under stricter control.

Opus Dei was handed another setback by the Socialist victory in France, where it has strong connections among the business establishment. President Chirac's wife, Bernadette Chodron de Courcel, although not a member, is a strong Opus Dei sympathiser. Under Alain Juppe, Opus Dei members held several important cabinet positions, controlling government policy on social communications, proposing legislation to repenalise homosexuality and playing a key role in the privatisation of TF1, a national television channel.

The presence of Opus Dei in the UK, though now w ell rooted, is nowhere near as pervasive. Its network of schools, subsidised with state funds, is concentrated in London, Manchester and Glasgow. Recently, however, Opus Dei established itself in Belfast. Opus Dei members run a youth club called Citywise, and have links with schools in Northern Ireland. A similar club exists in Dublin. Both have secured European Union support under the Youth for Europe programme.

It is part of Opus Dei's modus operandi never to spend - except as a last resort - its own money to finance 'good works', but always to dig into someone else's resources, public or private. Financial backers of Opus Dei projects are often private foundations, or public entities such as US AID, Adveniat in Germany, Unesco (whose director general, Federico Mayor, is Opus Dei) or the public instances of the European Union, where the Work is especially well represented.

Opus Dei schools in Kenya and Nigeria are partially financed by the British government. One former numerary, Dr John Roche, spent 10 years as a director of Strathmore College in Nairobi. During this time the British government paid a third of his salary into an account in London. But numeraries are required to turn their salaries over to the prelature. In this case, the amount totalled pounds 25,000.

After leaving Opus Dei, Roche - now a lecturer at Oxford - sued in the Chancery Division of the High Court of London to recover that part of his salary retained in the UK and other sums he loaned the prelature. Opus Dei successfully defended the case, claiming it owed him nothing. Afterwards Roche and his solicitors questioned the authenticity of certain documents placed in evidence by the defendants. Opus Dei's solicitors belatedly admitted that 'a number of the letters placed on exhibit were not written on the dates they bear but in 1976' - ie after the lawsuit was filed. Roche received an apology and recouped pounds 6,500 of the money as part of an out-of-court settlement.

If, as widely expected, Archbishop Cipriani receives a red hat in the next Consistory - the meeting of cardinals with the Pope - he will become Opus Dei's first cardinal. As a conservative Latin American, young (53 years old), and trimly sportive (a former Olympic athlete), this would make him an eminent papal candidate during the next Conclave. With the 77-year-old John Paul II ailing, many believe the next Conclave cannot be far off. Should an Opus Dei pope be elected, the sons of Josemaria Escriva will have successfully created a neo-Renaissance power structure with striking parallels to the one constructed by God's viceroy in the 16th century.

[Evil Dead Junkie]

My problem with this book has nothing to do with my religious background. But with just how badly written it is. I love the guys other book Angels and Demons (About the churches persecution of Galioe) but really the DaVinci Code uses so much private eye conceindences and (ironically perhaps) Deus Ex Machina, that it would have been regected by the Cat Who... Series :yuck

[masterthes]

Hey Cogs, the Priory was a real organization as well. Creepy stuff

[Arctic]

just in case anyone doesn't know the hype behind this book...


'Da Vinci Code' Gets First Challenge
Mon Jun 9, 6:52 PM ET

By KATHY McCORMACK, Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. - "The Da Vinci Code," a thriller by a relatively unknown author, is a best seller.

It has boosted the profile of New Hampshire author Dan Brown — and it's brought him his first literary challenge.

Author Lewis Perdue says that Brown's story, which explores codes hidden in Leonardo Da Vinci's artwork and a closely guarded secret involving the Roman Catholic Church, has similarities to Perdue's "Daughter of God," published in 2000.

Last week, Perdue sent a letter to Doubleday, Brown's publisher. While religious themes, secrets and conspiracies aren't newcomers to popular fiction, Perdue said he was seeing too many of his own ideas in "The Da Vinci Code," Brown's fourth novel.

"There are far too many parallels between the two books for it to be an accident," Perdue said Monday in an interview from north Lake Tahoe, where he is on vacation. "We've decided to take legal action."

Brown said that until last week, he had never heard of Perdue, who has written about a dozen books, including "The Da Vinci Legacy," which deals with a church secret involving the illegitimate offspring of St. Peter. Brown said he has not read any of Perdue's books.

Brown's protagonist, who made his debut in a previous novel, is a professor who studies religious symbols. Perdue's hero is a professor of religion. Brown's heroine is a cryptologist; Perdue's is an expert specializing in art forgery. Both deal with curator deaths.

Both books also deal with a secret that the church wants to keep under wraps.

"To me, the biggest smoking gun is there is a painting which contains, physically, a gold key, which leads to a safe deposit box in a Zurich bank, which contains the ultimate clue leading to the treasure," said Perdue. "And the two people retrieve this from the safe deposit box as the bad guys are closing in and they escape by the skin of their teeth."

Brown's book includes a scene where the cryptologist finds a gold key behind a painting, which leads her and the professor on a harrowing journey to a safe deposit box in a Paris Swiss bank.

"Swiss bank accounts are so often in thrillers they are cliche," said Brown, who added that there are limited places to hide a key in an art museum.

Brown said his first book about his professor, "Angels and Demons," came out before "Daughter of God." Perdue said "Daughter of God" is a re-edit of his 1985 book, "The Linz Testament," with the same hero but with a different name.


and also, for those interested in seeing this one as a movie:

Sci Fi Wire
9:00am ET, 27-June-03

Studio Buys Da Vinci Rights

Columbia Pictures has acquired film rights to The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown's best-selling thriller novel, about an ancient conspiracy, Variety reported. Code, published in March, is Brown's second novel centering on Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor who studies religious symbols. The first, Angels and Demons, was published in 2000. Brown is at work on a third Langdon book, which would be included in Columbia's deal.

Code centers on the murder of a curator at the Louvre and clues to a 2,000-year-old conspiracy encoded in the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, the trade paper reported.

The book is also the subject of allegations by author Lewis Perdue, who claims that Code borrows material from Perdue's novel Daughter of God, published in 2000. Brown has said he never read Perdue's books, the trade paper reported.

[Brynn]

If you really liked The DaVinci Code, there are a bunch of books out there that deal with the same subject matter, but the books are non-fictional. There are some about the art, about the Priory of Sion, the Holy Grail, religious symbols, and the Templar. It's really interesting stuff.

I enjoyed the DaVinci Code quite a bit.

[masterthes]

Yeah Brynn, I just recently bought Holy Blood, Holy Grail which I'll be reading shortly.

[Brynn]

Awesome! I think you'll like it a lot. It used to be out of print, but with the popularity of the DaVinci Code, they've issued a reprint. "The Girl with the Alabastor Jar" is also awesome and ties a lot of the art together with theories. I think I've liked that one the best so far.

[Arctic]

just finished reading this. very intriguing read...but they didn't finish it! errrgh! :mad i'm with cogs in having hoped for that option number three ending:3) The secret turns out to be something spectacular, but in a conceptual way, so that it blows your mind, but without being gaudy and sci-fi like... (which is what I hoped for, but thought would be nearly impossible to pull off -- but since so much of the book is so incredible, I still held a little hope for this option). i was also really hoping they'd go more into the Phi aspect of things kind of like the movie Pi did.

BTW, for anyone who enjoyed the symbolism and dual meanings in this book, i suggest reading about the history of tarot.

[Cogito]

You can find a lot of interesting details in old paintings.













http://voxton.Web1000.com/misc/supper.jpg

- "Anchovies?! Guys, I told you it was a bad idea to send Judas!"
- "He forgot the napkins too. Lets kick his ass!"

[Arctic]

:laugh lol! great picture cogito.

[Bebop]

Anyone Read this? Any good? I just read his Angel and Demons book and I enjoyed it, but not sure if I want spend the money on a hardback Da Vinci code or just wait for paperback.

[Arctic]

thought this thread might help you decide ;)

myself, i say wait for paperback or get it at the library.

[Arctic]

'Da Vinci Code' Author Left Out Material

Wed May 19, 3:34 PM ET
By KATE McCANN, Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. - Though "The Da Vinci Code" was contentious enough to produce 10 books attempting to discredit it, its author said he left out what likely would have been the most controversial part.

Dan Brown said that when he wrote the best seller that dissects the origins of Jesus Christ and disputes long-held beliefs about Catholicism, he considered including material alleging that Jesus Christ survived the crucifixion.

While speaking at a benefit Tuesday for a New Hampshire writers' group, Brown said the theory is backed by a number of "very credible sources," but that he ultimately decided it was too flimsy.

"For me, that was just three or four steps too far," he told the crowd of more than 800 people.

Brown's discussion of his book, during which he answered audience questions, was a rare public appearance for him. He has declined most requests for media interviews this year, saying he is focusing on writing the sequel to his book.

He said the new book, set in Washington, D.C., would focus on the Free and Accepted Masons, a secretive fraternal organization. He said the architecture in Washington is soaked in symbolism and plays a major role in the novel. He also said the dust jacket of "The Da Vinci Code" contains a code that reveals information about the sequel.

But Brown spent much of the evening discussing the controversy that has surrounded "The Da Vinci Code."

Since the book was published in March 2003, liberal and conservative writers have cited numerous errors. A key assertion in "The Da Vinci Code" — that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that sinister Christians suppressed information about it — comes from a 1982 book titled "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," which a New York Times reviewer called "rank nonsense."

Brown said he is grateful his book is generating so much debate. He said apathy is a constant threat to the study of the uncomfortable relationship between science and religion.

The book casts unflattering light on the Catholic Church, accusing church leaders of demonizing women for centuries and of covering up the truth about the Holy Grail, which Brown says is Mary Magdalene herself.

Many critics have taken issue with Brown's claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child who was whisked away to France after Jesus' crucifixion.

But Brown, who was raised Christian, said that theory does not detract from Christianity's message.

"In my mind, the possibility that Jesus might have married Mary Magdalene in no way undermines the beauty of Christ's message," he said.

"The Da Vinci Code" has sold 7.5 million copies worldwide and is expected to be made into a movie. a code in the dust jacket? how utterly predictable. i should have been looking for it already.

[Cogito]

Gah, it's sad that science, good sense & reason most often fails to make people understand that religion is bunk -- but mad conspiracy theories, oh that, they'll buy... ::sigh::

It's an enjoyable book, as fiction -- but that's all it is. People are way too gullible, and take the author's word for stuff that is simply not true.

The things he says about paintings of Jesus and his desciples showing one of them to be a woman is nonsense -- if you really do look close (and if you know something about the historic traditions of the artists that painted them), you'll find that these characters are not women, they're just drawn slightly effeminate.

[Arctic]

thought i'd bump this thread since it's so popular anyway.

davinci code author Dan Brown is making news again.

'Da Vinci Code' Author Donates $2.2M

Mon Nov 1, 3:53 PM ET


NEW YORK - Novelist Dan Brown, author of the multimillion-selling "The Da Vinci Code," is sharing some of his wealth with his old high school: Phillips Exeter Academy.

The school announced Monday that Brown and his siblings, Valerie and Gregory, had made a $2.2 million donation in honor of their father, Richard Brown, who taught mathematics at the academy for 35 years. The gift will help provide students with computers and other high-tech equipment.

"My dad's contribution to education through teaching and textbooks is a powerful legacy," the author said during a ceremony last weekend at the school, based in Exeter, N.H.

"We have taken the opportunity to give something back to a phenomenal father and an extraordinary school, both of whom have given us so much."

Dan Brown, who still lives in Exeter, graduated from the academy in 1982 and later taught English there. His siblings also attended the school.

Brown's other books include "Angels and Demons" and "Digital Fortress."

[Arctic]

and also, today we get to see the illustrated version released. says the publisher: "I don't remember ever reading a novel that so screamed for illustrations." no i wouldn't think that you would.

Illustrated 'Da Vinci Code' is latest piece of the puzzle

Tue Nov 2,10:46 AM ET

By Jacqueline Blais, USA TODAY

The Da Vinci Code, a religious thriller, is on a roll.

The newest addition to the cottage industry that has grown around the novel, The Da Vinci Code: Special Illustrated Edition (Doubleday, $35), goes on sale today with an impressive print run of 675,000.

The book's expected success can only make what's already a publishing phenomenon even bigger. Dan Brown's 2003 novel has 9.05 million in print in the USA, says his agent, Heide Lange, along with another 10.1 million in the rest of the world. Last year, The Da Vinci Code was the top-selling adult fiction on the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list. It's on track to do the same in 2004.

Illustrated books are not necessarily unusual. The illustrated Seabiscuit: An American Legend, a follow-up to Laura Hillenbrand's 2001 best seller, did well in 2003, but its publication coincided with the release of the movie about the racehorse. What makes the art-filled Da Vinci Code stand out is that the regular $24.95 hardcover, which was published by Doubleday in March 2003, is still very much in play.

Da Vinci has "such a huge fan base, we think some people will continue to buy the regular hardcover edition and the gift edition," says Bob Wietrak, vice president of merchandising for Barnes & Noble.

The oversized edition includes the novel plus about 150 images. The art includes Mona Lisa, Opus Dei headquarters, Church of Saint-Sulpice and Rosslyn Chapel - objects and places that play a role in unraveling The Da Vinci Code's mystery.

"I don't remember reading a novel that so screamed for illustrations," says Stephen Rubin, president and publisher of Doubleday.

The success of The Da Vinci Code is reviving Brown's three earlier novels. The most popular is Angels & Demons, featuring Da Vinci Code good guy Robert Langdon. There are 7.5 million copies in the USA and 2.7 million more worldwide. An illustrated Angels & Demons is planned for May from publisher Atria. Deception Point has 3.2 million in print in the USA, and Digital Fortress has 3.4 million.

The Da Vinci Code's popularity is spilling over into other entertainment venues:

•A movie. Columbia Pictures bought the rights, and the team that produced A Beautiful Mind- Imagine Entertainment, with producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard - is on board. The movie is expected in 2006.

•Spinoff books. Estimates vary for the number of spinoffs of The Da Vinci Code; R.R. Bowker's Books-In-Print database puts it at 18. These books scrutinize the history (especially the religious part) woven into the novel.

•TV. A special is in the works (not yet sold) by Grizzly Adams Productions called Breaking the Da Vinci Code, which is based on three books.

Brown, who lives in New Hampshire, is writing his next book, The Solomon Key, again starring Langdon. As for the publication date: "We have no idea," Doubleday's Rubin says.

[legna]

Well, that person in the picture could be a woman. It could be Mary Magedelane, she was a disciple!

[Deus Ex Machina]

I enjoyed the book as well. I have to agree with EDJ that the "sleuthing" element was way overplayed. Every other chapter seems to end with a phrase like "...and suddenly they realised just how intricate the puzzle really was."

I'm part of the camp that sees less meaning in much of what Brown describes as fact...it's very open to debate, which is fine. I like a good discussion. :)

Everyone I've talked to (and most folks around here) seem disappointed about the ending, but I loved it...

******** POTENTIAL SPOILER





















Most of the time we see more than what is really there. That is exactly what was happening for all of the characters. They were led to believe all along that they were in the middle of some massive conspiracy and battle waging between these two suspicious groups. It turns out, there was no real battle raging. It was simply one man's extensive effort to try and start one.






















********* END SPOILER

[Arctic]

the twist to a conspiracy theory book cannot be that there is no conspiracy. that's just poor genre writing.

[Arctic]

Beyond 'Da Vinci': A New Clue
By EDWARD WYATT

Published: October 28, 2004


Fans of Dan Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code," have been obsessed with his next book since he revealed earlier this year that the "Da Vinci Code" cover contains clues about his next novel.

What it does not contain is the title, which will be "The Solomon Key," a nugget Mr. Brown's publisher, Stephen Rubin, let slip during a lunch yesterday with reporters who cover the book industry.

The book, whose release date has not been announced, is likely to be the most anticipated novel to hit stores in years, not least because "The Da Vinci Code," published in March 2003, is still selling tens of thousands of copies a week.

Mr. Rubin, president and publisher of Doubleday, has continued to exploit the "Da Vinci Code" phenomenon. It recently passed nine million copies, and a $35 illustrated version goes on sale Tuesday.

Typically, new books are published in paperback within about a year.

But with the hardcover "Da Vinci Code" still regularly in the top five on every national best-seller list, Doubleday keeps pushing back the paperback date.

"The Solomon Key" will be the third novel by Mr. Brown to include the character Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor of religious symbology who follows trails of clues from one murder to the next.

The new book's primary focus will be the Freemasons, the secretive fraternity that has included some of the nation's founding fathers, and it will be set in Washington.

In first discussing the subject of the book last spring, Mr. Brown mentioned that the architecture of Washington is rich in symbolism, something that he is using in the novel. The author has been holed up at his residence in New Hampshire for months working on the new book.

[masterthes]

I can't wait. Bring it on.

[Deus Ex Machina]

Originally posted by Arctic
the twist to a conspiracy theory book cannot be that there is no conspiracy. that's just poor genre writing. :lol

I understand your disappointment, but when writing about things that factually exist, you lose a lot of your credibility if you just end the story with something so large you can't substantiate it. I don't buy into the conspiracy theories he writes about, but with that ending it's hard to say..."absolutely unrealistic".

[blueteeth]

When are they going to make a movie about it?

Ah, 2005!

Thank god for IMDB:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0382625/

Directed by
Ron Howard

Writing credits
Dan Brown (novel)
Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)

[Deus Ex Machina]

The mind still reels that the same guy who wrote Batman and Robin and Lost in Space also wrote A Beautiful Mind and I, Robot. Here's hoping The DaVinci Code is more like the latter two than the former.

[Arctic]

ron howard :yuck. i robot is the only one of those i liked.

casting *rumors* for this are favoring Russell Crowe and Kate Beckinsale for the leads btw.

[Deus Ex Machina]

Originally posted by Arctic
ron howard :yuck. i robot is the only one of those i liked.

casting *rumors* for this are favoring Russell Crowe and Kate Beckinsale for the leads btw.

Hmmm...I'd throw my two cents in for David Duchovny and an unknown French actress.

[masterthes]

Yeah, David Duchovny I could definitely see as Langdon, or maybe Scott Bakula. Kate Beckinsale could work.

[Arctic]

NEWSWEEK EXCLUSIVE: Tom Hanks Cast as Lead in 'The Da Vinci Code'

NEW YORK, NY USA 11/14/2004



Perfect for Cerebral Role; 'Hanks is an Exciting Actor to Watch Thinking,'
Director Ron Howard Says

NEW YORK, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Hanks has been pegged to play the
lead role in Sony's upcoming film "The Da Vinci Code," the adaptation of
author Dan Brown's best-selling thriller, Newsweek has learned. Director Ron
Howard and producer Brian Grazer, the duo who helped make Hanks a star with
their 1984 comedy "Splash" and rehired him 11 years later for "Apollo 13,"
cast Hanks as the globe-trotting scholar Robert Langdon, a decision based
partially on the cerebral (riddle-solving, code-cracking) nature of the action
in "Da Vinci," Newsweek reports in the November 22 issue (on newsstands
Monday, November 15).
"Tom is an exciting actor to watch thinking," Howard tells General Editor
Devin Gordon. "We probably don't need his status from a box-office standpoint"
-- by now, "The Da Vinci Code" sells itself -- "but he gives Langdon instant
legitimacy."
Howard and Grazer are taking their time casting "Da Vinci," but plan to
hire actual foreign actors to play the book's foreign characters. "If there's
any book that's supposed to be an international thriller, says Grazer, "this
is it." Grazer tells Newsweek that one recent Oscar winner inquired about the
role of Parisian cryptologist Sophie Neveu, "and she could easily do it. But I
think the audience would be let down a bit. They expect a French girl." As for
the role of bullish cop Bezu Fache, Gordon reports that Jean Reno is on
Grazer's short list.
Grazer first got wind of "The Da Vinci Code" early in 2003, when Joel
Surnow -- creator of the acclaimed TV series "24" -- thought "Da Vinci" would
make a terrific story line for the show's third season. Surnow asked his boss,
Grazer, to look into acquiring the rights, Newsweek reports. But as Brown had
no intention of handing over his book to a mere TV show, Grazer says that "it
quickly became clear that we had no chance." A few months later Sony paid $6
million for the movie rights -- and hired Grazer as the producer for the
biggest film adaptation since "Harry Potter."
The 53-year-old Grazer, who also paired with Howard on the Oscar-winning
"A Beautiful Mind," has several upcoming projects on his slate, including an
animated "Curious George" film with Will Ferrell and "Fun with Dick and Jane"
starring Jim Carrey. Grazer is also producing a documentary about the
notorious skinflick "Deep Throat," Gordon reports. Due out in February, it may
be the first NC-17 movie released by a major studio in years.


Hanks. hmm. i'll have to think about this.

[Deus Ex Machina]

Originally posted by Arctic
Hanks. hmm. i'll have to think about this. I don't. :yuck. He'll be able to act the part, but he doesn't look like the character described in the book. Harrison Ford would have been a good choice about ten, fifteen years ago.

[masterthes]

Hmm. Will have to wait and see about this one as well.

[Arctic]

8:04 a.m. January 22, 2005

PARIS – Winsome French actress Audrey Tautou of "Amelie" fame has been chosen to play Tom Hanks' partner in cracking "The Da Vinci Code" in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel, the newspaper Le Parisien reported Saturday.

According to the daily, Tautou is to play the role of Sophie Neveu, the investigator who helps Robert Langdon (Hanks), a symbologist, solve the murder of an elderly member of an ancient society that has protected dark secrets since the early years of Christianity.

Oscar-winning director Ron Howard opted for Tautou last week, then confirmed his decision in a Wednesday meeting with her in Paris, Le Parisien's cinema writer Alain Grasset reported without citing sources.

Several celebrity actresses, including Sophie Marceau, sought the role that was finally narrowed down to Tautou and Linda Hardy, a former Miss France, according to the article.

Tautou also starred in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 2004 movie "A Very Long Engagement."

"The Da Vinci Code," by Dan Brown, is a mix of code-breaking, art history, secret societies, religion and lore. Filming of the mystical thriller is expected to start in June. Sony Pictures has said it plans to release the film May 19, 2006.

The famed Louvre Museum has agreed in principal to allow scenes to be shot there, Louvre director Henri Loyrette said Friday. It is the murder of a Louvre curator that triggers the search for the so-called Da Vinci code. hanks and amelie. hmm. never pictured sophie like that. but ok.

[masterthes]

Works for me.

[Deus Ex Machina]

I think Alain Grasset has his ears on backwards. I've read that Sophie Marceau was signed to the role.

[Promithcuous]

Hey, how about Code Rainbow dude??? You forgot to mention that one in your sig.
Don't you care about the faith of those poor smileys? Are you that heartless???

[Deus Ex Machina]

Originally posted by Mithrandir

Don't you care about the faith of those poor smileys? Are you that heartless??? Er...no....and apparently so. :lol

Seriously though, I was under the impression that Audrey didn't even speak English. She got away with it in Pretty Dirty things, but Sophie in the book has a lot more to say.

[crappertay]

There was a documentary on TV investigating The DaVinci Code the other day. Over 2 hours it managed to successfully discredit almost all the supposed "revelations" in the books, from the Priory actually being a forgery by a nutty frenchman in the 50s, to the whole Last Supper "woman" actually being St John.

I want to check the book out, but it makes me laugh that people WANT a book of fiction to be true so bad :lol

[Wiggum]

People are still trying to say that Dan Brown made stuff up. :eek

British Abbey rejects Da Vinci Code film plans
Tue May 31, 7:26 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Producers of the upcoming movie based on the blockbuster novel "The Da Vinci Code" were not allowed to film in Britain's Westminster Abbey after church officials denounced the book as "theologically unsound."

The 940-year-old London Abbey, where British monarchs are crowned, features in the international murder mystery by U.S. author Dan Brown which has been condemned by the Vatican and Anglican Church leaders for distorting the Christian message.

The novel alleges Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children, whereas Christians are taught that Christ never married and was childless when he was crucified.

"Although a real page turner, 'The Da Vinci code' is theologically unsound and we cannot commend or endorse the contentious and wayward religious and historic suggestions made in the book -- nor its views of Christianity and the New Testament," the Abbey said in a statement.

"It would therefore be inappropriate to film scenes from the book here."

Last week officials at Lincoln Cathedral in eastern England said they had agreed to allow their building to be used by the makers of the forthcoming film, which stars Tom Hanks as the book's central character Professor Robert Langdon.

The statement from Westminster Abbey, which appears in scenes toward the end of Brown's novel, also insisted some of the book's details were factually inaccurate.

It said it would be providing the Abbey's marshals with information to clear up the mistakes for visiting tourists drawn to the church by its appearance in The Da Vinci Code.

"We are already receiving regular, daily inquiries related to the book and we expect these to continue and even grow in the next couple of years, even with no effort on our own part, simply because the book is so popular," its statement said.

[Deus Ex Machina]

Originally posted by Tay
There was a documentary on TV investigating The DaVinci Code the other day. Over 2 hours it managed to successfully discredit almost all the supposed "revelations" in the books, from the Priory actually being a forgery by a nutty frenchman in the 50s, to the whole Last Supper "woman" actually being St John.

I want to check the book out, but it makes me laugh that people WANT a book of fiction to be true so bad :lol I don't know why people are so bent on discrediting it. Anyone who thinks any of it has a shred of credibility to begin with is nuts. Same with Dan Brown's other book "Angels and Demons". It's all fiction and if you can't take it in that light you should see a therapist for conspiracy paranoia.

[Wiggum]

But I wanted some antimatter :( .

[Arctic]

27642 post views and counting.

[Deus Ex Machina]

Originally posted by Arctic
27642 post views and counting. Well, the thread has been kicking around for almost two years, but that is a testament to how big a draw this book/movie has.

It'll be interesting to see if the Catholic church members protest the film when it hits theaters.

[Wiggum]

Originally posted by Deus Ex Machina

It'll be interesting to see if the Catholic church members protest the film when it hits theaters.

Ughh...hadn't thought of that. Wouldn't surprise me.

[masterthes]

Definitely nice to see this thread that I have created is still generating a lot of views

See, for the newer guys, I am much more than the Porn Master :lol

[Deus Ex Machina]

Originally posted by masterthes
Definitely nice to see this thread that I have created is still generating a lot of views

See, for the newer guys, I am much more than the Porn Master :lol It's true...you are Heff...some people like you for the articles. ;) :lol

[garfield hates mondays]

Just read this. I don't see what the big deal is really. It's ok. The storyline is interesting enough but the characters are a bit boring. The movie should be a lot more fun. Not sure about Hanks in the lead role but whatever....

Also, I can TOTALLY see why people find this book so offensive:lol But thats all I'm saying about that...

[Karl Hungus]

I think the big deal is that it's potentially offensive. I don't know anyone who thinks that it's a great book.

It's an easy to read adventure story with lead characters who don't have very interesting interaction and it has mysteries instead of character development.

Angels and Demons, the predecessor, is a much better book. It suffers from the same problems, but it's faster paced and the lead female character is much more interesting.

[FoxyMopHandleDaddy]

Just finished Da Vinci Code.
Meh.
Interesting, but the writing and character development were piss poor. I'm starting Angels and Demons today - everybody I know that've read both say it's the better of the two.
Any updates on when The Saloman Key will be released?

As for the ending - when Langdon wakes up in his bed about 3 pages from the end of the book, I suddenly had flashbacks of another shitty book ending. For a moment I thought Dan would go the whole ' it was all a dream' routhe. Glad I was wrong! I thought the ending was kinda cool.

[garfield hates mondays]

Originally posted by FoxyMopHandleDaddy
Interesting, but the writing and character development were piss poor.

That's exactly how I felt about it too:thumbup

[Wiggum]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
N.Y. court rules Brown didn't copy 'Da Vinci Code'


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Best-selling author Dan Brown has won a court ruling against another writer who claimed Brown's book "The Da Vinci Code" copied elements from two of his books, Brown's publisher, Random House, said on Friday.

Brown avoided $150 million in damages author Lewis Perdue had sought in a legal ruling that characterized Brown's blockbuster book as an "intellectual" work.

Perdue had claimed Brown's 2003 book "The Da Vinci Code," which has 36 million copies in print worldwide, infringed the copyright of his novels "Daughter of God," which was published in 2000, and "The Da Vinci Legacy," which came out in 1983.

Perdue sought $150 million in damages and asked the court to block distribution of the book and a movie of "The Da Vinci Code" that is in production by Sony Pictures.

He alleged that Brown copied the basic premise of "Daughter of God," including notions of a "divine feminine" and the transition from a female to a male-dominated church under Roman Emperor Constantine.

Perdue said he would appeal the ruling within 30 days.

"I have no doubt that we're going to see this overturned on appeal because there have been copyright infringement cases where the parties had less to go on than we have and they were able to have their cases overturned," he said.

Perdue said he read Brown's book after getting unsolicited e-mails from readers pointing out the similarities in their works.

"I felt violated, like somebody had broken into my head," he said. "It took away the results of my creativity."

"The Da Vinci Code" has been condemned by the Roman Catholic Church because the plot is based on the theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had children, whose descendants have endured to the present day.

Perdue's book "Daughter of God" is an art-world thriller featuring an American husband and wife and involving a document that tells the story of a second Messiah named Sophia who lived in the fourth century.

Judge George Daniels of U.S. District Court in New York made a detailed analysis of the plots of the two books, as well as Perdue's earlier work, "The Da Vinci Legacy," which shares some elements with his later novel.

"A reasonable average lay observer would not conclude that 'The Da Vinci Code' is substantially similar to 'Daughter of God,"' Daniels wrote in his summary judgment.

"Any slightly similar elements are on the level of generalized or otherwise unprotectable ideas," he said, adding that copyright did not protect an idea, but only the expression of an idea.

Daniels said while both novels were mystery thrillers, "Daughter of God" was more action-packed with gunfights and violent deaths.

"'The Da Vinci Code,' on the other hand, was an intellectual, complex treasure hunt," he said.

Brown initiated the proceedings by filing a suit seeking a declaratory ruling his book did not infringe Perdue's copyright. Perdue, who has a Web site documenting what he calls Brown's plagiarism, then countersued.

[redundo]

Resurrecting an old thread.......

...... but it'll make Masterthes happy

:)

I got round to reading this recently. If it weren't for the fact that people love the idea of being in on a conspiracy theory I wouldn't be able to understand why this book has such popularity.

I did like the book, it's a good (fairly) original story. But the writing is at times very poor. The book in general reminds me of Crichtons Jurassic Park strangely enough - a fresh basic idea, plenty of academic info as back up for the main story and reasonably interesting characters. However I would prefer to read Jurassic Park again then pick up DaVinci Code for a seocnd time.

As for the religious outcry the book created - it's like all religious outcries I can think of; over-blown and misguided. Opus Dei does not come across as the evil pervasive organisation that some like to think it is.
Neither is the DaVinci Codes opinion on the Churchs attitude to women unfair. The Church is not an equal opportunities employer after all.
And as for the alternative life of Christ, well the book is to be found on the fiction shelf so why bother get annoyed? I'm sure some paleontologists and geneticists were annoyed by Jurassic Parks liberal view of science yet I don't remember them condemning that fictional book.

I'm not particularly interested in the film. I think Ian McKellan in particular is going to have his work cut out making Teabings character believeable. I think I can comfortably wait until this one hits DVD shelves before I watch it.

[Laura]

I think Ian McKellan is a perfect cast, that's actually how I imagined Teabing to look like when I was reading the book. For Langdon, though, I would have chosen Sam Neil. Anyway, I liked the book, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the movie. I even was "groupie" enough as to go to the Louvre and feeling all excited to know that they would be filming scenes there just a few weeks after.

[redundo]

When reading the book I had formed the opinion that Teabing looked something like the character of Monty from Withnail and I - except without the raving homosexuality.

There just isn't a lot in Teabings character for McKellan to work with, he is very one-dimensional (Teabing not McKellan). I think the story hinges on whether you find Teabings motivations believable and I can't say I found them particularly convincing.

[Arctic]

Holy Blood, Holy Grail tries to cash in on Da Vinci! :eek

Date set for Da Vinci Code plagiarism trial

Thu Oct 27, 2:33 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Two historians are suing the publishers of Dan Brown's best-selling religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code" in a case which lawyers said Thursday was due to start early next year.

Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent are suing Random House for lifting "the whole architecture" of the research that went into their 1982 non-fiction book "The Holy Blood, and the Holy Grail."

Lawyers on both sides of the case met Thursday to thrash out technical details, and said a trial date had been set for February 27.

They would not comment on how the trial might affect sales of the hugely successful novel or the distribution of a major Hollywood adaptation which Sony Pictures plans to release in May next year.

Random House said a "substantial" part of the claim by Baigent and Leigh had been dropped as a result of Thursday's discussions, and added in a statement:

"Random House is delighted with this result, which reinforces its long-held contention that this is a claim without merit."

A spokeswoman for Leigh said he still intended to pursue his claim against the publishers of Brown's book, which has 36 million copies in print worldwide and has upset Catholics for suggesting Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her.

The same theory is put forward in The Holy Blood, and the Holy Grail.

Commentators have pointed out that a major character in Dan Brown's book, Sir Leigh Teabing, has a name that is an anagram of Leigh and Baigent. A third author of the 1982 book, Henry Lincoln, has decided to stay out of the action.

Ironically, a special hardback, illustrated version of their book, called Holy Blood, Holy Grail has just been reissued by none other than Random House.

In August, Brown won a court ruling against another writer, Lewis Perdue, who claimed The Da Vinci Code copied elements of two of his novels, "Daughter of God" and "The Da Vinci Legacy."

Perdue had sought $150 million in damages and asked the court to block distribution of the book and the movie adaptation, which features Tom Hanks alongside French actress Audrey Tautou. i guess it's just not enough that sales of their obscure book have already been boosted by the da vinci code. :rolleyes

[crappertay]

The third author has my respect.

[redundo]

If i'm not mistaken, didn't the Da Vinci Code specifically mention Holy Blood, Holy Grail as a reference book for that whole wierd alternate history.
Along with that comment that Teabing being an anagram of the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail makes it look like Dan Brown was paying a homage to the authors rather then ripping them off.

They should be grateful that the Da Vinci Code plucked their work from the ridiculed back shelves and gave it some dubious respectability.

[Karl Hungus]

I hope they win.

[masterthes]

Oh dear God, these people are unbelievable. There are other books out there that have been based on this theory before Da Vinci Code, it's just this was the first real popular one.

And I still can't see Tom as Langdon.

[Arctic]

paperback due March 28.

First U.S. paperback of "Da Vinci Code" due in March

10 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dan Brown's publisher will bring out the first U.S. paperback edition of his blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code" on March 28, ahead of the May release of the film adaptation starring Tom Hanks, the company said on Monday.

With sales of the hardback edition still booming nearly three years after it was first published, the tale of church conspiracy and murder is expected to see another spike in sales linked to the eagerly awaited Columbia Pictures movie, directed by Ron Howard.

Random House imprint Anchor Books said it would publish 5 million paperback copies in mass market and trade editions, as well as trade paperback version of the special illustrated edition. Doubleday will also publish a book about the making of the film on May 19 to coincide with its opening.

Originally published in March 2003, "The Da Vinci Code" is one of the most successful, and controversial, books in U.S. publishing history.

The novel has been condemned by the Roman Catholic Church because the plot is based on the theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had children, whose descendants are alive in the present day.

Despite more than 40 million copies in print worldwide in 44 languages, the novel's literary merits have been questioned by critics and it has attracted lawsuits, so far unsuccessful, claiming it was plagiarized.

"The Da Vinci Code" has spent 144 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, 54 of them at number one. The book currently has 12 million copies in print in North America.

Random House is owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG.

[masterthes]

That's it. My thread's taking over the world. :lol About time its coming out in paperback.

[Arctic]

yes thank goodness for the merging feature. ;)

the solomon key name for the second novel is out of the game.

January 16, 2006
USA Today

What of Dan Brown, the man who set off all this mania three years ago when he wrote The Da Vinci Code?

Publisher Doubleday is sharing no details on Brown's next book except that the working title -The Solomon Key- has been dropped.

"No title, no content, no publication date, no nothing," Doubleday's Alison Rich says.

[Abscynthe]

Since this movie is out, has anyone been piqued enough to buy the book? I'm fairly curious myself, especially with the religious sect all in an uproar, but I probably won't get around to it any time soon. Any new opinions on the book (not covered in the Pre Release Thread (http://www.filmhobbit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22796)?

[brassguy]

I bought the book last weekend and just finished reading it. Very enjoyable read. *shrug* the whole jesus/mary magdalene thing seems perfectly plausable to me. The book is a work of fiction though.

So are the "facts" actually fiction then?

How about voting 4 centuries after the death of Jesus to make him a Deity? And with a close vote. Why would a vote be needed on this and why would it be close?

It does make sense that as a Jew Jesus would get married and have children.

[crappertay]

The Priory of Sion died out 400 years ago that's where the facts get skewed. The so-called resurgance of it was a hoax by a frenchman in the 60s trying to prove he was a decendant of the Merovingian bloodline and therefore was the decendant of Christ.

[Wiggum]

All I know is I want my History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic channel back.

If I have to watch one more documentary on the historical basis for this book I'm going to puke.

[Matt]

All I know is I want my History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic channel back.

If I have to watch one more documentary on the historical basis for this book I'm going to puke.


:rofl

[Deus Ex Machina]

So are the "facts" actually fiction then?

I really don't want to bring this debate back to life again. I just want to point out, for those of you who think that religious institutions are nuts for being concerned because no one in their right mind would think the book is anything but fiction......


No offense to you brassguy.

[Deus Ex Machina]

All I know is I want my History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic channel back.

If I have to watch one more documentary on the historical basis for this book I'm going to puke.

:lol

At least you still have Animal Planet.

We need a poll to find out what people really think about the book. I get everything from "it sucked" to "it was OK" to "it was the best book I've read this decade". I can't get a feel, though, for what most people think.

I thought it was a good read, if not rather repetitive and a bit over the top. Dan Brown is no Tom Clancey.

[Wiggum]

I really think there's a direct correlation between how much a person normally reads in their daily life and how good they think the book is.

People who read a significant amount are generally are the one's who think it is poor to good.

People who don't generally read a lot seem to think it's great.

Obviously, a broad generalization but I think it holds true in many cases.

[Matt]

well... I read a ton but I found it entertaining. I mean, it's pretty easy to see the twists. It's nothing remarkable but I thought it would make a better movie. It's no better than a John Grisham book. And that's not a compliment. However, you can read it quickly and be entertained if you are in the right frame of mind.

[legna]

I read a LOT. And I really enjoyed this book. I liked the fact that it led you on. Ok, it's not the best plot in the world and I think some of the charecture development was poor, however I was always wanting to find out what happened next. So I read it really quickly.
As for the "conroversial" nature of the book- bah humbug. It's fiction, it would be like believe that Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy is a "fact" book. Code is a great book, and what make it great is its basis in reality (yeah the church exists and so did these some other people, but that doesn't mean these events happened) and the ability for people to use their imaginations.

[brassguy]

Oh no offense taken Deus. I'm perfectly aware that it is a work of fiction. Not being a Christian though, I see no reason why Jesus couldn't have had a wife and kid. *shrug* sorry if that is offensive. :P

wiggum - I would disagree with that. A great many well educated, well read people like Da Vinci Code. I've read a good number of books and I enjoyed it. If that is not good enough for you here are more examples - my brother, who has read more books than me and goes to Harvard enjoyed it. My mom who went to Yale and has read probably more books than you thoroughly enjoyed it.

I don't think that a poorly written crap book could do as well as Da Vinci Code has.

[crappertay]

People who like intelligent movies can also enjoy crap like Flash Gordon and Steven Seagal movies too...

:D

[brassguy]

Anyone have the new paperback edition? That is what I bought.

It has secret codes in it. Not sure what the point of it is though. There is a whole long list of stuff. I noticed it by accident and then googled it.

Like instead of "Dan Brown" on the top left, it says "Ankh Fendile" on chapter 10 page 60 and it says "Reon Tigaldo" there chapter 42 page 192. These are anagrams. More examples: it says "SOS" on page 155 above "Chapter 33"
and a page has "***" instead of a page number. On page 95, chapter 19 it says "The De Lancs Code" instead of "The Da Vinci Code"

Anyone have any idea what this stuff is for?

[masterthes]

I loved the book, maybe not the best book I read in years, but I definitely did not regret reading it, or Angels and Demons

[redundo]

I'm more fed up with people talking about the "new Holy Grail" then I am with the book itself. I'm pissed off with all the tv cash-ins on the story, the Discovery and History channels aren't the only ones, it's a tv feeding frenzy.

What I find particularly depressing is that there are now people going to the Louvre and instead of looking at the works of Da Vinci on the walls, they are looking at the glass pyramid and wondering is there a 2,000 year old dead chick under it.
:lol

[masterthes]

What? There isn't? :lol