The da vinci code

[arboc!]

I recently finished this book and i thought that it was pretty good. What do you guys think about it. I recently started angels and demons, and im almost done with it.... personally i like it more than the da vinci code.

[KingFoo]

Haven't read DaVinci Code, but I know much of the background info he pulls from. You should also check out the book, "Holy Blood, Holy Grail"

[LordOpie]

If you want to read DB's other stuff, read Digital Fortress next and Deception Point last. DP might be my favorite of his. AD next. DF was good, but it's his weakest book. Still worth reading if you like DB.

I will read his future efforts and I'll look forward to the movies -- you know they'll get made. Speaking of which, if you haven't seen National Treasure, go see it. It was very entertaining and I felt it could've been a DB story.

All that said, he's a horrible writer.

Opie was about to reveal why, but suddenly, he hit the submit button...

[Guest]

I haven't had the interest to read the book yet, but I hear they're making the movie (just got the ok today from the French to shoot at the Louvre), so maybe I'll wait for the movie to come out.

Koffee

[timmhaan]

the book just reads exactly like a screenplay anyway. i thought it kinda sucked actually. it just felt too pre-packaged and ready for the masses. i read it before you could buy it at the gas station too and still felt that way afterward.

[arboc!]

If you want to read DB's other stuff, read Digital Fortress next and Deception Point last. DP might be my favorite of his. AD next. DF was good, but it's his weakest book. Still worth reading if you like DB.

are these books about langdon too?

[LordOpie]

are these books about langdon too?
no, but you can just imagine that the lead men in the other two books are him :D

same formula, different topics and environments.

DB has insane research and comprehension skills.

[Johnny_Monkey]

I think DB's dialogue is hilarious. Everyone talks like an American in his books.

If you liked the DV Code check out 'Foucaults Pendulum' (sp?) by Umberto Eco.

[arboc!]

he must do tons of reseach on cults.... or maybe hes in one?

[Rev.Chuck]

Devils and Angels would make a good series a/la 24 hours. His research must take far longer than the book. Imagine trying to get a Papal audience, "Yeah, I would like to see the Pope to get the inside skinny for a book I am writing. thought maybe he could show me around his private library. How does it treat the Church? Is my answer going to affect your answer? Oh, in that case you guys come up roses, really."

[Billy Brown]

If you want to really reinterpret Christianity, or any religion for that matter, read Emile Durkheim's Elmentary Forms of Religious Life. If you want to know about the power of the Bible beyond the stories it tells, read The Bible Code.

[Red Baron]

Ending sucked, Got to about 10 pages to go and realized I was gonna hate the ending.

After too many Genius puzzle solving, they had a hard time figuring out "Apple" - give me a break.

[arboc!]

yeah that was lame

[ht001]

Did they have to pick Tom Hanks for Langdon? It sure seems like in all of movie-dom there could have been a better pick. Who's going to play Sophie? Maybe Jennifer Garner?

The book does seem rather formulaic. It is certainly engaging, but it certainly isn't literary genius...then again, that may be why it is a relatively good read. The perspectives on the history of religion and the religious imagery are interesting.

I haven't read any of the other books but friends have told me that if you've read one, you've pretty much read Brown's books.

[LordOpie]

Ron Howard? Tom Hanks?

disappointed :(

[Rev.Chuck]

What is literary genius? Anyone here spent the amount of time it took to research (properly, read the acnolgements) "Devils and Angels", on anything they have ever done? Just playing Devil's advocate here.

[arboc!]

i wonder who did those things where you flip the word and its the same.

[arboc!]

amibigram i think they're called heres one
http://www.danbrown.com/images/secrets/graphics/ambigrams/ILLUMINATIspinner.gif

[Johnny_Monkey]

What is literary genius? Anyone here spent the amount of time it took to research (properly, read the acnolgements) "Devils and Angels", on anything they have ever done? Just playing Devil's advocate here.

I have read several articles saying that a lot of it is BS. He has played very loosely with the facts ie the bits in St Peter's square in D&A are appently completely wrong in that things that he refers to either aren't there or are aligned differently (the alignment being crucial to the plot.) Also the hole in the roof of the Parthenon have never been called the 'demon's hole' or whatever he calls it. The tour guides in Rome are being driven crazy by American tourists asking questions from the book that have no basis in reality.

[FXjohn]

The history channel has a two hour documentary called "Beyond the DaVinci code".
The basis of the Davinci Code goes only as far back as the 50's, some Right wing French invented the myth. Don't believe it? Look for the show to rerun on the History channel. The show does go back into history and shows the basis for the myths and debunks them.

[Rev.Chuck]

Johnny, no doubt there is some fudging as it is a work of fiction. First you may be mistaking the Pantheon and the Parthenon. The Pantheon does have a hole in the center of its dome, an oculus. Then, if you read the book starting page 222, you will see the hidden poem with the first line, "From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole". The main presumption is that the poem refers to the Pantheon as this is were Santi (Raphael) is buried (He is). In trying to figure out the poem, Langdon presumes the oculus to be the demons hole, remembering a 5th century theologian refering to it as such, page 245. I found a tour site, http://www.througheternity.com/gtour2.htm , that mentions a tale of how it might have this name. The building was built pre-Christ and was a place of pagan worship, there are probably many tales attached to it(I would have looked around more but you would be amazed how many websites that deal with how your child is going to Hell if he dresses up like a pirate on October 31, when you list "pantheon" as part of the search.)

Back to the story, Langdon discovers he is WRONG, and the Pantheon is not the correct building, pages 250-251, this leads him off to another building, The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, within this is the Chigi Chapel. This is real, the chapel was designed by Rapheal, it has a heavy Egyptian or Masonic influence. Link to lots of pictures: http://www.xtdnet.nl/paul/gallery/rome/dscf0065 Here he finds the demons hole, it fits the description in the book , see picture, and it is really called that.

So am I saying this is a factual story and this really happened, NO. Am I saying the guy spent a lot of time researching to make the story more real when he could have easily made everything up and most people would be none the wiser, YES.
If you have a curious mind, this stuff is interesting, the mixing and evolution of Christian and non Christian symbols, persecution of the scientific community, their artistic subversion. Gets you looking around reading other books, pretty fun.

Pictures are Pantheon, Parthenon, The Demon hole in the Chigi Chapel

[skitbraviking]

Ha hah! The movie will go by way faster than the book.

[arboc!]

after the first 80 pgs or so it started to go much faster.... ithink its because the chapters are short, and usually end in a cliff hanger.
PS. i cant believe he jumped out of a helicopter and lived. :eek:

[Johnny_Monkey]

Johnny, no doubt there is some fudging as it is a work of fiction. First you may be mistaking the Pantheon and the Parthenon. The Pantheon does have a hole in the center of its dome, an oculus. Then, if you read the book starting page 222, you will see the hidden poem with the first line, "From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole". The main presumption is that the poem refers to the Pantheon as this is were Santi (Raphael) is buried (He is). In trying to figure out the poem, Langdon presumes the oculus to be the demons hole, remembering a 5th century theologian refering to it as such, page 245. I found a tour site, http://www.througheternity.com/gtour2.htm , that mentions a tale of how it might have this name. The building was built pre-Christ and was a place of pagan worship, there are probably many tales attached to it(I would have looked around more but you would be amazed how many websites that deal with how your child is going to Hell if he dresses up like a pirate on October 31, when you list "pantheon" as part of the search.)

Back to the story, Langdon discovers he is WRONG, and the Pantheon is not the correct building, pages 250-251, this leads him off to another building, The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, within this is the Chigi Chapel. This is real, the chapel was designed by Rapheal, it has a heavy Egyptian or Masonic influence. Link to lots of pictures: http://www.xtdnet.nl/paul/gallery/rome/dscf0065 Here he finds the demons hole, it fits the description in the book , see picture, and it is really called that.

So am I saying this is a factual story and this really happened, NO. Am I saying the guy spent a lot of time researching to make the story more real when he could have easily made everything up and most people would be none the wiser, YES.
If you have a curious mind, this stuff is interesting, the mixing and evolution of Christian and non Christian symbols, persecution of the scientific community, their artistic subversion. Gets you looking around reading other books, pretty fun.

Pictures are Pantheon, Parthenon, The Demon hole in the Chigi Chapel

Yeah, that's right it's the Pantheon. I always get those two mixed up.

I think the problem is that a lot of people seem to take the DV Code as being gospel, when it is a mixture of fiction and fact. I've read both books but I haven't retained too much - I think this stuff is really popcorn for the most part but it has obviously made people think. After reading the DV Code I checked out Leonardo's 'The Last Supper' and everything DB says about it appears to be true. When I was in Milan I was going to see it (before I'd read DVC), but you had to book to see it and I wasn't that interested.

As I said in an earlier post if you really like this stuff check out Umberto Eco's book.

[Spocher]

Currently reading Deception Point. Liking it very much. I too am amazed by Brown's research skills. Just enough fiction to make it a novel. :-p

[el Inglés]

I recently finished this book and i thought that it was pretty good. What do you guys think about it. I recently started angels and demons, and im almost done with it.... personally i like it more than the da vinci code.

Good historical detail but you didn´t learn much more about the caracters by the end of the book - or for that matter care - than you got in the first few pages , can´t say I´ll be adding any other of his books to my shopping list .
Same sort of thing as Michael Crichton but there the people fill out as the book(s) progress , sort of .

[Spocher]

Speking of Crichton, am currently reading "State Of Fear" it's pretty good. A rather current topic, Global Warming.

[Johnny_Monkey]

I've read 'State of Fear'. MC's not as good as he use to be. Parts of that book are ridiculous. I thought 'Prey' was pretty bad as well.

[Tmax1]

Old topic I know. Behind the times. Yup. Maybe.

I'm just now reading "The da Vinci Code" and so far find it entertaining in a bubble gum kind of way.

While it's merits and flaws have been well debated, there is a connection to my city, Birmingham, in the book.

In the first few pages of the book a dead man is splayed out like the Vetruvian Man - da Vinci's man of perfect proportion.

Here in Birmingham there is, to the best of my knowledge, the only three dimensional representation of this drawing from da Vinci's notebook.

The bronze sculpture is about 20 feet square and has the following inscribed on a brass plaque:

" 'Homage to Leonardo- The Vitruvian Man' - from the original conception by the Italian sculptor Enzo Plazzotta (1921-1981) completed by Mark Holloway, 1982."

This image has for many years been a favorite of mine. I found it interesting to be included and to figure so prominently in this book.

So you folks come on to Birmingham (Alabama) and see it for yourself.