Everybody likes a good conspiracy theory: shadowy secret organization holds some incredibly important information and/or wields vast power over most of the world’s governmental organizations (see also: The X-Files, most of the right-wing militia fringe, and the current Vice President).
Now, anybody who’s into conspiracy theories will recognize the driving conspiracy behind Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code quite early on. Let’s test your CQ (c’mon: Conspiracy Quotient) out with one phrase: Priory of Sion. Got it? Good.
Okay, one more hint: if you’ve read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, you know the whole basis of the conspiracy.
(I knew I was over the whole conspiracy theory thing when I read the follow-up to HBHG, The Messianic Legacy, and found myself far more intrigued by the bits concerning Biblical interpretation and what information was found in the Gnostic Gospels than I was by anything having to do with the modern-day conspiracy stuff.)
All right, enough background—on to the book. The Da Vinci Code is extremely entertaining. The best description I’ve heard of it is “Eco-lite,” which should give you an idea of the flavor: lots of esoteric information, with very little of it in other languages so you don’t feel like a moron the way you do with Eco. Robert Langdon, an American symbologist, is in Paris to give a talk. The curator of the Louvre Museum, Jacques Sauniere, asks to meet him for drinks but poof! gets murdered before they meet. Robert teams up with Sophie Neveu, a master cryptologist—and, conveniently, the curator’s granddaughter—and together they go on the run to solve the murder and uncover what Sauniere wanted to tell them before he was killed.
Brown propels the story along, even as he manages to spill a lot of cocktail-party information along the way. You know, the kind of tidbit that’s so much fun to toss off at a cocktail party: are you aware of the reported symbology in Leonardo’s The Last Supper? The story’s also written in “real-time”—once it kicks off, we see everything that happens, from Robert and Sophie’s run to a sinister Bishop with Opus Dei to an assassin trailing Our Heroes across Paris.
The Da Vinci Code: entertaining, with no academic requirements whatsoever before diving in.
And hidden here is an extra-special note for people who’ve read Holy Blood, Holy Grail:
The unfortunate thing about the whole Priory of Sion/Christ’s bloodline story is that it is, unfortunately, a hoax. A hoax dreamed up by the main character in the conspiracy, Pierre Plantard. The whole Priory-Merovingian-Knights Templar thing, totally made up. So sad.
Brown managed to write a very entertaining book about somebody else’s fiction. Hey, he’s #14 on Amazon, so he’s doing okay.
Brown’s book is a fictional peice. I found it entertaining and thought provoking. Nothing more. If one wishes to get in a little more “serious” fiction try Umberto Eco. Brown’s novel is a light piece of “mystery fiction” tossed in with a dash of psuedo-historical fact. I’m not a Christian, so it made me smile to think how some of the Catholic (and Christian) faith might squirm at some of his suggestions. Botton line is, he’s sold more books than I have (that would be zero), so good on him!
Let’s all keep it perspective, shall we?
I think a lot of people forget that this book is a work of fiction. Let me repeat that for the people who took this book way too personally — it is FICTION. I find the people who got offended by this book amusing, it was an interesting read and indeed thought provoking. However, I suggest anyone who did have questions about the material to do their own research before drawing conclusions.
A work of fiction?…yes, but scattered with facts. I thought it was common knowlege that the Knights Templar are not a fictional “organization”
Ok, first, lets leave the preaching and satan comparisons out of this. I would hope we are all secure enough in our beliefs to be above that. One question I have, and please e-mail responses or post them, since apparently Holy Blood, Holy Grail isn’t factual (atleast from what is said here, I personally don’t know), where can someone go to look up actual facts that aren’t tainted (or are atleast as untainted as humanly possible) by the beliefs of the researcher? A list of texts and/or authorities would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, by the way, I enjoyed to story and for those of you who expect everything to be literary in nature, you’re really narrowing your scope. For one, TDVC appeals to the modern, regular people and in an era where many people don’t read or learn to question what they read this is a great thing. Many of these people find your great literature dull and dry. Now, I like the classics as much as the next English major but not everyone has the same tastes. Also, Brown does cause people to question beliefs. If he didn’t this controversy would never have begun. That learning to question and research is useful and commendable, no matter what the source of intrigue.
I just finished reading DaVinci Code and of course like most readers I found I couldn’t put it down. It was quite entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone.
What struck me though was how I felt about the premise. Not what I thought intellectually, but my gut reaction. As a woman who grew up in a very patriachal church with little regard for what women thought, there was a surprising resurgence of anger about what I was told to be true. There is so much that we don’t know and will probably never know about Christ as a deity. The point is that there is and always has been a belief system within Christianity that suppresses women’s power.
What a freeing and wonderful thought to think I may have someone I can deify who is a woman, not a man. Mary Magdeline is starting to make herself known to me as perhaps the symbol of the women christ I have never been allowed to have.
Actaully, this is not one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s one of the lamer thirllers, and is so poorly written that it is hard to believe that Dan Brown is a graduate of a prestigious College. The Da Vinci Code is nothing more than a very mediocre mystery/thriller, loaded with highly dubious sepculation presented as historical fact. Dan Brown is mainly a competent hack writer at most (which is not necessarily an insult, at least to his bank account), and a dissembling post-modernist who cares nothing for historical accuracy at worst. Of course, it’s fiction so historical accuracy isn’t high on the priority list. But many of Brown’s ridiculous and utterly unplausible assertions in the Da Vinci Code are being taken as factual, historical truth by far too many readers who likely will not look into any of the contrary evidence out there. If I here one more person say that most everything in The Da Vinci Code is “true” or is “factual” I am going to start playing the Lottery on a regular basis.
Correction: “If I HEAR one more person say that most everything in The Da Vinci Code is “true” or is “factual” I am going to start playing the Lottery on a regular basis.” Just avoid childish attacks on a spelling error.
In response to Garrett M: PLEASE don’t use the word “postmodernist.” Besides the fact that bashing postmodernism has gone out of fashion, even among conservatives, you seem to know about as much about postmodernism as Dan Brown knows about Christian history.
The point of the book was not to make us question our faiths. There is nothing wrong with Christianity. Just because there are htose that use it to their advantage doesn’t make the religion bad. The bible may be fiction, but the point is all the same. They are mythological stories that help us live good lives. Be kind, don’t kill, be happy. That’s it. If you are Christian, don’t convert because of this book. That’s the entire reason the church decided to create these coverups. Ignorant Christians would break from Christianity. The basis of Christianity is the same as it always. Just don’t do things because you’re told. Jesus wasn’t God, but he was a great man, a prophet, one of the three Judaic Messiahs. Praise him for who he was, but don’t worship him. That’s what Christianity is. Live a good life by Christ’s philosophies. Even us non-Judaics could learn from it. In fact, we should. And you don’t even need to read the Bible or attend church. You just need to listen to your heart and your mind. This entire debate on whether or not Brown was slanderous or incorrect is entirely moot. Brown in no way insulted Christianity itself, merely those who controlled the church to their own selfish benefits. And he was correct. Historical records back him up, not to mention countless historians and theologists. But that still doesn’t matter. Thsi is compeltely unimportant and blown way out of proportion by completely oversensetive idiots. I’m pretty sure the Pope himself has read the book, and enjoyed it. If he doesn’t care, why should anyone else? And by the way, the caps lock key is seven-sixteenths of an inch away from the “A” key. Turn it off so you don’t sound liek a complete jackass.
I finished reading this book yesterday. I really loved it. I believe that the church “must” have changed the whole history of Jesus Christ in order to gain more control and power over his followers. It makes perfect sense that any document written by Mary Magdalene or Jesus Christ himself was destroyed or hidden to hide the truth about an incredible human being and teacher that wanted to show us how to live a beautiful life. I think the church, in it’s beginnings reacted like a little child, just to have power, and nowadays they are ONE HECK OF A POWERFUL INSTITUTION.
There’s one thing about the book that troubles me though: if Leonardo da Vinci was a flamboyant homosexual, and he was the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion between 1510 and 1519, then how in the world did he perform the ritual which Sophie witnessed of the Grand Master making love with a woman? sounds to me like someone thinks it’s great that Leonardo da Vinci was gay (?!)
I don’t understand why people feel rage or threatned by this book. Remember it’s just a book!
I’ll I think is that many things portrayed in it make perfect sense and some of them are probably true.
No, see, the sex had nothing to do with love. It is just a ritual. It’s like communion if you’re Christian or just plain reading text in a religion. They had sex not to make but to do just that, have sex. It was merely for the purpose of attaining an orgasm, which is beleived to be the only true way to communicate with God as a mortal, since there is a split second when you lose all of your senses.
Mr KORONO: I love you!!! Great comment! I loved you more when you reminded “them” about the caps lock key thing. he he.. Ang lupet!!
Personally I have never read the book but if it’s
a thriller then it must be OK.
to ANNE:
Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve been here so my response to you is quite delayed. You said:
As a “retired” Catholic, I remember clearly that a blessing is GIVEN by holding up TWO fingers and making the sign of the cross. The recipient assumes a prayerful posture such as bowing one’s head or holding one’s hands in the “prayer” position. Therefore, although he is on the ground, John is, in fact, blessing Jesus.
You are in fact correct about the two-finger blessing–I too, am a retired Catholic, was one most of my life. In all due respect, however, Jesus is, in fact doing the blessing in both versions of the painting. He is holding up the two fingers. Take a look:
http://astron.berkeley.edu/‾kalas/disksite/pages/madonna.html
Hopefully the URL still works if not, email me I’ll find you a jpeg or something. Or just type in “Madonna of the Rocks” and do an image search on Google.
Clearly, the infant Jesus is on the ground, and John the baptist, clothed in leather skins is above him, but most definitely receiveing the blessing.
all, please read the attached link – there is more information about this book on the internet. be carefull with what you take as fact.
best regards……
here is the
http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=BreakPoint_Commentaries1&CONTENTID=11415&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
Indeed a ripping tale, told with enough approachable puzzles that it makes you keep turning the page to see if you figured it out.
For what it is, a dime novel, it’s good. Definitely isn’t literature, but is a good way to waste a saturday. Sort of like watching reality tv.
Any one who knows the background of any of his subjects quickly becomes aware that Dan Brown knows very little except how to conjole a publisher into getting his poor quality manuscript into the hands of welcoming readers.
His theology is silly, his history is atrocious, and apparently, the one subject I don’t know about, his art discussions, are outlandish. He knows enough buzz words so as to make it sound intriguing, then defines them as he wants.
Still, all in all, it’s a decent read, kinda like eating a twinkie… no nutrition but it is a doughy treat with frosting in the middle.
Oh… if’n you think Christianity was made up by Constantine.. have a go at these: http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/
Ante-Nicene means before Nicea, most of this was written about 200 years before Christianity was legal. So thousands and thousands of folks died before Constantine made it up. Why? Dan Brown doesn’t answer that.
That’s the rub then for me. Fiction is best if it’s plausible. You know these subjects and it just gets silly, like a Monty Python skit that takes itself seriously.
Eco is too esoteric to be sure, but he is plausible in his mysteries. Dan Brown gives us the Jerry Springer of theological fiction, though to be honest the Left Behind books are no better in this regard.
Great book if you have a plane trip, or need a mental break. Bad book if you take it more seriously than Saturday Night Live in giving ‘factual’ information.
I read the book this week and I loved it. I certainly don’t embrace the book as being completely factual because the stuff it is trying to cover was A LONG TIME AGO!! I also don’t think the Bible is factual. They thought the Earth was the center of the Universe for godsakes. We live in a society that worships science whether they will admit it or not. People need chemo—they get it. People get treated for illness everyday and it isn’t the Catholic church and its built in hypocrisy that is fixing things. The main point in this book that prevails to me is that RELIGION is man made and is Truly the evil in the world. All you have to do is look at the current events in the middle east. Everyone is killing each other because they think God is this or that–‘us & them’. Well in my mind the TRUTH is that God has many faces. Talking to a Christian or a Muslim about this stuff is like watching a political debate between Demo and Republican parties. The Democrat is unwilling to give any ground, the Republican is unwilling to give any.. I liked the fact that the book at least raised questions about the history of the church which has been full of destruction, self righteousness, and MONEY/POWER. What about the American Indians? Do their beliefs matter? I guess not, we wiped them out. The book was a good read and regardless if EVERYTHING was factual in it, it was food for thought. That is something maybe in today’s world people need to do. As far as I am concerned, let the Isrealites and the Palestinians kill each other until the end of time. They both think they are ‘right’ and as a result they will pay the price of suffering because part of finding God is finding yourself. How can you do this when someone else defines it for you? I hate religion and to me anyone who thinks they are ‘chosen’ is fooling themselves.
A book for dummies.
I think It rocks, one question Ive popped on this site and have no clue what Its about! Oh well this site rocks!!!! Party round mine! Its In EAST GRINSTEAD Saturday 17th April 2004 20:00 outside Bar Kuba
I think the details rock!!
I thought It was splendid
Hola carnales !!
Siempre he pensado que las mujeres
son muy especiales…
Por que no darles su lugar como creadoras
de vida y de ser responsables de muchos de los
logros de la humanidad ?
Viva the holy femenine !!!
I think Christians are finding the information on this book and resolving to make bad remarks on the book itself and it’s author.
Wether the book is fiction or non-fiction on events. It is entertaining and gives enlightenment on events. It bends the mind only to have you think for yourself and have you follow what you truly believe.
In otherwords, be your own free spirit and follow what you truly think. It’s the right choice; instead of having to drown out all in what you do not know of.
This post is only my opinion that shouldn’t change the way you see things.
The Catholic and Christian church in my point of view; is a humorous subject. They had many beliefs that were proven false by Science. Why do you think America is now banning the words “Under God”?
It goes to show you that the real fiction is now being revealed.
I may also point out to all to read the book, “Smokescreens”
It reveals more than you may want to know.
onceI began to read this book I was eager to know what was going to happen later on in the book. as a high school student I was amazed at some of the facts and details from the Fabonacci number sequence to the last supper painting. I would give the author dan Brown three thumbs up if I had an extra hand. But this has to be the best book i have ever read in all of my fifteen years of life.
Regardless of the book, one thing I would like to address is many people’s question:
“Why didn’t the Jews accept Jesus as their messiah?”
This really isn’t a secret. Not only is it prophesied that the messiah would be persecuted (in Daniel I believe), but the reasons for this persecution by his own people (the Jews) are quite elementary.
OK, for a second let’s look at a snapshot of where the Jewish people were at when Jesus was born: a conquered people. They’d had their asses kicked by the romans. They were an occupied people.
In their own lore, they had heroes like Moses… who accompanied God’s power and kicked everyone’s ass who stood between them and the promised land. Heroes who told them to take up the sword and slay any who stood in their path in the name of god. No mercy!
OK, then all of a sudden this pacifistic fellow shows up and says “Hey, turn the other cheek, OK?”
Is it any wonder that the Jews rejected him? Not quite the ultimate savior they had counted on.
Add to that the fact that Jesus was basically calling the established Jewish elders… the Pharasees… a bunch of hypocrites and liars. But unlike Moses, he didn’t back it up by destroying them, he just walked away.
I’m an agnostic who knows a bit about the bible, and even *I* can understand why the Jews didn’t believe in him. They didn’t want to. And if you believe in the bible, you would think that this was by god’s design anyway, to fulfill prophecy and give Jesus the chance to die for Humanity’s sins.
My two cents.
What a great read! Bought the book expecting an intrigueing conspiracy, that’s exactly what I got.
To the ones who cannot accept this book as a novel then I suggest you stick to the historical section of the librabry if you are wanting pure facts.
What’s wrong with the people who have submitted the negative remarks. The usual statement of any novel is clearly visible, as in this book, quote “All of the characters and events in this book are FICTITIOUS, and any resemblence to ACTUAL persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.” end of quote.
I’m only too sorry that I didn’t write the TDVC myself, what a gift and imagination Dan Brown has been blessed with. More of the same please.
Although the Davinci Code is a work of fiction
there are too many elements of it that ring much more believable than current Christian thought.
Cases in point: 1) in today’s society Jesus would be considered a left wing peace radical, hardly someone who would be considered the messiah.
2) Jesus being married and a father seems to make
much more sense than how he is portrayed in the gospels 3)the followers of Jesus were nothing more
than a Jewish sect. It wasn’t until decades latetr that the gospels raised his status – 300 years later until it was a religion under Constantine.
Dan Brown has given us an alternative to current
beliefs.
Since I have read The Da Vinci Code Book, I finally found the person who wrote this book, I can understand on his thoughts, belief, and feelings. The book have had impact my mind very much. I have been looking for this kind of book for many years, so glad to get to read this book, it lift my spirt up to feel that I am not alone on this. I total beleive in God on my most my life. My hat off to Dan Brown…..
I will start by saying I am an agnostic. I read the Da Vinci code quickly, as it was entertaining and interesting. However, I would not call this work a literary masterpiece, I would simply say it was entertaining and would be a good movie. Any book I can read in less than a week is not going to be a literary masterpiece by any means. Above some one mentioned this book was writen for the masses who don’t read regularily. Well, thats great, it sells more books, but sales are not equal to great literature! That said, I view this as an entertaining fictional work.
This book (like many books ive ready) did make me consider biblical history, and has pursuaded me to do a little of my own reading.
The main issue I have with this book is from the first page where the facts are clamed. Any book claiming such dramatic departures fromt eh status quo must back up there facts with references if they want to make broad factual statements. If there is no substantial reference section, the book then becomes simply a work of total fiction.
I have read other books (many of them popular fiction) which have a similar theme of the church and vaticans falicy, yet they do not pose them selves as stories based on fact as the Da Vinci Code did.
I feel bad for those who have read this book and accepted it as a full truth. Yes, these ideas are compeling, but in order to fully believe them, you need to do further research on your own! I myself have no idea if the ideas in TDVC are true and won’t until I read further in actual scholorly writings not guised as fiction.
The Code is one of the worst books I have ever read. The characters are flat and predictable and the plot is tired. Most offensive are the obvious anti-church/Christian bias, the implicit promotion of fiction as fact and the claim of accurate research when in reality he throws out defeated and defeatable falsehoods (which some who have posted messages here have also bought into). Some “facts” Brown twists. The 4 Gospels did not develop late. They are accurately datable to the mid first century (John being late at 90AD). The Concil of Nicea did not “decide” the deity of Jesus, it affirmed it by an overwheming majority (only 2 of 318 in dissention) unlike “Teabing’s” claim of a “close vote”. So many people are confused by this book because too few people are willing to seek out the real facts (again like some who posted here). People who criticize or dismiss the Bible and Christianity should first read the Bible for themselves and study the factual history of the Church (good and bad), rather than accept someone elses word, which is standard fare in our dumbed down culture. Before I blanketly critiqued and criticized the Code, I read it! Just as I came to believe in the Jesus of the Bible by reading the Bible. I hope any of you who read this will go to God’s timeless Word and believe on His truth rather than be swamped by Brown’s distortions. PS Check out davincihoax.com
Actually, I’ve got to one of the few who wasn’t drawn in by the books apparent charms. I’m usaually big on books with witty dialogue and believable character development. And I just couldn’t stand the stilted conversations these characters had. Yeah the information was fun, but I’m one of those obsessive people who read up on all those obscure topics no one really knows or cares about, so I was already in the know about a good deal of what was going on, fictional or not. It wasn’t a bad book, I just couldn’t bring myself to ever read it again. I think the deciding factor in my distaste for the book was the albino monk. I can say one dimensional, can Brown?
Nice book.But why not just put the cryptex in the freezer and break it with a sledgehammer when the vinegar turns solid?
hey well this book is reallie good to my information because it talks about religious mostly and yes it was enjoyable in parts of the story well yeah it was nice hearing all thes comments in here about this book i loved it too you know.
the Da Vinci code was one heck of a good read..i think it had more fiction than fact however..but the idea of Constantine making up fallacies that Jesus Christ was the son of god completely made sense..sometime in history people started thinking Jesus’s miracles made him divine when really he was a wonderful HUMAN, a prophet to tell people that there was one God..and why would the “son of god” die for other people’s sins when he is “god”? people need to think out of the box and see the true light..open their minds a bit..i guess this book kind of helps people see other ideas..pshh the holy grail thing…just leave it people
this is a very solbent book… astonishing
I have recently finished readin this book and I loved it! I was very glad that we Pagans got some credit for the stuff christians stole from us.
ok one thing that is TOTALLY driving me insane is how people keep sayin dan brown left out this and that…. and how this isnt true and blah blah blah all these know it alls keep complaining and YOU PEOPLE NEED TO REMEBER THIS IS A FRICKIN FICTIONAL BOOK if it had true facts in it it would be NON FICTION Its a book that makes u think, i think it has a very good plot and i enjoyed it very much and this is all coming from a 14 YEAR OLD!?‾#$* who cares about religion…. everyone always has there panties up in a bunch when someone talks about the catholic/christian religion in a so called negative way altering the stories in the bible and so on……….. pathetic
WEll, I’m not a Christain so I don’t have much to say regarding about Dan Browns so-called “truths”, but I found the book an interesting read.
Despite, the characters being poorly developed and the story a little too predictable, the novel was thought provoking particularly on the issues of PHI and the mysteries of Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings.
I commend the author on his ability to blend fiction with non-fiction/conspiracies and actually make us question what is in fact real.
GO GO Brown! I believe reading this thread alone confirms Brown’s success. Truths or falsities; does that really matter in a witch hunt! Post-Christendom has inherited and expended the autocratic instrument against the former master. LOL ..
I just finished reading “The Da Vinci Code” (in just 2 days! I could not put it down) and thought it was absolutly the best book I have ever read!!
Well the Opus Dia stuff is real anyway. Read an intrigueing article in I think Time magazine about the secret group within the Catholic Church. Very scary people. Also if you are interested in First Century Christianity and true Esoteric/Metaphysics read anything by Emma Curtis Hopkins.
I cant believe religious people believe in a golden book called the bible, and then find it so hard to accept Dan Brown has written another ficticious book.
I like history, I like Da Vinci, and I’ve enjoy’d reading “The Da Vinci Code”… Many people care about the truth of some (historical) facts/prophecies/legends, that actually can not be proved; and if they can: will with be good for “MAN”kind finally know the truth itself?
Ok , ok, maybe it’s fiction, maybe its true… but it’s also a book (THE SAME WAY BIBLE IS A BOOK)some believe others don’t…
In my country we have proverb “QUEM CONTA UM CONTO ACRESCENTA UM PONTO” basiclly it means that someone that tells a story adds something, its like a malicious gossip or a rumor… there’s always different versions…
Some say that if we go to church every sunday, pray for God that we’ll go to paradise!Why not? Some believe that God is in our hearts, in our actions!Why not? And some doesn’t believe in God!Why not?
THE HOLLY INQUISITION is over for centuries!!!
You believe in whatever you want!!!(even that in some countries, unfortunately, that can bring you problems)
Anyway, all this writing just to say that I believe that the truth (what ever it is) is in what we believe…
Oh and by the way don’t forget the title “The Da Vinci Code”, ohhh Da Vinci never knew you, no one ever will, but what you’ve left is so misterious, so fascinating… AS LIVE ITSELF! 🙂
Thank you Dan Brown, for reminding me of the marvellous world of Leonardo, and also for increase my passion for…
MISTERY and ART… 🙂
Just to add my opinion, albeit a little late..
Re: the debate over the positioning of the children in Madonna on the Rocks, it was established that the child on the left is submitting in prayer to the child on the ground, doing the blessing. However I was under the impression that Mary had her arm around her own child, Jesus, making him the child kneeling in prayer. This seemed like a logical conclusion to draw..
I finally broke down and read the book (out of desperation, as the library was closed and my sister left it at my house) As an avid reader I was SORELY dissapointed in the quality of the characters the murder mystery plot. I would much rather have read a 5 page non-fiction booklet on the factual parts of the story. Unfortunately, I have friends who read an average of one book every five years who got their hands on this and thought that it was the most incredible (and true!) book they had ever read. (Personally, I think each one was extremely proud that they had finished something over 400 pages.) Sadly, these are the people who believe everything Brown wrote was the truth, and are using this work of fiction to expound “cocktail party information” on all of us. Sigh…..
The sequel is far better. Even though the characters are made of cellophane, and Brown’s insistance on using “symbology” as an actual word, the scientific details portrayed are far more accurate than the art history of the first book- history is faulted by the historian, science is fact.
If anyone is genuinely interested in discussing the truth and fiction in this book, go to:
http://p066.ezboard.com/bthedavincicodefactandfiction
What the conection between the da vinci code and leonardo da Vinci?