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Discussion:The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown




April 2004 book of the month


The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown


All discussions related to this book should be in this thread. To keep readability of posts, there is no need to use spoilers in your posts unless you feel it is absolutely necessary. Anyone reading the posts in this particular thread must be aware that they may contain spoilers about the plot and characters of the book.

i havn't read it but it sounds like it is good

Mrs.MM picked me up a copy yesterday, I'm in guys!

right on!

I am going to try yo pick it up tomorrow

You can come over and share mine if you like BKK.

ohhh I'd like! *packs suitcase for england*

*Lights fire, puts on smoking jacket and slippers, dims lights and waits for BKK to arrive*

Finally! A book I can actually dicuss! I've read this TWICE, and may I say, this book is absolute unprecedented GENIUS!

The story follows Harvard professor of Symbology, Robert Langdon when he visits Paris. He gets a call in the middle of the night telling him the Curator of the Louvre, Jacques Sauniere, has been murdered. When getting to the crime scene, Langdon is called upon to decipher the cryptic and symbolic message Sauniere left when he died, written in his own blood.

Later he finds out that he is NOT being called upon to help the investigation, he's the prime suspect! So, with the help of Police cryptologist Sophie Nuveau (who happens to be Sauniere's granddaughter), Langdon escapes the authorities and run on an adventure to try and prove his innocence while we learn many distressing things about the Christian faith's past.

Well, that's the basic rundown, I can't wait to discuss in depth

PURE GENIUS, it is (although I like his first book better: Angels and Demons)

I'm half way through already, I can't put it down!

every time I go to get a book for our club at the libary for our club..its never in

Uh-oh, I've finished it.



As usual, mech finishes far too early.

so what did you think of it moggy...it must be good you finished it already!

Yes, mogster? Whadja think? I'm eager to hear your assessment.

Very clever writer, he's certainly done a lot of homework for the book.

After finishing I looked up "the divine proportion" and "priory of sion" myself on the internet. I've also looked at some Da Vinci websites to take a closer look at some of the paintings mentioned in the book.

I won't say too much until others have got stuck into it.

Yeah, I did the same thing....part of his genius is that he makes sure to confirm the facts in the book beyond a shdow of a doubt....

Yea I checked out Phi on the net too....
Hey Have you check out his site www.danbrown.com its awesome!

His website is pretty cool.

Not sure about his khaki trousers and tweed jacket though...

The unusual facts page was really cool!

I love the beginning!


..and thats all I have to say, because I'm bad and havn't even read half of it...


It wasn't me! Blame the English Coursework!

For future reference....all of Dan Brown's novels begin with someone dying...usually violently murdered. It's a form of catching our attention. And I must say it works quite well

I can't believe that so few people have read the book

Its really died on its arse this month.

It must be me, I've jinxed it.

Damn the non-believers furious

im writing a paper on this book and i've been searching for a quote forever. It's something along the lines of, Histoy is a living thing, or something like like. Please if you know where i can find it would be much help.

Rense recently published my letter in the article: "DaVinci, The Dagger & Bullcookies" at praising my "excellent autopsy of this latest controversy" that there is a disembodied, anonymous hand holding a dagger in Leonardo da Vinci's "THE LAST SUPPER."


The above controversy can be found in Dan Brown's best-seller book "THE DA VINCI CODE" (see below). Also, the same claim is found in the book "TURIN SHROUD" (see below). Due to Rense's huge readership, my website has received close to 1,500 visitors since May 3, and counting.


Anyone interested in seeing a photographic refutal of this controversy and not wanting to go to rense is welcome to visit my website by searching at google for "The Last Supper" or "hand with knife" or going to rense and looking for the above titled article which contains the link to my website. The search is worth the trouble.



From the book "THE DA VINCI CODE", page 248: "And here too," Langdon said, pointing now to the crowd of disciples near Peter. "A bit ominous, no?" Sophie squinted and saw a hand emerging from the crowd of disciples. "Is that hand wielding a dagger?" "Yes. Stranger still, if you count the arms, you'll see that this hand belongs to ... no one at all. It's disembodied. Anonymous."


From the book "TURIN SHROUD", by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, page
104:
"...Look across to the other end of the table: there is a hand with a dagger in it, pointing straight at the stomach of the next disciple, yet not one art historian we have read has drawn our attention to it, and the artist who painted the only copy of this picture that has included this anomalous feature has had to alter the position of the next disciple - to make him more than a little of a contortionist - in order to make the gesture anatomically possible. As it stands, the hand belongs to nobody at the table."


Edward Lopez
New York, NY

I Absolulty loved it. A friend of mine was reading it in school and I took an intrest n it, Then, a week later, my grandpa sent it to my house and I read it. I loed it and couldn't put it down! Now I want to read " Angels and Demons" if thsi was so good, then that book should be great too.

I coldn;t belive how great the Divinci Code was. Not only was it filled with facts (which im nto normally into, i perfer a fake story about the supernatural) btu it follows a terrific story that always keeps you wonderng "what will happen next"...it was abosluetly terrific! (don;t mind my terrible spelling)

~Jenna

Da Vinci Code was exceptionally good except for its flimsy ending. I mean, c'mon, "Sophie and Family" reunion! But it was a good read.

Although I prefer Angels & Demons to DVC.

I'm on Chapter 25, dissecting every word, so to speak....

Was supposed to check out Angels and Demons first but my bookstore didn't have it on stock so i went for the Code, and man, am i having a ball or what!

this is the kind of book where you can learn and have fun at the same time. Dan Brown is amazing, he makes it to my list of favorite authors, alongside Tolkien, Rowling and Rice...!

i thought it was an awesome book. but i think that people should read 'Angels and Demons' first..although it doesnt sound like it has anything to do with the Da Vinci Code..it does it kind of introduces you to the professor in that book...so you sort of understand it more..if at all any of that made sense. because my L.A. teacher MADE me read Andels and Demons before i could read The Da Vinci Code. i personally love all of Dan Browns books. ^_^

Eh, Da Vinci Code was awesome. So was Angels and Demons. Deception Point I have to read. But Digital Fortress was crap.

Da Vinci Code now is on my list of fave books....whew! I totally loved it! great research work there, and i really LEARNED a lot! in the middle of Angels & Demons right now. I am intrigued after reading the sneak on Deception Point....

really? digital fortress is crap? how so?

(Regarding Digital Fortress) Its so dated. The technology is ancient. It might have been a good read 7 years ago, but now, it's like, "what"?!

oh, alright.... i wonder if DAn Brown has any more Robert Langdon books in the works....

In fact he does. On his website he says his next novel will involve Robert Langdon in some conspiracy thing in the U.S. or some shit. Expected Arrival: Summer 2005

I felt SO sorry for Silas cry

The book is brilliant, though he kinda fcuked up the ending a bit

Thank you!

summer 2005....

couldn't be any sooner....oh well....

Da Vinci Code is "THE" best book eva~~

Actully, "Angels and Demons" and "Deception Point" are good also....

maybe cuz, they're written by the same author...

I wouldn't say Da Vinci Code was "THE" Best Book Ever. Most of the writing was good but if only Dan Brown didn't make the ending so sappy, it would've been better. Don't get me wrong, the Epilogue was good, but overall I would probably give this a 4.5/5.

Actually, Angels and Demons bored the crap outta me, jeezums they were written on the very same pattern and the Code: Dead body, weird signs, Church, church, more church, organisations, conspiracy theory, some ppl from the passt, a beautful, foreign woman related to the body, bigger organisations, loads of exploding cars and random babbling.

THAT would be all that's in those books.

hey, Angels and Demons was awesome. I lot more climatic ending if I say so myself.

pretentious i call it.

to each his own i say.

Da Vinci code was better for me cos I've been to the Louvre, but not Vatican city. And the end of Angels and Demons was a bit. . . I dunno. . unbelievable.

What was unbelievable?!

Him jumping off a helicopter?

C'mon, it was a lot more climatic.

In angels & demons, when he jumped out of the helicopter he did have a sheet tied to his arms and legs and glided down into a fountain where he nearly drowned.

Exactly.. umpin off a helicopter and suriving was unbelievable

This guy has a clear conspiracy theory obsession or what!

Actually, there's quite a number of "facts" he got blatantly and amateuristically wrong.

Great read though, raced through it in no time. It's a tad shallow, but that helped racing through it as well. Clever writing technically an structurally. Factually very sensationlistic. If you like this and what more, I can recommend the much more complicated but very much more intruiging "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco. There you get the real and whole lot Brown's only touched upon.

I'm so glad there's a thread about this!

I baught this book with the intention to read it through holidays, though I knew I wouldn't cause when I'm on holidays I'm doing other stuff ... however, surprisingly, I managed to finish the whole of it in 3 days and I must say I absolutely loved it! It's very smart, interesting and captivating

After that I also got the one about Illuminati (Angels and Demons is the Englishj title I think?... ) by the same writer which I liked equally

anyone knows if he's planning on writing any more?
(sorry- I don't have time ATM to run through pages to see if this has already been asked )

Yeah, Evy, he's writing a novel slated for Summer 2005

thanks! can't wait

Theres gonna be a lot of pressure on Mr. Brown, cause of the fact the The Da Vinci Code movie is coming out next year and he's getting so much critical acclaim on his current novel.

Let's hope he doesn't screw it up.

And just to set the record straight, Angels and Demons IS better than The Da Vinci Code in my opinion.

Despite the aerial manuevering in the climax.

yeah, i think ANGELS and DEMONS, in its own way, is better than DA VINCI CODE. i think the fact that CODE tackled something that belies A LOT of what the Church have been preaching is what made it sensational.

Plus that fact taht he was twisting the facts or being blatantly wrong about some basic issues. Hope they fix that in the movie.

I would have liked A & D more too, if it wasn't for the codes in the Da Vinci Code, which I loved

you got some examples? bit curious now ...

Okay a few,

1. He says that the canonical gospels are not the earliest gospels aroud, but surpressed the Gnostic ones. A big lie, the CG's date to the 1st century, the GG's to about th 2nd or even 3rd century. Much later

2. Jesus was supposedly divinised at the Council of Nicea in 325 - very ot true. Just check out the canonical gospels

3. "Constantine imposed the canonical gospels and the doctrine of divinity". Simply not true. The four gospels were already around and considerd as authoritative sources as early as 125 AD.

4. Jesus was supposeldy married to MAry Magdalene. Only LATER sources seem to say that, but the text has gaps, plus it doesn't really say that but with a little fantasy one could argue that it might mean that. Far from evidence rally especially since no earlier sources confirm it. Very doubtful.

5. "Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnostic gospels are oldest christian documents around." Howler. DSS date to 250 BC!!!! Not Christian at all!!! And Gnostic are much much later!!

So lots of easy lies. There are a few more detaillistic ones.

I see. thanks.

Screw that B.S.!

Da Vinci Code kicks ass!

HEy, I agree, the book was fun, but Brown didn't get his facts straight. And that IS a fact.

haha.

that was funny, gradpa.

the book had all this hype associated with it, so i finally got around to reading it. What i found was an average book. Not particularly bad, not particularly good. Brown isn't very descriptive, this hurts the book because it seems kind of rushed along. And then the stupid cliffhangers at the end of EVERY chapter...c'mon, this isn't a serialized story, it's a bok, let's keep the continuity.

It's a clever formula he uses. If you really like this stuff I can recommend FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM by Umberto Eco.

^ Thanks for the recommendation, queeq.

I liked the DaVinci code. It read true even if some of his facts were, as queeq pointed out, wrong. I agree that the ending was as people say it is But I don't know how else a book DaVinci Code could have ended

But you do recall that the book is fiction. I was wrong when I said he confirms ALL of the things in his books as fact, but he takes the facts and twists them to make a better, more readable story

He doesn't even take facts... he takes some wrong popular assumptions. And I agree, it is fiction and a cleverly written novel. No doubts there. However, the foreword suggests the fact presented in the novel are facts and they are not. I just learned that even the Priory of Sion is complete fiction, something that was based on some fake documents produced by someone in the fifties or sixties but that have long been proven to be fakes. THere even goes the Da Vinci connection.

And it's not even Dan Brown's theory. He's been using other people's stuff, like Graham Hancock's.

Hi,

can someone shed some light upon the ending? what exactly Dan is referring "Holy Grail" as? it seems like the descendants of Christ's family (i.e Sophie). And what did he figured in Paris in Louvre that he realized the true reality of Grail? he was looking towards the sky in the end through the two pyramid structure in Louvre? what does that suppose to mean?

Brown suggested that the documents of the lineage of Christ was hidden under or in the small pyramid.

which i thought was kind of neat

Yes, it was actually. The whole way of getting there was very bogus, but the very notion is kinda cool: such important documents hidden almost in plain sight of one the most visited museums of the world.

Can I just say, I've been to the Louvre in Paris and in the Da Vinci code, Brown describes the inverted pyramid as being surrounded by famous works of art, but PLEASE CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG, but isn't the inverted pyramid in a shopping centre?????????????
I distinctly remember going into esprit and Virgin records there?

Don't know. The last time I was at The Louvre was just before the book came out, or I would have checked.

Same hear. All i picked up was a stinkin tourist book.

Yeah, I was in there before I read it. . .and its really annoying me now.

the way he describes the Louvre isn't accurate at all

nitpicker

It was still a really good book, even though a lot of the locations and stuff were a pile of crap.

i bought it like a week ago

still haven't got it

It's a fun read. Far from accurate on most counts, but still a fun read.

I've read it at last.

SO.

The idea that the present version of Bible is kind of edited is fact, i've had discuassion about it even at school.

Book was very nice, though not very surprising in some ideas.. like when it turned out that they need that code, it was obvious that'd be fibionacci numbers
but to be honest i've been thinking that the 'bad guy' in book will turn out to be Fache, Teabling was little suprise for me
Also i like the idea about Luvre.

in one word. good book, good reading

I finally finished this cliffhanging, nail biting, intertaining mystery/suspence novel. I read most of it in a few nights but had to put it down to finish studying for a teacher's CLAD test. I agree with others about the slightly disappointing ending. It seemed like the author was trying to hurry up to finish at the end. I am looking forward to Brown's other books now when I have some extra reading time again. Being curious about the controversial subject matter sparked my interest in the first place but was blown away by Brown's compelling writting style. According to the Bible, Jesus was Perfect Man and Perfect God which now, after reading DaVinci Code, begs the question; perfect husband?

No, it doesn't. The Da Vinci Code makes more out of an incomplete line from a dodgy source than is really there. Keep in mind that this is fiction, not a factual book.

I got it for Xmas and finished it by Boxing Day evening.... I think in order to make a fair assessment I'd have to read it again, but I literally couldn't put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed it, Brown's form and pace was good enough to keep me interested. I read an awful lot, it's one of my favourite hobbies (Terry Pratchett is awesomeness personified), and I was completely impressed and satisfied by such a wonderful read. Though, like I said, I feel I need to read it again in order to savour the details a little more

Clovie: I also assumed the 'bad guy' would turn out to be Fache

can someone tell me if it is already out in paperback please?

Dude, theres like a gazillion editions of paperbacks.

Dude, just asking cause last time I checked there weren't any

When was that? Six years ago?

4 months ago, I don't have the choice at hand to check the american book market every day

'The Da Vinci Code' is the literary equivalent of a BIG MAC...looks like shit, tastes like puke and leaves you feeling sick and more than a little bloated. Plus, you coulda would shoulda bought about 6 apples instead. Apart from the Bible, it's the most over-rated book in the history of over-rated boox.

Good analogy on the Big Mac equation. I agree with it in literary terms. But nevertheless, it's a cleverly written book, good marketing.

It is overrated by lots of ppl and equally hated by others. So I guess that settles it.

Great book, BTW

Clever book... not great.

you can't please everyone (bookwise I mean)

Who's your favourite author? General query.....

The DaVinci code is one of my favourite books in the past 10 years or so. I read a LOT of books almost weekly, and even though it may be fictional, the way Brown weaves fact with fiction into the literary tapestry of his book, is amazing. There is just enough fact to make the reader think that perhaps some of these things could be true. Unless of course you are pretentious enough to think that you know everything.

clapping

Oh lordy, the Moose hath spoken. I love you, my intellectual fantasy fab

What facts? There are so few...

I loved the book. I've never been more hooked to a novel. The ending didn't bother me like it seems to have bothered others here, and I've also bought Dan Brown's other 3 novels, and look forward to reading them.

Bumping since I just read this, excellent excellent novel. I couldn't put it down in all honesty and read it in a day. The special edition had pictures in it to help depict the images. The theories proposed about the Holy Grail are very enticing. This is probably my all time favorite next to Catch-22.

I thought the book was great although it had no positive or negative effects on my opinion of the Bible. I live quite near Rosslyn Chapel and it's an interesting place to visit.

This book kind of opened my eyes to things like the Bible being edited and all.

Dont get me wrong tho, it was a great book and Im still down with the Bible. Anyway, ALL YOU BITCHES NEED TO READ "ANGEL'S and DEMONS".

I would say the better of the two.

finally I can get my hands on it...bloody well time

You wont be dissapointed.

Who am I kidding? Its yers, course you'll be dissapointed.

I'm disappointed in you neo

You're starting to sound like my English teacher.

Nah, im kidding. You're okay.

It's good how the whole book excluding the epilogue only takes place over about 10 hours. I kept thinking "Aren't they hungry and don't they need the toilet?"

I started to get into the book, and then I had to put it down. The writing was SO substandard and SO predictable.
*Suppresses memories of book.....*

I'm reading this book now and i just had to do some research on it. i came across a lot. My other told me about this book and sai d it was one hell of a read and it makes you think a lot about the bible and the roman chatolic church. I know this book is fiction but i can't help to think that there is some kind of thruth to it. I looked up the OPUS DEI and they are really horrible people. On their website they say how inaccurate the bookis but there are enough stories that makes the book quite believable. there are two website www.odan.org and www.opusdei.org. they have a lot of interresting information. on odan there is a transcript from CNN where a girl tells her experiences. let me know what you guys think

I'm finally reading the damn thing

I never can understand these reactions to the book... perhaps examples of the most awful parts would help my comprehension. I thought it was fab and I'm reading it over

Yes....the book is FICTION.
Opus Dei is not, yet they are HIGHLY fictionalized in the book....





Well, I'm glad you liked it!
But honestly, I've had more fun wiping my @$$ than reading this book....

I'm pretty sure that the OPUS DEI is in some way exaggerated but there mus be some truth to it. keep in mind that i do know that this book is fiction but Dan Brown did a lot of research for this book. Even if Dan BRown did exaggerate the OPUS DEI they are still barbaric.

I love this book Dan Brown uses Leonardo's mural "The Last Supper" to illustrate a contravetial theory of the origins of Christianity. It claims that the Holy Grail was not a physical object but a powerful female presence later suppressed by the church. Mary Magdalene, he says, was not a prostitute but a royal who married Jesus and bore him a child; that is, she was the Holy Grail for his blood. Jesus intended for her to succeed him in leading the church. If this theory is true, then it explains much about the oppression of women in society.

it's already among historians an established fact that Mary Magdalene was the most important figure (even more important than jesus since she was the one that saved it from being forgotten) and that the church tried to take her down

Opus Dei is harmless. It's like the masons, just a load of harmless traditional nonsense. Heck, one of the Labour cabinet in the UK is an openly declared Opus Dei member- she's just like anyone else...

... and I can't believe people are still taking this book seriously!

I thought that use of imagery was fantastic, I loved the 'contravertial' ideas used and regardless of truth I very much enjoyed the book, thought it was brilliant, pure genius.

Is that this weird idea that John is a female in The Last Supper?

John? Excuse my awful memory... as far as I can recall the fellow sitting on Jesus'.... bloody hell, one of Jesus' sides Well, that it was actually Mary Magdalene, which can be deduced by close scrutiny.... the shape of the hands, and breast, are two of the clues, if my memory serves me correctly.

Check your memory..

I can't find my copy of the book!! cry

You're grandfather wouldn't happen to be a art curator would he?

Well.....I've thought it over, and I MIGHT try the book over again....

anyone heard of Brown's new book? can't possibly remember the title, but I'm gonna buy it today

he wrote up till now:

The Da Vinci Code
Angels & Demons
Deception Point
Digital Fortress

I believe Digital Fortress is his latest

damnit I gotta buy the other two

Digital Fortress is not his latest.

DG was his first.

The order goes:

D.G.
Deception Point
Angels and Demons
Da Vinci Code

Evy_O- what are you talking about? Coz I saw an Illuminati book at ELEFTORODAKIS (sp?) by Dan Brown. Havent check it tho.

yerss- How you liking the book, my friend?

Directed at me? I don't follow

read in a magazine about The Juvenalis Dilemma being available for print... think it's a terrible translation of Angels & Demons, though not sure.

anyway; his site only gives 4 books, those I named

and I enjoy the book a lot, still very suspenceful

Illuminati is the greek title they gave for Angels and Demons
I must be referring to his oldest book, I had the impression it was new but turns out I was mistaken

btw it's ELEFTEROUDAKIS

it is not available here

LMAO!

Great reference as well

All four of his books are available here.

Funny thing is you can go to our bi-lo and by deception point, angels and demons, and Digital fortress for like $8.56 each :P

yeah, but Tela, it really depends on the country you're in

The Da Vinci Code is the FIRST and still ONLY book that is available here in my country that's from the hand of Brown

Geez, yers, must be tough!

Anyway, Sye, have u read the book at all?

Yeah, that's the one. Bilge.

it is not cheap the prize is normal, i can buy them for the same/similar pize in a normal book store

but only three of them.

I just bought Angels & Demons and this, should be a good read for my half-term. (After I finish Vector Prime)

No doubt.

A&A kicks ass.

Yep. In two days... which is probably why I can hardly remember shit all I wanted to get it read so I could find out why all the hype And now I can't find my copy.... so until I do find it, and read it again properly, I should perhaps refrain from commenting

not sure if I said it so already, but I finished reading it

I bet you did.

i am on chapter 47 *goes to finish reading book*

Bump


This is my favorite book of all time

i just finished reading this book n i luved it!

i hear that 'Angels and Demons' is better though so i plan to read it as soon as possible.

I didn't thought it was that good, flee

I heard that u should read A&D first so I was gunna but then my mom got me di Vinci and Im like... READ

not needed at all

so what didn't you like about it, yers?

I have not raed it myself, but my sister has and she says it's great, she says it remindes her of a game she played long ago called Broken Sword