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Mates,
As the World is under a complete media assault to promote the new movie version of DaVinci Code, I thought I'd look into the book and see what the fuss is all about. While on a recent trip, I was able to make it through about two thirds of the Brown book.
Though I rarely, rarely read fiction, this is the kind of fiction that would ordinarily appeal to me: arcane references and art analysis combined with a murder, metaphyscics/religious history, and chasing around monasteries and libraries- information important enough to cause murder.
The thing is, this was all familiar territory- Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" has very similar elements- it opens with a murder with religious implications at stake that the main character must solve and the Rosacrucians and various 14th C. heresies are all woven into the plot. And the theme of what the Church should supress and at what cost has a similar ring.
The difference with Eco- who is wordy to distraction- is the Brown book has such amazingly dull writing and annoyingly amateur whodunit habits. From the first paragraph the book seems a feeble scenario for a movie- the writing is so oriented towards a movie realisation, I felt I was reading a draft for a screenplay- the plot points are completely conventionally placed for a screenplay as is the structure of three acts. The devices to create anticipation such as the gradual revelation of key elements when the author feels there needs to be a boost with something dramatic- is highly annoying. Dan Brown should read Sherlock Holmes as well as the "Celestine Prophecy"- again. He shouldn't be afraid of plagarism- Brown can afford any defense and the publicity will only sell more books. The interweaving of fact and fiction is expert, but in the end makes an uncomfortable bridge between interpretive history and discount plot conveniences. Sorry to the 50,000,000 readers, but I though this was a mediocre book all along. I should of course finish the book, perhaps I'm missing beautifully rendered plot twists- and these have the skillfulness of product placement- but I really didn't care about the characters, derivative plot contraptions, or the religious implications enough- have you ever read a book and wished the murderer had been more enthusiastic and killed everyone before the story opens? The central idea too is hardly original either: Remember in "Last Temptation" Jesus has a fantasy- whilst on the Cross- of a complete married life- sex and children- with Mary Magdalene? The marriage with MM was the actual "last" temptation- and the "devout" objected then too.
Of course, the religious zealots will hate this book and movie as it challenges dogma about the life of Jesus, but their opposition will have the same effect as it did for "Passion" and "Last Temptation", "Dogma" and the others- anything with "unapproved" scenario will be objectionable- and the publicity will send more people to see it.
Are Americans so hungry for entertainment that has even a modicum of clever, they're willing to put up with convenient forced conclusions, adding soft-headed religious content and make such a fuss over this story? The many contrivances and poor, conventional writing is quite off-putting enough, and perhaps I'm missing exciting conclusions, but based on the book- and the parallels with the very uneven "Name of the Rose", I think I'll be waiting for "DaVinci Code" to appear on HBO in Winter 2006- it will replace "It's a Wonderful Life" as Holiday cheer- and that's soon enough.

Cheers,
Bambi B
K.T. magnum emiritus
Quid rides?...De te fabula narratur

Films/DVD Asylum

DaVinci Code