trickyy

I loved this story! It’s got everything; murder, retribution, justice, family humor, a hot-rod that talks, the key to black-holes, a shoe-horn that talks, loss of innocence, innocence regained, a map to the louvre, camping descriptions, erotic passages, an infant Hitler you’ll grow to love, a dancing surgeon, a talking whale, a talking button, a talking Pope, a franco-philes tour of Paris in the 20’s, a list of ingredients, clichéd metaphors strung together like nobody’s business, an indictment of the military-industrial complex, an old woman with a secret (she’s really a man), and 5 more things I’ve forgotten. Okay, so it doesn’t have it all. But it has 27 things and that’s a lot!

actually i don't really like this book at all. it was too funny unintentionally. gramps just won't let sophie play with her dolls, she has to finish today's jumble first. suspicious product placement...range rover equipped with the finest leather seats, onstar navigational system, custom dvd player on each headrest, goodyear all-terrain tires, and a 15 speaker bose stereo system...what? and the hokey theory needed more hokey theories to keep it interesting; the dead horse was beaten severly throughout the second half.

maybe it's one of those "good bad books" (i can vouch for the "bad" element). but dan brown doesn't seem to be in on the joke. then again, he's bloody rich now.

pig

Hey, between you and wsuprincess, if you want to make the argument that it's the literary equivalent of Walker: Texas Ranger, V.I.P, or Darkman, then all about some agreement. It's not that it can't be entertaining, it's just that it's kind of dirty fun...sort of like going to the Clairmont Lounge in Atlanta on a Saturday night. For those of you not privy to knowledge on the Clairmont, my Atlanta friends call it "the place where strippers go to die." More dead squirrel in that place than a Kentucky highway.

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mazagmot

I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code because I enjoy books that deal with conspiracies, especially in a pseudo-factual way. It's my own little head trip on pulp. Which is why I liked The Illuminatus Trilogy even more. More conspiracy, more head trip, and a less connected plot. A lot less campiness, too.

pig

Ever read The Odessa Files. Classic in that genre, and bringing it up could get me a Godwin.

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wsuprincess

I think there are entertaining books that are extremely good. I wouldn't say that either of the books highlighting Robert Langdon is bad in the least. It opened up new ideas. If a book makes me want to go out and read another book, then they're doing something right. I thought Dan Brown was pretty well-read on the subjects. He found a nice way to weave it into fiction. Michael Crichton does the same thing, and I greatly enjoy his books, as well. I don't know...I guess I don't see how it's being criticized so much. You shouldn't read a fiction book, and then argue about the validity of the events in history and whatnot. That's why it's fiction.

zey420

The Da Vinci Code = Foucault's Pendulum for Dummies

You know if people are really interested in this stuff there are far better books out there to read. Half the stuff in the book has already been discussed to death. If you want something that is really controversial try reading, "The Five Gospels"

pig

Agreed on most points. I thought Angels and Demons stank to high heaven. It reminded me of Grisham's The Chamber. Da Vinci I didn't so much think was bad from an entertainment standpoint, and I don't regret having read it. I won't be complaining at yon Pearly Gates about the hours I spent reading it or anything. I just think there are better books. I think the majority of the criticism is only tangentially aimed at Brown, or at least the well-thought criticism. Religious fundamentalisists, I'm not talking about your reaction, etc. I think most people are perturbed that so many people don't treat it like fiction, and the criticism is/should be directed at them. The little statement at the beginning of the book claming something like the standard "The names have been changed to protect the innocent" might be a little misleading, but frankly I'd suggest reading even non-fiction books like their fiction. If someone's claim on knowledge doesn't check out, don't be surprised. All I know about Michael Crighton-related areas is that the swarthy guy from Jurassic Park is an ass whenever I see him interviewed, and the fat guy made me hurt from having to watch him blunder about, even knowing it was a movie.

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wsuprincess

Ok, I see what you're saying. There are definitely better books, but I know I'm not the only one who, after reading The DaVinci Code, went out and bought Holy Blood, Holy Grail or any other number of books that were related to the subject matter. Maybe it's just me because I'm fascinated by things like that. I majored in history, and emphasized in ancient and medieval Europe as well as World War I and World War II. The Catholic church was very prevalent during medieval Europe, and I've always been fascinated by its history. I'm not that religious, and I'm not Catholic, but there's so much intrigue involved that I can't seem to stay away from it.

pig

Agreed and agreed. I'll admit to enjoying DaVinci while reading it on the beach. Rule of Four I did not enjoy. I just like some others a little more, but this is becoming redundant

Depending on things, you might like Tom Robbins' Another Roadside Attraction. Not really a serious "debunker of indoctrinate Catholic dogma," but more of a frolic while pulling at the threads of the Shroud. If something like Hunter S. Thompson's Where the Buffalos Roam (ps. Great Movie. Bill Murray as Thompson. Whip-ass funny, and doesn't make you want to rip your GI track out like Fear and Loathing does...for me anyways. Glorifies drug use my ass...), you might like ARSA.

/admits to being a big Robbins fan. He lives in Seattle, if that helps

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