Dan Brown

[cls2084]

There should be a thread for Dan Brown. I started reading Angels and Demons, which is the first to The DaVinci Code, and I love it. I am not done yet, but I when I start reading it, I cannot seem to put it down. It is so interesting and keeps you guessing what will happen next. While reading it, you ask yourself if this stuff could be real.

I am going to read The DaVinci Code when I am done with this one.

If anyone else has read any of his books, please let me know what you think.

[cls2084]

I finished reading Angels and Demons. I am now reading the DaVinci Codes. So far I find that it is not as interesting as Angels and Demons. So far I think that the DaVinci Codes is over rated for what it is...Angels and Demons got no air time. I never even heard of it until I went to buy the DaVinci Codes and the girl told me, I should try Angels and Demons.

[Darlin]

My mother would agree with you. She thought Angels & Demons was much better.

I was wondering what Christians thought of this book? I've not yet read it, have thought it would be rather silly.

Is it offensive to Christian beliefs or simply an engrossing read? Any thoughts?

[cls2084]

Honestly I am not that religious, but I do not think it is offensive at all. Dan Brown did his research before writing the books. And even though the book is fiction, some findings in the book at known to be true. There is more corruption in the every aspect of this world and maybe if we asked ourselves how one comes up with these story lines about Christianity and the government, etc....we would know not to trust people as completely as we do. (I hope that makes sense. It sounds better in my head.)

Angels and Demons is a great book and should be praised for the incredible story lines. The DaVinci Codes, what I have read so far, is also a great book, but I still haven't figured ot with it is so much more "special" than Angels and Demons. I mean they have the same main character and are about secret brotherhoods and societies that have really existed in history and yet because one is about Davinci's paintings, it is more important?!

[Demon]

I don't really care what christians think. Dan Brown did his research well and his books deserve no. 1

[Darlin]

Well, since I'm a Christian I was curious what others thought as I rather not read a book that may be offensive thus the question. My sister and mother really enjoyed the book but neither of them are Christians. I appreciate your input.

Cls2084, thanks for the insight.

[cls2084]

I am finally to the part in the DaVinci Codes that explains things about the origin of Christianity. It describes parts of Christianity that originated from other religions or followers. But I think if you are a well educated Christian that it should not be things you don't already know.

I am not that religious, but I find Dan Brown's explanation of origins to be very different from what I do know about Christianity. However, it doesn't offend me, it justs makes me want to learn more about it and find out if what he is saying is true. (And you have to remember that it probably is, because Dan Brown does his research.)

[Blitzstar]

I enjoyed Angels and Demons much more than the DaVinci Code. Simple is best, I always say. I sort of got bored with all of the complex steps Brown took in DVC to link everything together. Just give me good old Illuminati every time!

[Xamonas Chegwe]

Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.

Sure! - He trawls through all of the literature he can find (however dubious & discredited) for anything that backs up his claims, ignoring the overwhelming majority of sources that don't. That's not research, it's selective bias! Never let the facts get in the way of a good yarn, eh?

Just one example from The Da Vinci Code:

The Priory of Sion, which Brown claims in the preface of TDVC to be an actual secret organisation with a thousand year history, was founded in 1956 by four Frenchmen (one a convicted fraudster and one a surrealist artist) and was admitted to be hoax a few years later. Of course, you can choose to believe that the 'real' Priory of Sion forced them to own up to a hoax in order to preserve their anonymity but then again, you can choose to believe in Santa Claus too.

Brown also deliberately confuses dates and historical facts & figures to his own ends. I'm not going to list all of his inaccuracies, the web is almost as full of sites that list them as it is of sites explaining the 'truth' behind the book.

I'm not saying the book isn't a good read. It's a fast-paced page-turner that holds the readers interest to the very end. But it's a novel; a work of fiction; nothing more. At least he doesn't claim that it's anything else - he lets the more gullible of his readers do that for him.

Sorry to rant, I don't dislike the book - it helped pass a long-distance flight last year - it's just the 'research' word that annoys me. The fact is, there's enough spurious, new-age nonsense out there to pad out bibliography of any book you want to write and add credence to any half-baked theory - just so long as your public doesn't dig to deep into your sources - and most never will.

[cls2084]

This may go back on my word from previous threads, but here goes.

I know The DaVinci Codes, Angels and Demon, etc., are works of fiction. I acknowledge the fact that he did do research on the subjects. But I aslo acknowledge that fact that it is fiction, therefore I did not care to know if the "facts" were accurate or not. I take the "researched truth" of those fiction books to be Dan Brown's opinion, interpretation, what have you, of the facts.

If this were a nonfiction book then maybe I would care to look at the facts alittle more closely. Although this book did get me thinking more about alot of things we are taught in our lives- such as about religion, art, etc.-I still realize the fictious story lines.

I recommend Digital Fortress and Deception Point-if you have not read them!!

[Xamonas Chegwe]

This may go back on my word from previous threads, but here goes.

I know The DaVinci Codes, Angels and Demon, etc., are works of fiction. I acknowledge the fact that he did do research on the subjects. But I aslo acknowledge that fact that it is fiction, therefore I did not care to know if the "facts" were accurate or not. I take the "researched truth" of those fiction books to be Dan Brown's opinion, interpretation, what have you, of the facts.

If this were a nonfiction book then maybe I would care to look at the facts alittle more closely. Although this book did get me thinking more about alot of things we are taught in our lives- such as about religion, art, etc.-I still realize the fictious story lines.

I recommend Digital Fortress and Deception Point-if you have not read them!!

I quite appreciate your point of view cls. And agree for the most part.

However, the point I raised about the Priory of Sion is presented by Brown as fact (in the section where he lists the historical facts that his work of fiction is based upon). He claims that this is an actual secret society, dating back to the 11th century, with an illustrious cast of custodians. This is simply not true.

Had he not claimed the truth of several erroneous 'facts', I would have enjoyed the novel for what it was, pure fiction, and laughed at those that take it seriously. But he did claim that these statements were true and that is what I am refuting when I criticise his 'research'.

I hope this explains where I'm coming from.

Xamonas.

[cls2084]

Thank you for your explaination. I know where you are coming from and I see your point.

[priska]

if dan brown deserves a slot then so do ken follet, john grisham, wilbur smith and all those other wonderful writers of FICTION of our time.

[cls2084]

So why dont you create a thread for all of them? That is how Dan Brown has one. I made my own thread about him.

[Logos]

I can't wait to see the result of this lawsuit :)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=9003822

Although in the below-linked article the publisher is claiming they've dodged the copyright laws because it's so "vague" (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1141123686476&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News)

"LONDON — A lawyer for the publisher of the The Da Vinci Code argued in court Tuesday that ideas which two writers claim were stolen for Dan Brown's blockbuster novel are so general they are not protected by copyright."

[Xamonas Chegwe]

Is it plagiarism to steal an ill-researched, vague and spurious theory? I think so. If I were to paraphrase "Was God an Astronaut" or "Chariots of the Gods" and start selling it, I would expect Erik von Daniken's lawyers to be on my case pretty quick. The same if I tried to publish "The Hitler Diaries" under my own name. Copyright works for all published works - however dreadful and fraudulent.

[beer good]

Can someone explain to me how there's any way they can hope to win this lawsuit without admitting their book is fiction? After all, how can you copyright something you claim as a historic fact? Should Gibbon's heirs sue the makers of the TV series "Rome"?

[TodHackett]

Anyone who's ever read (or started to read) more than one of Dan Brown's novels should not be surprised by the idea that the only thing he's good at is copying things that have already been written.

'Nuff said.

[TodHackett]

Not that I'm one to talk, I guess.

[Vedrana]

I just don't really like it when authors use real historical figures as part of their work and make stuff up about them.

[cls2084]

Ok, if he did use lines or more than some lines from those other books, then that is plagerism. However, those other books are about the same subject, Dan Brown just made his into a fictious story. Because the books are all about the same sunbect, of course they will have the same information in them.

[TodHackett]

Ok, if he did use lines or more than some lines from those other books, then that is plagerism. However, those other books are about the same subject, Dan Brown just made his into a fictious story. Because the books are all about the same sunbect, of course they will have the same information in them.

Same information, same plot, same events, same settings, same characters...

[starreader13]

There should be a thread for Dan Brown. .

has anyone read any of dan brown's other novels, like Deception Point or Digital Fortress? while i really enjoyed angels and demons and davinci code (A&D more than DVC consequently), i think that i enjoyed reading those other two novels of his more. i think that his two more popular novels are about the same quality as DP and DF, it's just because of the so-called controversy surrounding DVC that has caused the popularity of the two books.

deception point deals with politics and science, and a huge discovery by NASA, I thought it was very suspenseful, one of those books you can't put down, though that was mainly because of the plot. i did like how he did his research about NASA and other scientific details in the novel, however, i don't want to go into much detail about it in fear of giving away the plot.

digital fortress was also along the same lines, it reminded a bit of angels and demons in the fact that there was a wild goose chase in various places (like chasing of illuminati), but i enjoyed the basis on computer programming and how much he knew about the processes behind it. i personally don't know a ton about programming but enough to know that he did his research on the topic.

i'd love to hear if other people have comments about these two books, and not just A&D and DVC

[cls2084]

I have read the other two novels. I also enjoyed them. I think I liked them more because they were about different subjects than A&D and DVC.

[enskyment]

Like most of you, I thought Angels and Demons was better than The DaVinci Code, but as for Dan Brown in general, I think he's overrated. All of his novels seem to follow the same simple format/structure. And then his writing. Oh man, the writing. One of the lines that stands out most in Angels and Demons to me is where the narrator is describing Langdon's physique--he mentions something about his chest hair and semi-built chest. I wish I could remember the exact quote because it's so cheesy and cliche for a comtemporary fiction/suspense novel. The plots of his novels are really great and well developed, but the writing? It's average. It don't see it standing out a few decades from now.

[Forhad]

Dan Brown does his research successfully. I appretiate it. But many of christians think that it`s wrong. But this is a very good output for our civilization. Now my request to all that would anyone help me to find any research of this subject? I am waiting.

[cls2084]

On what subject?

[Forhad]

About GRAIL, the change of Bible and other related subject.

NOTE: I don't want to blame any raligious belifes. But I think it might be good for our historical civilization if the real information have found.

[Bastet]

Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.
Dan Brown does his research.

Sure! - He trawls through all of the literature he can find (however dubious & discredited) for anything that backs up his claims, ignoring the overwhelming majority of sources that don't.

I definitely agree with you here! When I read The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons I really got into Dan Brown and recommended it to everybody here in Spain. However, Digital Fortress, another one of his books, is a different story. It is based on Sevilla (Spain), which happens to be the city where I've been born and lived almost all my life. He doesn't know what he's talking about, he mistakes major buildings and their location in the city, and that is nothing in comparison to other things that have nothing to do with reality. I don't remember everything right now but I will post again with concrete examples of what I'm talking about. By the way, his book was so outrageous in this aspect that it created much discomfort in the city and the whole country, and his publishing company had to apologize publicly for it. So please, don't believe blindly everything he says and, if you read of have already read this book I'm talking about, take into account what I just said. It made us all feel and look bad for no reason.

[Mark F.]

I just don't really like it when authors use real historical figures as part of their work and make stuff up about them.

Read "American Tabloid" by James Ellroy. It should change your mind.

[Mark F.]

I've read three Dan Brown novels; "The Da Vinci Code", "Digital Fortress" and "Deception Point" and I now feel like he robbed me of my time. I mean I read 1500+ pages written by this horrible writer. All three novels follow exatcly the same construction, you're surprised by the first one you read but when you're reading an other one of his novels you know what's going to happen until the end after 50 pages. Brown writes like most people cook, he follows the recipee and has absolutely no inventiveness. He doesn't deserve a thread, in fact he doesn't even deserve to be published.

[Logos]

I can't wait to see the result of this lawsuit :)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=9003822

Although in the below-linked article the publisher is claiming they've dodged the copyright laws because it's so "vague" (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1141123686476&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News)

"LONDON — A lawyer for the publisher of the The Da Vinci Code argued in court Tuesday that ideas which two writers claim were stolen for Dan Brown's blockbuster novel are so general they are not protected by copyright."

Well! apparently Brown has won on this issue (http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/196835) :eek:

[bazarov]

:flare: :flare: :flare: :flare:

[JBI]

Honestly I am not that religious, but I do not think it is offensive at all. Dan Brown did his research before writing the books. And even though the book is fiction, some findings in the book at known to be true. There is more corruption in the every aspect of this world and maybe if we asked ourselves how one comes up with these story lines about Christianity and the government, etc....we would know not to trust people as completely as we do. (I hope that makes sense. It sounds better in my head.)

Angels and Demons is a great book and should be praised for the incredible story lines. The DaVinci Codes, what I have read so far, is also a great book, but I still haven't figured ot with it is so much more "special" than Angels and Demons. I mean they have the same main character and are about secret brotherhoods and societies that have really existed in history and yet because one is about Davinci's paintings, it is more important?!

Perhaps you should read some non-fiction. I find it somewhat puzzling how the Knights Templar could go looking for the Holy Grail on the first crusade, when they were established 100 odd years after the fall of Jerusalem to the Knights of the First crusade, and their very doctrine was written by Saint Benedict, who clearly wasn't some heretical pagan.

Or perhaps we can look at the simple fact that most of the "Backstory" of the DaVinci code was ripped off of other sources (if you are interested on these sort of things, a read of Foucault's Pendulum, a novel by Umberto Eco really goes into depth in understanding the nature of these crazy theories). YOu will notice from reading other sources that the Neo-Templar theories are overused almost clichéd diabolical subjects, and have been tossed around like a salad.

As for his writing style, when reading a book I am looking for something that A) somewhat entertains me, B) teaches me something, or C) makes me feel something. The only thing I got from the DaVinci code (first half, and I saw the movie) was a few hours flushed down the toilet they call bad literature.

[Stieg]

This Harry Potter crazed generation I guess discovered... taduhdum... the conspiracy thriller. Not labeling. No.

But there was nothing breakthrough with Dan Brown's work yet these hackneyed junk novels wrapped themselves up with enough speculation, brilliant marketing, and controversy it inspired "the world" to read them.

[Moira]

There is nothing new in The Da Vinci Code. All the topics he talks about in his book are things that have been said and studied long before this novel appeared and by far better writers than he would ever be. It's just that he put it in an easy to read form, available to all.
Faocault's Pendulum By U Ecco, and other books on the Knights Templars or the origins of Christianity are far better written although not as accessible and easy as Dan Bronw's. But reading some of these great books one will discover that it's no wonder he was accused of plagiarism.

[DahliaBlood]

Im Christian and I have to say I found nothing ofensive. Its your choice whether or not you want to believe the book. I say it is a test of your faith. If you read the book and you begin to doubt then your not a very good Christian are you?
I was brought up Christian but due to certain events, I am not very Christian at all. It is all very hypocritical. I am talking about religion not God. There is a clear difference.
I loved Angels and Demons and Da vinci code. I could not put down either. I even saw the movie. This caused quite a stir between me and my bible teacher as I go to a Christian school. Shes a nun. She probably thinks im the next omen or something. Frankly I could not care less. But the way she was being so narrow minded saying that the book was the devils work BLAH BLAH was annoying me. So I said what I had to say.
Anyway Id just like to say that I loved the books. No matter what. Thank god I live in a Muslim country so the movie was not banned. :D

[hyperinsomnia]

I've read three Dan Brown novels; "The Da Vinci Code", "Digital Fortress" and "Deception Point" and I now feel like he robbed me of my time. I mean I read 1500+ pages written by this horrible writer. All three novels follow exatcly the same construction, you're surprised by the first one you read but when you're reading an other one of his novels you know what's going to happen until the end after 50 pages. Brown writes like most people cook, he follows the recipee and has absolutely no inventiveness. He doesn't deserve a thread, in fact he doesn't even deserve to be published.

My thoughts exactly. I read Angels and Demons first, and loved it, followed by Digital Fortress, which was also good. The Da Vinci Code was utterly predictable and by the time I read Deception Point I hated Dan Brown. He's written the same story four times and changed the names.

[karahfinan]

I have currently read Digital Fortress, Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. Although I do not doubt that Brown has done an extensive amount of research pertaining to this novel, throughout these novels I did question the credibility of some of his sources. Especially in Da Vinci Code, far-fetched theories are implied to be common knowledge to all the characters in the book, which I found very unrealistic. Although I enjoyed the book immensely because of the way it makes you think, I do agree that his books all follow a similar formula in that there is a male lead, with an intelligent female counterpart with whom he falls in love with in the end, and always there is always another male lead that Brown makes you trust in the beginning, and then has them turn in to the antagonist in the end.
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i love my english teacher ms anders :-)

[amanda_isabel]

i've only read a&d and dvc so far, and i do have to agree wioth what a lot of the posts in this thread say, that they nare thrillers and it's pretty hard to put the books down. i read dvc before i got my claws into a&d and i enjoyed dvc more.. but hey, everything is fiction anyway.

if you'll notice, in the first few pages of dvc, there is a statement that all facts stated in the book are based on research, real, blah blah blah.. i think that's where he ought to be hit.

[metal134]

I found it very easy to put "The DaVinchi Code" down. Very easy. The only reason I didn't was to be done with the whole damned experience and get on with reading some real literature.

[aabbcc]

Perhaps I am not "qualified" enough to state my opinion of Dan Brown, given that I have read solely one of his works [and even that two years ago] and merely skimmed through some of the rest as I noticed them in a bookstore, but here is what I think.

"Da Vinci Code" is one of the most horribly overrated books I have read in my life. True, partially it is due to personal taste [and we all know that de gustibus non est disputandum], with which it is not in accordance - simply not my cup of tea. I believe, however, that even my personal taste aside, the book has very little literary value, and I am having a very hard time considering it an art [which literature, by definition, should be].

I view it as mediocre book, written by - at best - mediocre author; there is nothing artistic or beautiful in author's writing style - words themselves serve to him for nothing more than being pure mediums for carrying the story, which I, in literature, personally despise; it has a catchy, easy-to-follow theme, and perhaps it is a page-turner for many people, but for me it was a dull and rather uninteresting book. I failed - in fact I still do - to understand what do people see in it.

Not that I am trying to start a definition of highly indefiniable concept of "literture", but personally I do not consider "Da Vinci Code" to be that, nor do I consider its author an artist.

Only my view, though.

P.S. Anybody who knows anything about art knows that Leondardo Da Vinci is referred to as Leonardo, for Da Vinci is not his last name, but it merely states where he was from - da Vinci.
Such blatant ignorance of a well-known detail, and such insisting on referring to a great artist throughout the entire book in americanised way of referring by last name [probably not knowing it was not his last name] is the only thing I found to be truly offensive in the entire book.

[symphony]

I've read 4 Dan Brown books so far. 1st one for me was the Da Vinci Code, which i found really intruguing a read, and then there was Angels and Demons, which was great reading too. But the other ones, Deception Point and Digital Fortress, i thought he dragged the story too much in those books. I got really tired of what i might call the "over-suspence" which started to get dubious at times. In Deception Point, for instance, Brown took so much time to reveal the great big news which was supposedly the main theme of the story and was supposed to be revealed at the very beginning of the story, that it took almost the whole first half of the book and then when it finally WAS revealed, it sounded like no big a deal! Plus at the end, the characters went through sooooo many hardihoods that their survival through the end was more of a utopian fantasy! Too much dragging to endure. Same in case of Digital Fortress, which was really hard for me to finish reading, 'cuz i was disgusted after i came to know why the "villain" is doing the things he is doing!

After then, i came to realise that though the main themes of his books are based on important big facts and issues, the contents arent that rich and factual anyway. But well, we cant expect more from a guy who started writing novels just because he was intrigued by reading one of Sidney Sheldon's books("the Doomsday Conspiracy", a book which - though i like Sheldon's works- i didnt find amusing).

So, though i like the main themes of the Dan Brown books, i'd have to admit that all in all, they arent that special. But yeah, Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are, in deed, enjoyable to read however untrue the facts may be.

[Brendan Madley]

I both enjoy and dislike Dan Brown. As a Catholic going to a Catholic school, I didn't find the Da Vinci Code offensive, yet I understand how it could be seen to be offensive. I see it this way because I know the Priory is false etc. and that history tells us the Bible is essentially accurate. People say he did his research and he did, but not brilliantly because, he could have stated that the Priory was false, but he told us it was real and had been for a thousand years when it hasn't and other historical muck-ups. I enjoy reading him, but purely because it's interesting, not brilliantly written. Today, you could find many better writers. For enjoyment he's good, but very much overated. For me, Angels and Demons was better written and more enjoyable, as was Digital Fortress. Deception Point was quite horrible and dragged on. I will be reading Solomon Key or whatever, and I think I will be good like his books, but not mean much beyond a several hour read.

[Scheherazade]

Why anyone is getting offended I really don't know...

You don't see any paleontologists getting offended because of 'Jurassic Park'...

[cls2084]

No one should be offended. IT IS A WORK OF FICTION! THEY ALL ARE!!

[PsychodelicMess]

I liked both books, more so Angels and Demons. I was not at all disappointed by the stories; they both were incredibly good. I didn't like many of the characters too much though, and the characters I DID like, turned out to be evil and/or died in a horrible way.

Angels and Demons actually kind of crushed a lot of the magic out of the story for me, and I happen to like stories full of faith, understanding, love, spirituality -- all the gushy stuff. So I was prepared for it with The DaVinci Code. These stories are more about cold, hard facts, science, history, and scandal (which, by all means, is still nice!)

Nonetheless, they were really good stories. I wish I liked the main characters though.

By the way, I named one of my budgies (parakeets) Silas, because he's almost totally albino. =)