THE DA VINCI CODE

THE DA VINCI CODE


Book Title : The Da Vinci Code

Author : Dan Brown

Publisher / Year : Doubleday ( US) and Bantam ( UK) / 2003

Book Type : It’s a thriller with a blend of religion, crime, mystery and fiction.

Pages : 383

The Da Vinci Code was written by American author Dan Brown. It was first published in 2003 by Doubleday. It was a bestseller in 2004 selling over 70 million copies all over the world and also having been adapted for a film in 2006.

Dan Brown was an English teacher and also gave some Spanish classes, but in 1996 he decided to quit teaching and become a full-time writer. He has written four novels so far, Digital fortress ( 1998), Angels and Demons ( 2000), Deception Point ( 2001 ) and The Da Vinci Code ( 2003), his great success. He is now writing his fifth novel, The Solomon Key. Both Angel and Demons and The Da Vinci Code have the same main character, Robert Langdon.

I started reading this thrilling novel because I’ve got some friends who have read it and told me I should read it because it was a great novel with a engrossing plot.

Robert Langdon, professor of religious iconology and Symbology at Harvard University, is in Paris to give a lecture about a Religious iconology book he has written. He had made an appointment to meet Jacques Sauniere, the curator of the Louvre. One night the French police turn up in his hotel and tell him that Jacques Sauniere has been murdered in the museum under very strange circumstances and the Captain of the French police, Bezu Fache, would like to see him to ask him some questions and help them solve the murder. Robert Langdon, bewildered and startled, cannot imagine how he will be able t help them. At first he thinks he has nothing to do there and is reluctant to see Bezu Fache, but finally, at French police’s insistence, he accepts and goes to the murder scene.

Jacques Sauniere, in his last minutes of life, managed to write a number of riddles with his own blood. The captain of the French police, having seen and studied these riddles, thinks Robert Langdon is the murderer because his name appears in one of these riddles. But it is at this stage of the book when Sophie Neveu, Sauniere’s granddaughter and Parisian police agent, goes into action and a endless and breathtaking chase starts.

Sophie Neveu, after reading the riddles J. Sauniere left written, knows that these are secret coded messages for her and that R. Langdon is innocent. Thus, Sophie will help Robert escape from the French Police. They will both start a breathless and relentless adventure through Paris, London and beyond where The Priory of Sion ( a secret society ), Opus Dei and even The Catholic Church are involved.

They will be challenged to decipher codes and puzzles which lead them to an astonishing trip, finding out stunning details about Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings and trying to find the location of The Holy Grail, only known by the members of The Priory of Sion and supposedly where the biggest secret of The Catholic Church is hidden, the proofs of a possible descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. According to these proofs, Mary Magdalene would have given birth to Jesus’s child after the cruxification.

As I wrote before, I began reading this book because some friends of mine had recommended it to me. Yes, I do think it was worth it. It is a great novel with a gripping and exciting plot. When you have started it, it is difficult to put it down, you will never guess the surprising and unexpected final. Besides there is interesting information about Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpieces. Never had I thought what Dan Brown tells us about The Last Supper by Da Vinci. I can assure you that if any of you read this thriller, you will never see this painting as you used to see it, at least it was what happened to me!. Furthermore, the book also explains the origin of The Knight Templars, The Christian Church, Opus Dei or why people think that Friday the thirteenth is considered unlucky. As a result of all this and of what is mentioned about the mystery of The Holy Grail and the possible descendants of Jesus, as most of you will know, this book has received bad criticism and a strong opposition from the church, what from my point of view, contrary to what the religious sectors wanted, has helped The Da Vinci Code to be a bestseller, since it has been a great publicity for Dan Brown’s book.

The vocabulary used by the writter is sometimes difficult and unfamiliar due to he uses many words related to religion, art or history, therefore they may be difficult to understand. Moreover it is quite formal since the two main characters, Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu, are supposed to be very intelligent and learned people, so they seldom use any colloquialisms, slang or jargon. The writter also uses a lot of different verbs to describe the action as the book consists of a endless race in search of The Holy Grail.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to everybody. The plot is engrossing and interesting. However I must admit it took me a good while to finish it because the vocabulary is quite formal and there are very specific words. Even so, It is worth reading it, great book.

Salva Córcoles.