Friday, April 29, 2005

The Da Vinci Code

For Christmas, I was given a great book to read from my sister called "Angel and Demons." I quickly noticed that it was by the same author who wrote the very controversial "Da Vinci Code", but I didn't have anything else to read so I decided to give it a try.
As it turns out, "Angels and Demons" is one of the best books I've ever read. It's fast paced, suspense filled, and a real page turner. In a nut shell, it's about a group called the "Illuminti" who are trying to blow up the Vatican in the middle of a pope election. The main character, Robert Langton, races around Rome trying to stop the murder of cardinals, and a bomb.
After reading this book I decided to read the next book in this serious-"the Da Vinci Code". Yes I decided to venture were no Christian had gone before and see what the big deal was. As you know, Rome has called for a ban on the book, as well as many Christians. My opinion on this book is that it is ridiculous, and if so much attention wasn't paid to it, it would probably go unnoticed.
The controversy comes from the plot that Robert Langton stumbles on to proof that Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and they had a daughter and that Mary is the "Holy Grail". This idea was borrowed from a book 20 years ago called "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" and offers no physical proof what so ever. If this book shakes your faith, than you never had much faith. I found this book more ridiculous than controversial. You should know that nowhere in this book does it state that Christ was never the son of God or that he died for our sins.
If anyone would be offended in this book, it would be the Opus Dei- a far right wing sect of the Catholic church. In the book, the church dispatches a albino monk (yes, that's right, an albino monk) to kill Langton before the secret gets out.
With a movie coming out next year directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, it is likely that the "Da Vinci code" will get more attention. Frankly I don't see what the big deal is. This is clearly fiction. Mildly entertaining at that.

4 comments:

f o r r e s t said...

I have those books on my list to read. Can I borrow them from you?

windarkwingod said...

Funny: Da Vinci code is banned, but the "Left Behind" Series (all 12 books) are viewed as gospel. I read Holy Blood Holy Grail when I was younger and thought it was a fun, interesting book. I saw movies on the rapture when I was a boy and had nightmares for months at a time.

shakedust said...

Achtung, you must be speeding through those books, then. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that you noted you were planning to read the Da Vinci Code.

By the way, in what way was the book mediocre?

roamingwriter said...

I haven't had the chance to read it or gotten around to it, but I kept thinking...it's fiction folks. It's in the fiction section at the store, why's everyone getting so worked up?