Shots Across The Bow

The DaVinci Code: The Book

This is what the fuss was all about?

Maybe I should be examining the text of the story for secret codes or messages or some such, because the story itself left me thoroughly unimpressed. Maybe it's just me; I guess it takes more than warmed over mythology combined with half baked conspiracy theories served with a snide order of anti-religious diatribes to get my juices flowing. Not to mention lazy writing, and lackluster plotting.

I've heard so much about how the plot twists and turns, that maybe I was expecting too much, but I had most of the plot figured out long before the book reached its "surprise" ending. The only real surprises was the disappointment I felt after reading it.

SPOILER ALERT: Below the fold, more details, including spoilers.

Let's talk about shocks that weren't shocking and twists that weren't twisty.

Ok, was there anyone who didn't realize that the Teacher was Teabing? Or that Aringarosa (Anybody else keep singing "Ring Around the Rosie" on that one?)and Opus Dei had been hoodwinked? Or that Sophia really was a descendant of Jesus of Nazareth?

That may have been one of the most incredibly stupid parts of the book. Supposedly this ultra secreet society, the Priory of Scion, had gone to absolutely herculean lengths to hide and protect the family of Jesus Christ, but it never occurs to Robert Langdon that they might change the famiy's last name?

How retarded is that?

Now let's talk about lazy writing. What's with Silas, going off to die in a field? Isn't that a bit anti-climactic? It's like Brown had no use for the character anymore, so he just pulled the plug. And Bezu Fache, what's his story? Why buy into the frameup so wholeheartedly, then switch to "Oh, they're both innocent," for no particular reason? And how did he know to call Ringaroundtherosie in the first place? His actions throughout the story make no sense; they're totally inconsistent from beginning to the end. About the only way his part in the story makes sense is if he was a member of some military arm of the Priory of Scion, a modern day Templar or something. But nope, Brown doesn't even hint at that. He just places the character where he needs him, with no thought about why Fache would act the way he does.

As for the anti-religious diatribes, particularly anti-Christian, well, I think that speaks for itself. You can't have your protagonist claim that historical fact denies the divinity of Christ, and then turn around and claim "It's just fiction!" That dog simply won't hunt.

By the way, as I learned it, it's part of Catholic doctrine that Jesus had a dual nature; He was both mortal and divine. He was the Son of God, but he was also the Son of Man. If He could be born, could live and could be killed without sullying His Divinity, then I can't see how having a wife and child could do so. In other words, the Catholic Church really had no reason to suppress the idea that Jesus had a family.

Unless it simply wasn't true.

Basically, I thought the book was an average to slightly below average thriller. The discussions of religious symbology and iconography were interesting, and there's a historical note or two I'd like to look up, but as a whole, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. I certainly don't plan on seing the movie.

Posted by Rich at May 9, 2006 12:00 AM | TrackBack