The Da Vinci Code

Date of Reading: 03/08/2006

Publisher: Doubleday

Place: New York

Year: 2004

Brief Summary:

          Curator Jacques Sauniere, Sophie Nevue's grandfather, is shot dead by an albino named Silas. Before his death he leaves some codes to his grand daughter which she pursues with the help of Robert Langton, an acclaimed historian, who is somehow trapped in the situation. Signs indicate to the position of Holy Grail protected by the Priory of Sion, which was led by the Curator. They seek the help of Leigh Teabing, another historian, who at the end turns out to be the real villain responsible for the murder.

          Holy Grail, the book says, is the tomb of Mary Magdelene whom the Priory considered as the wife of Jesus. According to the legend she gave birth to Sarah, after the crucifixion, in France. Priory protects this royal blood line which also include Da Vincci whose pictures give the clues. Sophie is the last in line and her search leads to her grand mother and brother who are supposed to be dead in the car accident that killed her parents.

Rating: Good

Comment:

          I should hv started with something else but this is the first entry in my diary and I dont want to change that. As I am a Catholic, you can expect that my opinion is clouded.

          Dan Brown comes under the line of writers who are involved in the humanisation process of Jesus. He might be the only God who is not married, which is so to say, unnatural. Gods are the projection of humanity's desire for perfection and the worshipping of a God who is not married, gives out the impression that marriage and sex are evil. But to some this gives a relief as it can also be concluded that God does not have a gender even though He has taken the shape of a man. It cannot be denied that priests and nuns enjoy a higher position in Church than the married laymen. Dan Brown's work, in this sense, is an attempt to raise the sanctity of marriage. The age old story of Holy Grail legend is given a new treatment here.

          Book gives an easy reading taking the format of a detective novel, but it would not hv gained such fame without the contraversy involved. His other novels like The Lost Symbol, Angels and Demons are much much better. 

--- Book is better than the movie

Connected Reading:

Jose Saramago's The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

Nikos Kazantzakis' The Last Temptation

T.H. White's The Once and Future King [for the Holy Grail legend]