For the second time since I started this reviewing gig, I’ve reached for a non-gay book. For the first time, the non-gay book I picked really is non-gay. I should do this more often; the Earth is a big planet with lots of good books.
There are two ways to approach Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. The first is as a theme-park thrill ride, which it is, relentlessly and expertly. If you’re looking for an easy-to-read murder mystery that is also a lot of fun, look no further. The plot borders on the absurd; there is no way that protagonists Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu should be able to manage this much evading, deciphering, seeking, finding, and dodging bad guys. But taken this way, it’s total fiction and pure enjoyment. It’s superficial, sure, but enjoy it if you came here looking for it. I did!
A plot with this much energy usually makes for a good screenplay. Indeed, this book has “blockbuster movie” written all over it. Most of you have probably seen the film adaptation. I have not, mostly because I would be unable to stop myself from comparing them. But now that this review is done, I can watch it. I plan to.
The second approach is as a highly provocative and cerebral blending of fact and fiction that will tickle and caress your brain long after the closing pages. Splitting fact from fiction will take some research on your part, and you may be disappointed in what you find. My advice: don’t race off in search of the truth right away. Do what you did when you first watched The Last Temptation of Christ...let is linger on the tongue for a while, like a fine port.
Spend time contemplating what a married Jesus does to your world-view. Add on “with children.” Although such questions may scandalize someone who’s been properly Sunday schooled, it isn’t the only controversial ground Brown covers. He seems even more interested in the feminist movement, and you may find yourself considering more questions. Is history filled with orchestrated efforts by religion to suppress or obliterate the importance of women? Is the “sacred feminine” something that Jesus would have understood, yet we do not, because man has held women down? And just who is the “beloved disciple” next to Jesus in Da Vinci’s The Last Supper?
More darkly, you may also ponder whether “bad guy” group Opus Dei actually exists. Brown explicitly says that it does. Although I might want to look at their newsletter for layout ideas, I haven’t sought membership because the whole anti-sex and pro-pain-as-discipline stuff somewhat bothers me.
Nevertheless, the themes in this book make great fodder for water-cooler discussion. In the end, what you do with this may come down more to faith than fact. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with examining your beliefs and making adjustments, particularly as you grow wiser. Just be careful with this glorious read...it’s not all true.
It is, however, great fun. Enjoy.