fun story, but what crappy writing!

[Andrea]

I was going to compare the cliff hangers to the Nancy Drew Case Files series, but I think you're right, Chuckell, Encyclopedia Brown is a much more accurate choice. I was giving Dumb Brown errr... DAN Brown, too much credit.

[Phillip]

Chuckell
I must take umbrage with your description. On numerous occasions I have been called a piece of shit. But now to be compared to this book..is just too much. We pieces of shit won't forget your slander, sir.

A note to my friends. I have taken myself off this list a jillion times. I have had exorcism performed on my computer. I've changed online names and codes. I STILL GET UPDATED ON THIS DAVINCI BOOK CRAP. It is a curse. So I might as well comment.

I suggest some enterprising writer collect the email about TDC and turn it into a book. Seriously. I, for one, give my permission to use my comments.

By the way, Chuckell, I don't believe it was Sun Tzu at the Battle of Hastings. Pope Larry IV and Superman were teamed up to beat the Argonauts as soon as they came ashore.

[Mountainman91]

Wonderful, Kecia, thanks for letting me know what book I'm not going to read---ever!
The entire assumption behind the plot is---ahem---trash, loosely based off of Agnostic teachings and principles, which I will describe below.
The Agnostics were a second-century cult that believed that the way to get to God was through mass ritualistic orgies. Worse, these wonderful people believed that having children was also evil. If someone got pregnant while a cult member, the fetus was aborted, ground up, and eaten. (kind of reminds me of your run of the mill late term abortion, (oops! I'm sorry, I guess the Supremem Court said that women have a right to murder their children, my apologies.))
Anyway, the Agnostics also worshiped the serpent (remember the garden of Eden from sunday school) so apparently dan Brown thinks we should revive this long-dead cult. lovely.

[Edward]

Johnathan...I think you mean Gnostics, not agnostics. Agnostic simply means undecided.
But anyway, I thought Da Vinci Code was crappily written, but interesting. As far as rip off..he was taken to court by other authors over that last year and Brown won. But that was basically because he was writing non-fiction and so allowed to borrow/steal ideas from elsewhere.

[Andrea]

I wouldn't say that I was offended by the cult references...
... but the crappy writing, well, the crappy offended me deeply.

[Mountainman91]

yep, I meant gnostics. lapse in spelling. my apologies.

[Chuckell]

Ah, nobody expects pro-life wackos to really know how to spell anyway.

[Edward]

"Ah, nobody expects pro-life wackos to really know how to spell anyway."

Hey, that's lame. His writing ability or lack thereof has no connection to his views on abortion. Just a cheap shot to insert your own views.

[Chuckell]

I think it was lame of him to interject a totally off-topic pro-life comment about abortion in the first place, for my part. I come here to talk about books, not read other people's political screeds. I reported his post for abuse and nothing happened, so I guess the management encourages people to go off-topic. You want to stick sudden political interjections into literary commentary (NOT that I think there is anything remotely literary about THIS book), I think you should expect people to reply.

[Eva]

Regarding the original topic...

Anytime the writing is distracting from the actual plot and characters, I have a problem with it. All his books go on my "Airplane Reads" list, just because they're good for killing time, but it's an effort to get past the weak writing. Heh, I didn't know so many others were displeased with this as well.

"Holy Blood, Holy Grail" does indeed go more in depth, theory-wise. They actually poked around, researched stuff and came up with a historical argument.

[Heather]

I have to agree with Laydenyght,the Da Vinci Code is definitely an "Airplane Read" book. The storyline was interesting and intriguing, but the writing was distracting. After spending time on a book I was only marginally interested in, the ending absolutely failed to make it all worthwhile. This is the only Dan Brown book I've read, so I can't say whether his writing is simplistic at best, or if perhaps he is redeemed in other novels.

[Edward]

Holy Blood, Holy Grail is definitely better written than Da Vinci Code, but it is so top heavy with longwinded explanations and historical minutiae that their case almost case drowns. I would recommend "The Virgin and The Priest" by Mark Gibbs if you are interested in this subject matter. The writing is concise, to the point, and his argument is crystal clear. Why it is not a best seller is beyond me, but it's probably linked to the controversy of Jesus' father who the book purports to name (don't ask me for clues).

[Houry]

THANK YOU!
I found it on vacation and figured I would read it on our down times. There were times when I wanted to rip the pages out because it was just sooooo AUURRGH! The story writing is cheap and manipulative and the characters were so over the top that the foundation of the story, which was interesting got lost.

[Joan]

My sister actually did rip pages out of it. I wanted so much to like it but I just couldn't.I wonder if it became a best seller because millions bought it but hated it and threw it away but because sales were high it made everyone think it was good so more people bought it and chucked it. Probably not, but I just can't imagine anyone finding that book exciting. I am not a writer but even I can sense bad writing.

[Bernie]

Truly awful writing, painful to read, with no redeeming qualities. I love good pulp, and this just fails in every way possible. Dan Brown is described by one blogger (and I entirely agree) as such: "...he writes like the kind of freshman student who makes you want to give up the whole idea of teaching." You can read my Blogger entry (and link to the quoted blog above) here:

http://whyyourewrong.blogspot.com/200...

[Keelin]

in my opinion it a gud premise fer a book but i got so bored wif it aftr da frst time dat i kept scipin ova so much of it

da movie was btta dan da bok by far but i still prefer if it was jus a tiny bit btta

any wan agaree wif me ???????

[Meh]

Um, Keelin, I was just wondering...is it a conscious effort on your part to type like that or does it come naturally? Seriously, I'm not trying to make fun of you. I just want to know.

[Keelin]

it saves time
wen im ritin on msn dat da way yee rite n wen i sit infrnt of a comp it rlly hrd not tey rite like dis

but i can rite normly if yee wnt ???????

[Jacqueline]

I had read 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' some years before. It was a bit 'Chariots of the God' in taking some wild deductive leaps and producing ideas from the air, but there was something intriguing about the whole background - as long as you suspended your natural scepticism for a while.

So I came to the Da Vinci Code already well versed in the background, and read it as a sort of Robert Ludlum adventure. Viewed like that, it did not seem too special to me - just fairly ordinary airport bookshop fare.

What allowed the publicists to build it into a mammoth best seller was the opportunity to re-establish women at the heart of Christianity. Specifically Mary Magdalene, who may have been a touch naughty. We can relate to her as a woman who held her head up in the company of men - especially the Middle Eastern men of Jesus's time (I guess they have not changed a great deal over there!)

I like Mary - there is a character you can do things with. My 'The Prince and the Nun' stars a Magdalene Mother Superior come bordello madam - great fun.

www.jacquelinegeorgewriter.com

[Lexie]

I have to agree - this may be the worst-written book I have ever read! I especially hated how the main characters would fade off into a memory w/o any warning so that the reader is suddenly lost and trying to figure out a) how they got to another city and b) who is the random new person the character is talking to

[Keelin]

it not da wrst ritten wan ive eva red but it got t2 b up der wif sum of dem

da wrst rittn book in da wrld has tey b you dnt nw me

wrd of advice it a gud story but it far too repetative n relly hrd to undrstnd

[Jacqueline]

If the book is a not particularly well written investigative fantasy (making a very broad distillation of the comments above), why is it generating so much discussion?

I believe the thing that we find so difficult to forgive, is that it sold zillions while still being so basically ordinary.

Perhaps the speculation about the beginnings of Christanity came as a surprise to some people, but that's still not enough to explain the book's popularity.

I want to be on record as being prepared to forgive all the book's deficiencies, if only some one could whisper the secret in my ear. I have some books that are far better and could do with a marketing record like this one!

[Chuckell]

I love that Dan Brown has published a follow-up yet. Doubleday must be seriously bummin'. I guess he just hasn't found the right book to plagiarize yet.

[Mer]

wen im ritin on msn dat da way yee rite n wen i sit infrnt of a comp it rlly hrd not tey rite like dis

but i can rite normly if yee wnt ???????


Jeez-a-LOO. Are you for real?! Or are you just doing this for the "epic lulz"?

[Norman]

I want to read Keelin's version of something well known, say for example 'The Lord's Prayer' or Hamlet's 'To be or not to be' soliloquy.

[Keelin]

wtf r use two on bout

n u say im hard tey understnd :S:S:S:S:S

by da way wat is " epic lulz"??????????

[Mer]

Norman, on a related note, did you know that Hamlet has been translated into Klingon?

http://www.kli.org/stuff/Hamlet.html

[John]

Aside from the crappy writing and painfully obvious clues (which the main characters took bloody eons to solve), what really annoyed me was that most people who read this thought that the ideas were new and original!!!!

I mean he basically spun off a story from that Holy Blood and Holy Grail nonsense! Not to mention that Garth Ennis already dealt with these ideas, in his Preacher Series, in his trademark irreverant and hilarious fashion!

[Keelin]

this book is neather origional or good

n now that i come to think of it the film isnt that good either

as ive said before the only good part of the film and the book is what to me seems to be the back story of the whole thing a.k.a the police investigation

other wise the only thing this book is good for is a cure for sleepless nights without using pills or anything like that

[Theresa]

I completely agree!

[Amy]

keelin:but i can rite normly if yee wnt ???????

Yes, please. It may save you time to type that way, but it's giving me a massive headache trying to decipher it.

[Keelin]

riteo

i have to anyways because im back at school and it sortta carrys over if you get my meaning :D

[Mira]

I read the first chapter of this in one of the national newspapers without knowing what it was.

I thought it was a spoof.

I borrowed a copy to see if the rest was as bad, but couldn't get past chapter two. There may well have been a 'fun story' but I didn't care enough to find out. Life is too short and there are too many worthwhile books out there to waste another minute of my time on this one.

No, I didn't see the film either. I refuse to subsidise Dan Brown's ego and further writing career by paying good money for anything in which he has a stake.

[Kat]

More than anything, reminded me of a low-rent version of Eco's The Name of the Rose.

I just finished Michael Gruber's Book of Air and Shadows and i found myself describing it to my roommates as everything the DaVinci Code *tried* to do, only successfully done, and well-written, with meaningful, interesting characters, and real insight and depth. and REALLY a page-turner!

[Sereyna]

For once, I can say LOL and have it be completely true...

I love the idea of Dan Brown being number 3 on the list of deserved arse-kickings (I'd love to know who number 1 and 2 are!), I was actually, earnestly laughing out loud.

If only there had been any intrigue or suspense to make up for the dreadful writing. I read this in one sitting, and wish I could get that few hours back.

[Nada]

The problem I had with this book is that I figured out most of the mysteries CHAPTERS before the main characters did, and I predicted the twist at the end. What a disappointment.

[Karen]

I agree. Great story, but crappy writing. I almost didn't watch the movie because of the book. Usually, it's the other way around!

[Gwen]

I thought the albino monk was a bit over the top. When unable to write, invent an incredible character.

[Will]

I thought the story was okay, I liked the twists in the book and everything (even though I did figure out many of them way before they happened I tend to do this a lot though. This is the reason why people won't watch movies with me anymore, because I always say what I think the twist will be and I'm almost always right.) but yes it was the worst writing. It was dry, plain, and clichéd.

This is what I do not understand how authors like Dan Brown write a book and the writing is horrible and they are bestsellers. His book Angels & Demons was the same thing an interesting story, but just really bad writing. I just don't get it I mean I know it's all about the story, but don't people realize they are reading something that is just poorly written? If it is only the story that is good you are better of just watching the movie (which in this case also sucked in my opinion.)

Seriously what is this like an eighth grade reading level? This is why I don't even look at bestseller lists.

[Robert]

I refuse to read it. I made the mistake of reading "Angels and Demons" first and it was such a horrid piece of crap that I reject anything associated with Dan "Hack" Brown. "Angels" started out interesting, then went absurdly wrong. What pisses me off the most is that these books are listed - on this website, no less - in the Art History section. That's like Sarah Palin getting an honorary degree from Harvard.

[Syahira]

yes, I do think the writing is so so... I expect it to be much more considering from the thickness of the book. Some chapters actually takes a lot of fillers... I finished the book under a day in a cold laboratory... now thats impressive

[Pam]

I think what irks me the most about this book is that if I want to review it, I have to give it at least one star, but it doesn't even deserve that. I should be able to give it a 0-star rating if I so choose, and have my 0 count toward the overall average.

In all seriousness, though, I can't pick one single thing that irritates me the most about it. It's just all around a crappy read -- crappy plot, characters, development... And as so many have said above, I couldn't believe how basic the "mysteries" were that I solved chapters ahead of the supposedly intelligent main character. And the twist? Come on! How canned can you get?

[Andrew]

Dan Brown is proof that America's schools have failed. The fact anyone thinks this trash is nothing more than a bound book of toilet paper makes only one thing abundantly clear, that our literacy is something to be ashamed of. I I read this book back in high school over the course of about 16 hours, with a migraine, and remember thinking that this was truly the sign of American idiocy incarnated. And to top it off, the ludicrous 'controversy' in church circles makes it even more clear that most Christians are either moronic or their faith is so shallow that a pulp ham writer could destroy it. If you can have a belief that threatened by a fiction book, you never had that belief at all. Hell, I've seen more devout Marxists, and their 'religion' of Soviet Communism literally was toppled!

[Deirdre]

Personally I thought this was one of the best books that I've ever read, and Dan Brown is a fantastic writer. He was very good at distributing any information throughout the book, so that with every chapter, the reader finds something new and the plot is thickened with ingenuity.
That said, The Da Vinci Code is, like most bestsellers, a great success because it deals with something controversial, and gives people a talking point. No book is on any bestsellers list merely because of how it's written. It is how the book portrays a story and touches peoples hearts, it is how the book causes people to learn, and see the world in a different light.
Dan Brown is without doubt a literary genius. Just because he adapts a different style that some people deem to be unworthy does not mean that he is in any way a bad writer.

[Ruby]

Oh no, no, no! I must say that I rather love this authors style of writing. Perhaps he writes in a way which is sort of...I don't know, nerdy? But I do feel that he writes in a way which reflects his mind and it's rare that I find a book that I find so humorus.

Perhaps those who disagree with me will look at what I judge as being good literature and see my current obsession with the paranormal and so decide to disparge me of my views, but this author is one of my all time favorites and I do not give compliments such as that lightly.

[Karen]

I thought the book was pretty good light reading. I couldn't see what all the controversy was about. Dan Brown just repeated the gossip found in some of the books Robert Graves wrote. The writing could have been better, it doesn't make any sense and I haven't been able to suffer through another book by Brown, but in some perverse way, I did find it entertainingl

[Dawn]

I threw the book against the wall by page 20. There is no excuse for this type of writing. But there is nothing as satisfying as the thump of bad writing hitting the floor.

[Redson]

Ha!ha! you make me laugh!!

[Michelle]

I am so glad I am not the only one that didn't like this book. I read it years ago and though the story amused me I found the writing to be absolutely terrible. I would make that comment to people after reading it and they would try to convince me that it was well written. No, no it wasn't!

[Tyler]

I've never understood this complaint when I've heard it elsewhere, not that its kept me up at night. To me, the writing is similar to any other bestseller fiction I've read. No better, no worse. It's a bestseller novel, they generally don't make you think too hard and are easy to read.