The Da Vinci Code Review
- Literary Masterpiece or Wretched Potboiler?
A Da Vinci Code review would be remiss if it did not mention at the outset that Dan Brown clearly meant it to be an entertaining story and a work of fiction. This book presumes a world where there is a war that has raged for centuries between the Catholic church also known as The Powers That Be, and the Knights Templar also know as The Masons, also known as The Priory of Scion.
These societies protect a secret that would shake the very foundations of the church as we know it, and there are many devout on either side of the war who will kill or be killed in support of their beliefs. The Da Vinci Code weaves together historical facts, theories, and fabrications to make its own world; an alternate reality where this war rages in earnest, and in this respect it is no different from any other novel. Why then did this book inspire boycotts? Why do some churches in London like Temple Church (pictured) still have tours and lectures devoted to debunking this book? Many reviewers have faulted Brown for his irregular grammar and somewhat awkward wording throughout the novel. Novelist Stephen King called this book “the intellectual equivalent of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese”, which seems petty coming from a man once vilified by critics and universally dismissed as a hack writer of trash fiction for the masses. These criticisms sound a bit like sour grapes when you look at the tremendous popularity of the book. King has also said writing talent can be defined as getting paid for your work; if so then Dan Brown is clearly a rock star. The Da Vinci Code ruffles feathers not because it is so good or so bad, but because it challenges us where our own faith is so fragile. Any review of The Da Vinci Code should consider this at least as carefully as it nitpicks Dan Brown’s sentence structure.
Temple Church Address: Fleet Street, Holborn, London EC4Y 7BL Telephone: 020 7427 5641
Photo courtesy: Lee Jordan
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