The Da Vinci Code
(Author: Dan Brown, © Doubleday Publishing, 2003)
Reviewer: Carol Caise
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Dan Brown’s
“The Da Vinci Code” was published in 2003, creating controversy from the start.
The hype around this novel has increased as we approach the premier of “The Da
Vinci Code” movie on May 19th.
This novel
contains all the elements of a good mystery – suspense, intrigue, decoding
cryptic messages, along with unexpected twists and turns - through the streets
and cathedrals of Paris and London.
Brown is an
expert in literary excavation, and this tale is based on a theory that the
2000-year-old account of Christianity is a great conspiracy. His characters are
fictional, but he claims all descriptions of artwork, documents and secret
rituals are accurate.
The book
begins with the elderly curator of the Louvre in Paris being murdered in the
museum. A secret message near his body sends cryptologist, Langdon, along with
a colleague and granddaughter of the deceased, on the trail of the killer, while
trying to avoid the police who think that Langdon may be responsible for the
murder. Their investigation brings them evidence of a secret society, the
Priory of Zion, and of the involvement of the Vatican – who see the society as a
threat to the Catholic Church and traditional Christian beliefs. The book tells
us that past members of this society include such historical individuals as Sir
Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo and Leonardo Da Vinci. The importance and
equality of women in religious life is recognized by the society – an aspect of
the novel that was significant for me.
The Priory
of Zion believes that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and that Mary
escaped to Gaul following Jesus’ crucifixion, pregnant with Jesus’ child,
creating a bloodline from that time to the present. The society also believes
that the Holy Grail is not the chalice used at the Last Supper but they believe
…… you have to read the book or see the movie to find out. The book is full of
the unexpected, but the conclusion holds even more surprises.
Although
this is a fictitious novel, aspects of this story could be very difficult for
the traditional Christian – but a real page-turner for those who like suspense
and intrigue and a story with a twist.
I look
forward to seeing this movie to see if it captures all the excitement of the
book.
