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Does anyone know if OSC has reviewed any books by Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Deception Point, etc.)? I just finished Angels and Demons and was wondering what The Man had to say about them. This thread is also open to other people's opinions of the books. I would post my own personal review, but I only have three minutes left on this public-access computer.
Posts: 786 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Read The DaVinci Code. Liked the ideas, the plot, the characters, and the settings. Hated the writing style. At every step the author told me what happened instead of showing me, making the entire thing seem less like an exciting book and more like I was reading someone's account of having read an exciting book.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Dan Brown is a formula writer. All his books have the same television feel, where each chapter break(or commercial break) leaves you wanting more. Its a good style, but its not very deep.
PS This is the first wireless post from my new latop!
Posts: 1711 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I have read Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, but not his other two books.
I enjoyed both books, but found Angels and Demons to be the better of the two (regarless of the best seller lists). I thought the plot twists and surprises were easier to spot in the Da Vinci Code (hereafter DVC and A&D).
The formulaic thing about the books was that I disliked most was the idea that the love interest changes in each book (like James Bond). As the next book in the series will take place in Washington D.C., I am sure we will have a new American girlfriend.
In both of the books, they started with a ritualistic murder/death that drew in the proper art-history expert protagonist. I am sure we will see the same in the third.
My father did not like the first book (A&D) because it was too Catholic. My Catholic friends did not like it because it was too anti-Catholic. Many fundamentalists and Catholic friends were upset by the second book (DVC) because of the secret histories included.
These were works of fiction. I have heard the Mary Magdalene is the holy grail theory before (from DVC). I still don't think it holds water. In Hebrews 5:4, we read that "No man taketh this honor unto himself except he that is called of God..." I do not believe that Jesus intended his biological children (which I am 100% sure never existed) to run his church upon reaching their majority. He did say to Peter that "thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church." (Peter=Petros, the greek word for rock or stone). Peter, as head apostle, was to lead the church after the ascencion.
Well, no more time right now to continue. If the thread stays popular, maybe I can share a few more ideas. RIght now, it is dinner time.
Posts: 279 | Registered: May 2004
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I couldn't get more than a few chapters into Angels and Demons. Brown seems to have studied at the Doyle School of Suspense Writing. If I just don't tell the reader what I'm talking about, they'll be surprised.
***SPOILERS*** I hate too many loose threads at a time. Here's my thought process in the first few chapters: The hero has a childhood incident that left him claustrophobic? Cool. What was it? Oh, now we have another guy with a terrible accident in his past. What was that? Oh, now we're on to some dead guy. Who cares any more? You're not gonna tell me what happened anyway.
I just flipped through to see the pretty pictures. I skipped to the back and read the ending. That was crap too. But then, I'm a prude. I don't really like reading about other people's sex, and I certainly don't want to finish on that note.
Posts: 2283 | Registered: Dec 2003
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