The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code

I read this book a week ago, and was surprised at how riveting it was. I'm not a very religious person, I'm not Roman Catholic and I'm not against the Roman Catholic church. So when I saw this book lieing innocently on a bookshelf, I thought that it might be interesting.

This book has apparently spawned a lot of debate in circles I do not debate in. I don't understand this. What I do understand is that there is a lot of symbology in any art; even in writing. The exploration down a path of symbology hich can lead to such interesting revelations - if only for fictional characters - is really very intriguing to read.

Eccentric Englishmen, angry French policemen, disheveled American professors, late night cloak and dagger stuff - all tied to the paintings of Da Vinci, and realistically so. Dan Brown really captured my imagination with this book, enough so that I started surfing the internet looking for some of the images of which he spoke. The Mona Lisa. The Last Supper. TheVitruvian Man.

While there's probably always going to be a lot of argument and discussion about this book - as mentioned by other books that I may or may not read - the real gift I got from the Da Vinci code wasn't any of that, but more appreciation of the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. I came to realize what a shrewd man he was, and whether his shrewdness was applied in the right or wrong ways is not for me to decide. But it's apparent that after all these years, Da Vinci still has the potential to teach us all alot.

And Dan Brown's book is a fun way to start such an adventure in art, and even perhaps science. This is a book well worth reading, and one worth considering - not because it questions the Roman Catholic Church. It's worth considering because it questions history, and what we accept nonchalantly. And by the derivatory books that support or argue the fact and fiction within the book, it's apparent that this is a landmark book - one which will haunt our views on Da Vinci, the Catholic Church and Western Art.

Also available in Audio:

The Da Vinci Code

In retrospect, this is the book I would have preferred to have read, as it is illustrated. It might have saved me some time.

The Da Vinci Code: Special Illustrated Edition

Other related books

Cracking the Da Vinci Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Facts Behind Dan Brown's Bestselling Novel

Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries behind the Da Vinci Code

Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answering the Questions Everybody's Asking

Da Vinci Deception: Credible Answers to the Questions People Are Asking About Jesus, the Bible, and The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction?

Gospel Code: Novel Claims about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Da Vinci

The Da Vinci Hoax: Exposing the Errors in The Da Vinci Code

Depth and Details: A Reader's Guide to Dan Brown's the Da Vinci Code