The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

My only regret is that I didn't read this book sooner. My English professor made mention of it a few years ago, but I paid it no mind. I had other books I wanted to read. BUT-- Then I started reading "The Jesus Mysteries" and "Jesus and the Lost Goddess" by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy. I told my friend Noelle about "Jesus and the Lost Goddess" at coffee one afternoon-It's concepts and discoveries-and she said: "You'd like The Da Vinci Code". And she was right.

Robert Langdon, our reluctant hero, is a college professor who specializes in symbology and had just recently wrote a book about the Priory of the Sion(It's a French secret society, but I Americanized it because I can't remember how to spell it in French- plus I don't know how to render French characters/punctuation w/in the blog) ANYway,

There's lots of symbolism and secret codes(as the title suggests). Symbols we take for granted are exposed here, and for the lover of symbolism and history, this book is a real treat. And just so you know, everything in it is true. Mr. Brown did his research. Either that or he just had a love for this stuff already.(There's a disclaimor at the opening of the book telling you all is true- Save, of course, the murder which is the wheels on which all of this moves along.) Lots of nice plot twists.

At the end I had to ask myself: So what's all the hubbub that the Christians are up in arms against the book as well as the movie.(One Church in Cleveland says that this book is from the devil as an attempt to discredit the church)

Near as I can figure: It tells us that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that she was supposed to take charge after Jesus died on the cross, and the two had a daughter named Sarah. Could it be that they have a problem with having a woman for a savior? Or is it because it would put a major glich in the institution of Roman Catholocism. (Much like a writer finding an error in his magnum opus, he's angered to find out he can't just fix the one boo-boo, he'd have to go through the whole damned thing, as it creates a domino effect in the plot)

It can't be that this book paints the church in a negative light. Unless of course, you belong to Opus Dei-- But even that, I don't think is offensive. It's just saying that the writer(and I'll venture much of the general public would agree) feels that flogging yourself with whip and voluntarily inducing pain in other ways just doesn't seem like a very happy existance.

I ordered a DVD on Ebay, thinking it would be a documentary on the Priory, but only to find out it's a Church seminar/demonstration talking about The Da Vinci Code as a tool of the devil. I wanted to cry false advertisement and get a refund-- but it was only like $10. And maybe after I've watched it, I'll better understand what the hubbub is about.

As I said, for lovers of mystery, symbolism, and history, this book is an absolute gem. Especially those interested in religious history. It's an excellent read- and a quick read at that. Brown has a knack it seems for ending the chapter on a cliff-hanger throughout the book, which I sometimes found frustrating(when I had to set the book down and leave it for a day or two, usually) but it does keep it moving.