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Di Vinci Code
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| posted by HKBloke 1153 days ago |
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I know this has been discussed many times before bu that was before I read the book. I watched this program on NGC on Saturday - 'Inside the Do Vinci Code' or something like that. Turns our Dan Brown basically got the whole idea from a thesis written by an English Historian a few years back and he just put a commercial story-line around it.
My question is how can so much hype - follow-on books, tv-series, even a film maybe - be created by such a poorly written book.
When it 'exploded' into our lives a few years back all my friends were saying "you must read it, you must read it - it's stunning". You know - change your life stuff and all that.
So I read it and was hugely disappointed. It's an OK story but i've read much much better. So why all the hype and emotional ? Am I the only one that thinks this is a 5/10 book at best. The only other explanation is that for an awful lot of people this is in fact the only book they have ever read in their entire lives.
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| posted by sunwaterandsky 1153 days ago |
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I think that they are excited because it is an easy read and has cliff hangers to motivate them to keep reading. I agree - he is not a great writer, but he had good suspense and a controversial subject to work with. Kinda the Gerry Springer version of fiction. After saying all of that, I did enjoy the book, but mourned how much better it could have been.
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| posted by sabi 1153 days ago |
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If the Catholic Church hadn't gotten into a huff over it, and told its people not to read the book, it wouldn't have gotten this far. Now there are books spun off this line.
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| posted by barbie 1153 days ago |
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It was populist fiction - he made a lot of money, people enjoyed reading it.
The notion that it was somehow 'highbrow' may be connected to the fact it encompassed religion and Da Vinci. It was just the typical thriller genre, I enjoyed Deception Point a lot more, but many people didn't like that either.
Whatever your thoughts, it was an entertaining book.
I wait for the day when schools have all the funding they need and the airforce has to have a cake stall to raise money for a new bomber.
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| posted by HKBloke 1153 days ago |
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Oh OK - glad it wasn't just me then - I thought I was missing something profound.
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| posted by Waterslang 1153 days ago |
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HKBloke,
The Da Vinci Code is a novel and has to been read as is. No bad at all for a thriller.The average lesson from the book is to be critical to that "other book", the self-proclamed ultimate truth of the JC religion. Best thing that happened to the Code was the publicity it got from the Vatican. Succes guaranteed.
Also lots of tourists are nowadays looking differently at some places in Rome, while discovering "those hints".
(I wish I was allowed to read some novels, locked away in the library of the Vatican).
Back to Dan Brown: I preferred his other religious thriller: Angels and Devils.
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| posted by life 1152 days ago |
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HKB: I thought it was a pretty entertaining book if you are catholic and love to hear dirt about your religion. Quite a few things he said could just be true.. even though some are far fetched. The end was completely stupid in my opinion, but the trail and the little known facts were enough to keep you reading. .. right?
I'm bored, I'm pi*sy, and, I have no shame.
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| posted by barbie 1152 days ago |
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The Dan Brown book is actually titled 'Angels and Demons' funny that he'd get 'that' word wrong lol
I wait for the day when schools have all the funding they need and the airforce has to have a cake stall to raise money for a new bomber.
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| posted by Velvet 1149 days ago |
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And the word is, Tom Hanks will be playing Langdon in the coming movie, The Da Vinci Code. Why him though?
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
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| posted by sabi 1149 days ago |
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Tom Hanks is an excellent actor but doubt he passes the test as a swimmer unless he gets his bod trim and V-shaped. It's like Captain Kirk with his belly in the movies - a far cry from the younger Kirk. Now Sean Connery would make a more dashing and credible Langdon, if they need an older actor. After The Name of the Rose, I can see SC in that role surrounded by catholic symbolisms.
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| posted by HKBloke 1149 days ago |
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I think Sean is a tad too old for this role. The Name of the Rose was released almost 20 years ago and although Sean has aged well I think this might be a bit beyond him.
sabi - why will he need to pass the swimmer test? - unless i missed a big section of the book.
Just be thankfull they didn't ask Hugh Grant.
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| posted by life 1149 days ago |
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ugh, ohh god, hugh grant. What is everyone's obsession with that guy? He is not even cute!
I'm bored, I'm pi*sy, and, I have no shame.
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| posted by sabi 1149 days ago (edited 1149 days ago) |
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Langdon if I recall was a swimmer and has been able to use his training and fitness in some tight spots...unless I got that wrong mixing up too many characters?
I have a soft spot for SC and he would with his Scottish accent bring off the character of Langdon who while American, is more into the old world and hence, a face and voice of an SC would be more romantic than Hanks (I love him as an actor too) who in my opinion, does not have that slightly craggy romantic aura of SC.
He could be too old, you're right - have not seen his pics recently. Pierce Brosnan?
Hugh Grant - will always see him with Devine giving him a blow-job on the Strip in LA.....stupid face and he had bad taste for GF's too, the what's her face model (the so-called perfect face).
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| posted by Velvet 1148 days ago |
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Pity Harrison Ford can't play Langdon, who is supposed to look like Ford! I'd like to see Liam Neeson in that role. Even Christian Bale too.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
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| posted by eveday 1144 days ago |
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If Dan Brown had been a better writer I might give him a better review.
his plot is ok but then i wish his writing was better
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| posted by Waterslang 1144 days ago |
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Can agree in a way but I think he uses simple vocabulary as that's a must for the common people in his most important market, home market.
Agree I like the plots also.
At least way above the Tom Clancy plots. (I used to be a fan of TC's books in my younger days).
BTW, for better writing "skills" : Did you read 'The Name Of The Rose' by Umberto Ecco? Wow... that was a different way of writing! But less accurate for a thriller imo. Had to go back to the former page all the time!
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