Angrillori

Alright, several acquaintances of mine have suggested I read the DaVinci Code. It sounds like pop-culture garbage, but one person insists it is very "intelligent."

Is there historical use here? What glaring failures should I be on the lookout for? Is there a work of ACTUAL history I should read concurrently?

I also imagine I'll order my own copy of Doherty's The Jesus Puzzle beforehand. Any comments?

Thanks in advance, I look to you guys for guidance!

Madkins007

A simple search on the Net brings up a lot of hits on the 'accuracy' of the main plot elements.

I found it a fun read, but I really don't think I would ever describe it as 'intelligent'.

Roland

I've read it and I concur that it is a "fun" though essentially empty novel, with little or no character development or theme.

I did find one glaring error. I believe at one point that a character states that the Nag Hammadi Library was discovered in the 1950's when actually it was uncovered in 1945.

Toto

There is a cottage industry involved in refuting the Da Vinci Code.

Some links to articles = this page includes the titles of three books published this month which attempt to debunk the Da Vinci Code.

Previous thread I

Previous thread II

MysteryProf

So much debunking energy expended... to refute a piece of fiction. Ironic really.

Actually, I very much enjoyed the book. It jumped to a lot of conclusions, etc., but it took real historical elements and twisted them around in amusing ways. I wouldn't read it a second time, but it's definitely worth one read-through. Besides, I love books with little puzzles in them you can try to solve before the characters do -- even if they're not hard puzzles.

~MysteryProf

mrmoderate

My girlfriend is telling me that I will enjoy the DaVinci Code because I so enjoyed "A Skeleton in God's Closet" by Paul Maier.

I like Paul Maier's writings because even in his fiction novels he injects much of known historical values. Paul Maier usually does non-fiction writing including a translation of Josephus.

I guess I'm just going to have to read this story.

Protagoras

Christians seem to be very good at debunking when it suits them...

Roland

Yes, its' amusingly ironic really that Christians are concerned that a piece of fiction is being treated as real!

lpetrich

Behavior that is very typical of believers in irrational doctrines. Try going to http://www.answering-christianity.com and http://www.answering-islam.com and notice how rigorously rational each side is about the other's religion.

Half a century ago, Martin Gardner published his pseudoscience classic, Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science. He got a lot of indignant responses, but the indignant ones were indignant only over one chapter, while thinking that the rest of the book was excellent.

CX

It's a very fun and easy read, but plays very fast and loose with "history". Ben Witherington has a critical review of it in the current issue of BAR and has a book coming out later this year dealing with the issues. Ultimately it should be read for recreation but not to get any real history.