The DaVinci Code
Here is a marvellous book for those of you interested in religion. It is plastered around the walls of Barnes and Noble as a bestselling thriller, but it is oh so much more than that. The book, written by Dan Brown, in essence is about the history of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, and how it got to be as strong as it is today. Prefaced with a notice that everything in the book in relation to religion, artwork, and names is true, (it is, I investigated most of it) it will intrigue those who desire a fast paced book with much historical text and mental puzzles. Set in modern times, the opening scene is one of grotesque beauty, describing the murder of the curator of the Louvre, in the Louvre. As it turns out, the murdered person in qustion is a member of a secret organization called the Priory of Scion. This is a religious organization like the Freemasons, but they specialize in keeping alive the old traditions of Goddess worship in a time where monotheism reigns around the world. They serve a more important purpose, but to reveal it would be to foretell most of the story. The French equivalent of the FBI bring in an American symbologist and the murdered person's grand-daughter use the clues he left behind to determine the secret location of an ancient religious artefact. The reason why it is called The DaVinci Code is because DaVinci was once a member of the society and his artwork plays an important role in the puzzles the book presents. The book is well written and moves quickly amazingly enough, even through the historical background checks that occur frequently. Even more amazing is the amount of research Mr. Brown has obviously done to write a book such as this. His descriptions of artwork are incredibly accurate, as well as the stories that follow to explain the pertinence the art presents to the novel. Dealing with many controversial religious topics, this book isn't for everyone, but I believe (hope) that most people have a mind open enough to deal with the issues presented. After all, this is required reading at my high school! Added: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 Reviewer: Michael Score: Hits: 1059
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