Katherine Villyard reviewed The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Robert Langdon, #2)
Review of 'The Da Vinci Code' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Okay, let me state my biases up front: I'm not offended by the theology; in fact, I picked up this book because of it. (I'm a Unitarian, and have no problem with the idea that some of the decisions of the Counsel of Nicea were politically motivated.) In fact, I find his earth-shattering heresy about as offensive as "Jesus Christ, Superstar" (in my case, not at all).
No, the reason this book is ranked so low is Dan Brown's prose style. There's an extraordinary amount of:
Point of view character stared in amazement at what appeared before his eyes. He couldn't believe it! The message that was scrawled in a highly unlikely place shocked him to his very foundations. The riddle was clever, of course, but he understood it immediately--which was precisely why he was shocked. His mind reeled. How could such a thing be possible?
[Chapter break.:]
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Between the egregious and obnoxious withholding of information and the head-hopping, I had to put the book down several times.
As for the theology, I'm all for compelling heresy, but it's fiction, alas. With some historical elements, but, for example, I'd never heard that Jesus himself wrote the Q documents and greeted that line with skepticism. And despite not being Catholic, and despite the sleight-of-hand I'm-not-really-anti-Catholic ending... um. Let's just say I won't be recommending it to my Catholic friends, no matter how progressive they are.
On the other hand, controversy sells, and I'm sure Dan Brown is laughing all the way to the bank that I don't like his prose style, so there you go. :)