The Da Vinci Code

Title Da Vinci Code

Author- Dan Brown

ISBN-0-385-50420-9

Publication Information- Doubleday, New York, 2003

 

Plot Summary- Robert Langdon, a professor of symbology at Harvard, becomes embroiled in the death of the curator of the Louvre museum in Paris. He quickly discovers that the curator left him a series of clues that lead him in the quest of finding one of mankind's greatest secrets, the location of the Holy Grail. As he and the curator's granddaughter, Sophie, are sent chasing clue after clue trying to stay one step ahead of the murderer. They discover that the grail is not really a thing- it is a person, the child of Christ and Mary Magdalene. This secret has been kept by the secret society once led by Leonardo Da Vinci, The Priory of Sion. As they get closer to discovering the ultimate truth, the murderer gets closer to them. As is true of all of Brown's novels, all of the artwork and groups discussed are historically accurate.

Critical Evaluation- Although is technically a sequel to Angels and Demons, this novel made Dan Brown a household name. The story of Robert Langdon is a fascinating one. The riddles and puzzles are fun and intriguing, and the pace of the novel is remarkably quick. Opening with the "real" elements of the novel, quickly hooks readers and lends an air of believability to his fiction. However, this style also got him in trouble with the Catholic Church and much of Christian American. If one can set aside the hype and enjoy a good mystery, then this is the one to get you hooked. The protagonist is entertaining and believable, the crime horrific, and the bad guy truly evil, and unless you have read other Brown books before, the ending is a good twist. The decided downside of this and other Brown novels is his habit of writing formulaic fiction. Once you've read two books, it's easy to see the twists coming and the plot evolving. However, even knowing that, his books are still an entertaining read.

Reader's Annotation- What if Christ had a child, an entire lineage. A secret this powerful would fundamentally change the history of the church and some people will do anything to keep it secret.

Author Information- Dan Brown has become an international sensation since the publication of this novel. All of his books are now best sellers. Brown's gift for puzzles and riddles comes from his childhood where puzzles where used for fun.

Curricular Ties- Religious studies

Genre- Mystery, adventure

Book talking ideas- Does it matter if Christ has a child? How does the introduction influence your reaction to the story?

Challenge issues- this novel faced many challenges due to religious conflict. When recommending this novel, I always caution children that if they are deeply religious, they may not like it and that they should speak to their parents before reading it.

1. Re-read the text to familiarize myself with the story
   
2. Ask parents for their specific objections (they are required to file that with our school district)
   
3. Review approved books list from California Department of Education for similar materials
   
4. Review approaches from ALA
   

Interest Age 15- adult- this is a cross-over piece

Why I selected this piece- My students caught wind of the controversy and immediately wanted to read this novel. I loved it and enjoyed the rest of his books. Even today, students get caught up immediately in this novel and follow the other two Langdon books.