I bet Mona’s Secret is more Scandalous
As millions of readers around the globe have already discovered, The Da Vinci Code is a reading experience unlike any other. Simultaneously lightning-paced, intelligent, and intricately layered with remarkable research and detail, Dan Brown’s novel is a thrilling masterpiece—from its opening pages to its stunning conclusion.
I. Digression, Otherness, and Introduction
I’ve been meaning to read The Da Vinci Code ever since the film came out. Apparently, the movie is trash, and if one has yet to read the book, the whole “experience” may very well be tainted. So I waited, and to this day, have actively abstained from laying eyes upon Tom Hank’s fugly hair-don’t or Audrey Tatou’s loveliness (who, by the way, does not fit the character description at all apart from the fact that she’s female and slender).
II. Love and Satisfaction
The most appealing factor to Da Vince Code is the incredibly quick pace. Every chapter is 2 – 4 pages, so even though you only read 10 pages, you’re at chapter five… and that sense of satisfaction is intoxicating and very much welcome. Plus, no one can hate a thriller. It’s a criminal chase story, and this is where I see the movie coming in. The premise is interesting — secret societies, hidden meanings, puzzles, France (exotic country? yes please!), multiple interrelated conspiracies, a masked mastermind, religion, politics, and a combination of street smarts + book smarts. The way in which the chapters were organized (switching back and forth between different perspectives) also made it seem as though the book came alive in one’s mind …just like them movies.
III. Criticism and Petty Claims
Even before I finished the book, I kept telling myself “What a load of bull crap.” Because seriously–some parts seem idiotic. I don’t know if it’s the whole “woman was robbed of her rightful claims” angle Brown kept playing or his writing style, but I just couldn’t completely buy what he was selling. By the way, if I hear “sacred feminine” one more time, I will mentally vomit. Not only does it sound corny, but when Brown can only conjure maybe one or two synonyms… you really just want to go “UGH, REPETITIVE. CHEESE.”
