The DaVinci Code: The Book

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DaShen

Lifer
Dec 1, 2000
10,710
1
0
Originally posted by: Neurorelay
No, it was a one night read that coulda been longer; that is why I now have "Demons and Angels" by Brown; alot better.

QFT. Honestly, though. Even though his books are good reads, they lack any real substance to them in writing style. They definitely push the envelope when it comes to the Topics discussed though. Almost like shock writing.
 

DaShen

Lifer
Dec 1, 2000
10,710
1
0
Originally posted by: Atheus
I _really_ dislike Dan Brown - he's the enemy of science.

He wrote that trash about the CERN labaratory, then all the researchers there got threats and letters tellinng them to stop their dangerous work :roll:

You are kidding right? If you aren't, I feel sad for the general human population. I have realized I have started to become jaded with humans, and my faith in humanity is somehow a lot less than it was before. :( That is what you get for trying to look at the best in humanity, and having ideals for humanity. The stuff that humans do pisses me off now, we are literally a virus unto ourselves.
 

Atheus

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2005
7,313
2
0
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: Atheus
I _really_ dislike Dan Brown - he's the enemy of science.

He wrote that trash about the CERN labaratory, then all the researchers there got threats and letters tellinng them to stop their dangerous work :roll:

You are kidding right? If you aren't, I feel sad for the general human population. I have realized I have started to become jaded with humans, and my faith in humanity is somehow a lot less than it was before. :( That is what you get for trying to look at the best in humanity, and having ideals for humanity. The stuff that humans do pisses me off now, we are literally a virus unto ourselves.

Not kidding. In 'Angels and Daemons', antimatter is stolen from the CERN lab in Europe and used to make a bomb. Of course this is not possible.

Check out the CERN press releases, there is a huge article answering questions from readers of the book, and explaining why the research is not dangerous.
 

DaShen

Lifer
Dec 1, 2000
10,710
1
0
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: Atheus
I _really_ dislike Dan Brown - he's the enemy of science.

He wrote that trash about the CERN labaratory, then all the researchers there got threats and letters tellinng them to stop their dangerous work :roll:

You are kidding right? If you aren't, I feel sad for the general human population. I have realized I have started to become jaded with humans, and my faith in humanity is somehow a lot less than it was before. :( That is what you get for trying to look at the best in humanity, and having ideals for humanity. The stuff that humans do pisses me off now, we are literally a virus unto ourselves.

Not kidding. In 'Angels and Daemons', antimatter is stolen from the CERN lab in Europe and used to make a bomb. Of course this is not possible.

Check out the CERN press releases, there is a huge article answering questions from readers of the book, and explaining why the research is not dangerous.

I read the book, a long time ago. It was actually a decently good book and extremely fast paced. LOL, at the interim Pope in the book written though, he p0wnd himself bad.

However, it is possible, but not probable to the point of impossible with the technology we have today. What is not possible however would be for CERN, to go against their ethical principles, and try to create something in such a large dangerous quanitity in the first place before testing and retesting everything. Plus sustaining anti-Matter for more than a microsecond is not probable with our current techonology.

CERN is great for scientists. They do so much to further humanity, it is ridiculous that people would take a FICTION book as FACT. I am starting to think for all of our supposed smarts, maybe dolphins really are the smartest animals on the planet, like in the HitchHiker's Guide.

I mean, they have been able to sustain a small black hole for almost an infinitesimal second (and too small to really do anything but observe), just enough to do research on it, by atom smashing. Quite amazing the breakthroughs they could get in Quantum Physics by doing this, yet somehow this is dangerous work?
 

tweakmm

Lifer
May 28, 2001
18,436
4
0
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: Atheus
I _really_ dislike Dan Brown - he's the enemy of science.

He wrote that trash about the CERN labaratory, then all the researchers there got threats and letters tellinng them to stop their dangerous work :roll:

You are kidding right? If you aren't, I feel sad for the general human population. I have realized I have started to become jaded with humans, and my faith in humanity is somehow a lot less than it was before. :( That is what you get for trying to look at the best in humanity, and having ideals for humanity. The stuff that humans do pisses me off now, we are literally a virus unto ourselves.

Not kidding. In 'Angels and Daemons', antimatter is stolen from the CERN lab in Europe and used to make a bomb. Of course this is not possible.

Check out the CERN press releases, there is a huge article answering questions from readers of the book, and explaining why the research is not dangerous.
To be fair, no one knows what's possible. CERN could very well create a black hole that swallows us all in the blink of an eye.
But true, there are not going to be any anti-matter bombs coming out any time soon.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
Even the knowledge and research that went into the creation of the book is NOT astounding. It was all 100% plagarized (and where not plagarized, completely fictionalized ala Michael Crichton). It's an interesting book but vastly overrated. As someone else noted, it's a book to make people who don't read much feel smart about themselves.
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
Originally posted by: eits
Originally posted by: chuckywang
Originally posted by: eits
did anyone else think "OMG GET TO THE END ALREADY11!1!" it just seemed like the book was so unnecessarily drawn out.

anyone else feel the same way?

That's the way all thrillers should be. You just can't wait to see what happens next.

well, it just kinda seemed like they could have ended it a LONG time ago... it just didn't need to drag on like it did.

I suppose they could have ended it with the dead body. He could have left a note explaining everything instead of being so damn cryptic. I think you're onto something here, you should start writing.

 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
26,061
4,709
126
Originally posted by: Looney
I suppose they could have ended it with the dead body. He could have left a note explaining everything instead of being so damn cryptic. I think you're onto something here, you should start writing.
Actually, since the grandmother knew of the granddaughter's existance AND the location of the grail, the whole story was pointless. He wouldn't have even needed to leave a note and all would end the exact same way. The whole wild goose chase was pointless. That doesn't mean it is a bad storyline, as most good stories are pointless.
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
Originally posted by: ZOOYUKA
Originally posted by: iamaelephant
Originally posted by: ZOOYUKA
100% agreed. That is why I quit reading it 2/3 of the way through. The only people I now that rave about it are people that read one book about every five years. On many levels it is like a children's book.

I read about a book a week, and I loved it. How exactly is it like a childrens book? Or are you just another "hate it because it's popular" sheep?

It is like reading a glorified Hardy Boys book. The plot gets so extreme that it seems silly.

Nice way of avoiding the question. Again, how is it like a children's book?
 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
26,061
4,709
126
Originally posted by: Looney
Again, how is it like a children's book?
Short chapters, no real depth, nothing very intellectual, main characters escape unscathed, easy to read, etc.

It isn't like a 3-year-old's book, but it is the type of thing I read around the age of 8.
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
For awhile I felt as if I was the only one that didn't enjoy the book. I guess the over explanation of every object got to me. Reminded me of writing papers in highschool and the teacher would keep saying, "you need to describe it more."
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
25,015
3
81
www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: ZOOYUKA
100% agreed. That is why I quit reading it 2/3 of the way through. The only people I now that rave about it are people that read one book about every five years. On many levels it is like a children's book.

i thought so, too, but i'm one of those who reads once in a blue moon, too.
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
25,015
3
81
www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: LoKe
Originally posted by: ZOOYUKA
100% agreed. That is why I quit reading it 2/3 of the way through. The only people I now that rave about it are people that read one book about every five years. On many levels it is like a children's book.

I read three of the four Dan Brown books within a week, as well as Schindlers' List, 1984 and a Harry Potter book afterwards. Just because the books aren't appealing to you, doesn't mean they're not good.

harry potter for the win.
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
25,015
3
81
www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: eits
did anyone else think "OMG GET TO THE END ALREADY11!1!" it just seemed like the book was so unnecessarily drawn out.

anyone else feel the same way?

Nope. It was a very fast paced book. I am guessing you don't read often because "The Da Vinci Code" was actually a fast read with not many drawn out parts compared to many classic novels. Ever read Moby Dick or All the King's Men? Or any Dicken's classics? Now those can be drawn out.

Now TV and movies are extremely fast paced, and can make you anxious with everything else because you get so used to getting the quick fix from a movie or TV that you don't want a full story, you just want the brief synopsis.

nice call... i don't read too often. dyslexia and a.d.d. make reading a chore. everyone's like "it took me a day to read 'the davinci code'" and i'm thinking "really? jeez... it took me a few... sigh..."
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
Originally posted by: dullard
Originally posted by: Looney
Again, how is it like a children's book?
Short chapters, no real depth, nothing very intellectual, main characters escape unscathed, easy to read, etc.

Short chapters is just the style of the book... it makes things move fast. This isn't the only book with short chapters. As for no real depth or nothing intellectual... this is fiction, and it has more depth than most fictions out there. It's a story of one man's journey, not an epic novel that requires a trilogy to finish. This isn't a pulitzer prize winning novel, but nobody ever claimed it was. I find the reading very similar to Ludlum's Bourne series.

I think you guys seem to think that because it's one of the best selling novel of all time, it should also be one of the best written novel of all time. You can't fanthom that millions of people enjoy a good read for what it is, simply a good read.

I've only read the Da Vinci code... i attempted Digital Fortress, but it just wasn't my type of book. But the Da Vinci code was a great book i read years ago... long before the hype. There's nothing out there that satisfies 100% of people. If he included in each book a check for a thousand dollars, you're going to find people complaining that it's not really a thousand dollars because they need to pay taxes on that.
 
Oct 4, 2004
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The only thing that struck me weird, initially, about Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code is the encyclopaedic knowledge all the characters have committed to memory about art, architecture, religion, science, history, Hebrew alphabets and ciphers, secret societies...but fine, the dude is a Harvard Professor and the rest have dedicated their lives to their passion so I'll excuse that. (There are people here who can tell you the TDP of any CPU/GPU made in the last 10 years...)

Angels & Demons did a better job of maintaining suspense (I was never completely sure if Max Kohler would really be the bad guy or not?)
But in Da Vinci, I had a pretty decent idea who 'The Teacher' would turn out to be. Also guessed that Sophie's ancestry would turn out to be something 'really special'.

Da Vinci was definitely more of a page-turner than Angels & Demons. But I liked the sci-fi angle of A&D's antimatter to be a little more to my taste.