About Dan Brown
It will come as no surprise to most that best-selling author Dan Brown is interested
in "
cryptography, keys and codes", a fact that's pretty obvious when you read
any of the 4 - soon to be 5 - novels he has authored to date. I've read all of his books
and seen both the films, and it's an underlying similarity between them all, with
the constant opposition of science vs. religion also providing a main theme.
Dan Brown is an American, born in 1964, and only really came to fame when his novel
The DaVinci Code stormed the book charts. I guess any key literary figure will attract
criticism and frankly it made me laugh at the way some critics panned his writing style.
The simple fact of the matter to me is that he writes fiction, tells a bloody good yarn
and keeps the reader gripped. The fact that he doesn't use big long words and beautifully
crafted prose is moot - I like a good story and all four of his books deliver that IMO.
The films don't quite live up to the books, but are still very good. I'd probably say that the
book of The DaVinci Code was my favourite ever fictional work, so the film is never going
to live up to that, but it was still very enjoyable. The follow-up film (although the
book came first)
Angels & Demons
was also thoroughly enjoyable. But again, the book was IMO
excellent. The other two Dan Brown books to date - Deception Point and Digital Fortress
are different stories to the other two, but there are many similarities in terms of the
underlying message and the fact they are exciting storylines.
Maybe it's just that Dan Brown is one of those authors you love or you hate. Although
81 million copies of the DaVinci Code sold might suggest the former is a more popular opinion
than the latter. Can't wait for
The Lost Symbol
personally - already have it on pre-order -
and no doubt a film will follow soon after. Roll on Dan Brown - the more the better for me!
