THE DA VINCI CODE, BY DAN BROWN

THE DA VINCI CODE

By dan brown

Title: the da vinci code

Author: dan brown

No of pages: 489

Genre: fiction

“An ingenious code hidden in the works of leonardo da vinci.

A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe.

An astonishing truth concealed for centuries…unveiled at last.”

Fact;

“The Priory of Sion—

a European secret society founded in 1099—

is a real organization. In 1975 Paris’s Bibliothéque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Vatican prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout Catholic sect that has been the topic of recent controversy due to reports of brain-washing, coercion, and a dangerous practice known as “corporal mortification.” Opus Dei has just completed construction of a $47 million National Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City.”

MY READING EXPERIENCE:

Fiuuuhhh… finally I finished reading this novel. It was quite a work, you know, with its high-level vocabularies, foreign languages (French), and the theory of the Holy Grail and so many explanation and history of symbols. But I am pleased, because it satisfied my curiosity and answered my question with its beautifully arranged plot. It is true that this book is “a pulse-quickening, brain-teasing adventure”. I love this story, very much!

          This story is talking about the searching of Holy Grail. Actually, I didn’t know what Holy Grail was, by the first time I read this novel. But as I read it further, I could understand where the story goes. The problem was there are two groups (the Priory of Sion and the Opus Dei) that competed to find the Grail first, the one wanted to destroy it and the other one wanted to reveal it to the world. Being told by the characterization of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu, a professor of Religious Symbology of Harvard University and a cryptographer agent, made a perfect combination to be the main characters of this story. It was interesting because to find the Grail, we had to solve so many codes that I found it interesting and brain-teasing! This book made me say “wow! What a genius!” for so many times. And the surprising part was when the person or the Teacher behind it all was made a confession to Langdon and Sophie. And the best part is yet to come, because we would be surprised of where the Grail was placed.

          I was amazed by the combination of fiction and the reality it gave us, like the book said that “all description of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” The author must be a genius one! It is really a good book, though I haven’t seen the movie, because for me, reading has so much more fun, than sitting on a couch for several hours watching the movie :D

THE QUOTES OR IDEAS I NOTED DOWN:

·         “absolution required sacrifice.” –The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

·         “the pentacle is a pre-Christian symbol that relates to Nature worship. The ancients envisioned their world in two halves- masculine and feminine. Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance of power. Yin and yang. When male and female were balanced, there was harmony in the world. When they were unbalanced, there was chaos.” –The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

·         “in the battle between the pagan symbols and Christian symbols, the pagan lost; Poseidon’s trident became the devil’s pitchfork, the wise crone’s pointed hat became the symbol of a witch, and Venus’s pentacle became the sign of the devil.” –The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

·         “release your hatred, forgive those who trespassed against you.” –The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

·         “money and faith were powerful motivators.” –The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

·         “Gentlemen, not only does the face of Mona Lisa look androgynous, but her name is an anagram of the divine union of male and female. And that, my friends, is Da Vinci’s little secret, and the reason for Mona Lisa’s knowing smile.” –The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown