Silly Billies May 16, 2006
I’m quite looking forward to the release of The Da Vinci Code. Not because I think it’ll be a terrific film - it may well be, I don’t care. Neither is it because I want to see how the book has translated to the big screen - I’ve not read the book.
No, it’s because I take a curious, slightly sadistic pleasure in the fact that, yet again, a work of fiction (pulp fiction novel, The Da Vinci Code written by Dan Brown) based upon another work of fiction (pulp fiction novel, The Bible, written, changed and re-interpreted by countless thousands of people over the last two thousand years) is going to cause *shock* controversy! Undermining of beliefs! Mass hysteria! Resistance to the idea that maybe, just maybe, someone other than yourself could have another viewpoint on history!
Religious people aren’t crazy, they’re not ignorant, they’re not insane. They just seem that way, because of the ridiculous tenacity with which they hold onto their beliefs. Beliefs which they feel are threatened by a hollywood blockbuster based on (from what I’ve heard) a fairly standard paperback novel. Now that’s just silly talk.
This is like how I believe that tea is the greatest thing that has ever been made. Ever. I love tea, I drink it all the time. The fact that someone else might like coffee instead doesn’t really bother me. Oh wait, no, it does actually. INFIDELS! COFFEE DRINKING INFIDELS. They must all pay for their sins. Seriously, it’s that bad.
Your reaction is understandable, but in truth, the details of the book do go beyond the mere novel format into some representation of the truth.
The mimicry of secret societies like The Kraken is striking - Dan Brown clearly did his research.
But who would have guessed that only the hint of the existence of Veritas Exemplar would be written about? I expected more depth in the book and in the movie.
One point of criticism, The Da Vinci Code is not a standard paperback - I would more accurately describe it as “sub-standard”. Put it this way; most copies of it were sold at train stations. ‘Nuff said.
Also, how can we know if Dan Brown did his research into secret society’s well, seeing as how they’re secret and everything? They may just meet up to drink tea (or coffee) and read People’s Friend - we can never know…. oooooh…..mysterious.
“Religious people aren’t crazy, they’re not ignorant, they’re not insane. They just seem that way, because of the ridiculous tenacity with which they hold onto their beliefs.”
You sir, are my god. Many years from now people will erect small shrines to The Neville and pray for deliverance.