The Da Vinci Code

I was going to wait until this came out in paperback, but it already had in New Zealand. I saw it at the airport in Auckland, bought it, and started reading it on the flight home.

I liked it, but I really think I liked Angels and Demons better. Both have similar plots, which involve following a trail of clues that reference works of art and architecture, uncovering information on secret societies... and Catholic Church conspiracies. The secret society in Angels and Demons were the Illuminati, while the The Da Vinci Code involved the Priory of Sion.

I don't know much about the Priory of Sion, but the secret they are supposedly guarding involves blood relatives of Jesus, and that the Holy Grail is actually a metaphor for the remains of Mary Magdelene. This is harder for me to believe than the Illuminati exist and want to destroy the Church. ;)

Actually, what made me like Angels and Demons more was the initial setup. In that novel, a Renaissance master sculptor left clues throught various churches in Rome, which led to the hidden Illuminati headquarters. (This was just part of the plot).

In The Da Vinci Code, a museum curator, who was also the grandmaster of the Priory of Sion, is shot and while dying, managed to leave clues which help unravel the mystery of the Holy Grail. This involved writing a message, leaving a key behind a painting, and posing his body, all while he is bleeding to death from a gunshot to his stomach. The police arrive on the scene first, and summon the novel's hero. I'm thinking, the police could also have followed the blood trail around the museum and been far more prepared. Maybe I'm nitpicking because I watch too much CSI!

It is all very interesting to think about. Both books are quite good. Dan Brown leaves a cliffhanger in nearly every chapter, which makes it hard to stop reading.