The Da Vinci Code

THE DA VINCI CODE by DAN BROWN

Dan Brown’s mystery-thriller novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’ pits protagonist, Robert Langdon, a middle-aged professor of religious iconology at Harvard University, a symbologist, an expert puzzle solver and a genius among other things, against the shrewd antagonist, known only as ‘Teacher’  who is relentlessly searching for the ‘Holy Grail’ and aims to destroy Vatican Church forever.

Robert Langdon comes to Paris to lecture on his work, a routine affair but his routine is disturbed drastically when the police comes knocking at the door of his hotel room. They inform Robert that Sauniére, curator of Louvre museum, an acquaintance of Robert, has been found murdered at the museum and they need his assistance in deciphering a cryptic message left at the crime scene.

Unaware of the complication that he is himself the prime suspect in the murder, Robert agrees to police’s request and goes to museum where Sauniére’s dead body has been put on the display by the killer in the manner similar to one of the Da Vinci’s painting, Vitruvian Man.

Police captain Bezu Fache intends to get a confession out of the Robert by confronting him on the crime scene but police cryptographer, Sophie Neveu, who is also the granddaughter of Sauniére, warns Robert of Fache’s plan.

She understands that Sauniére wanted Robert to decrypt cryptic message and that Robert has nothing to do with her grandfather’s murder, a view that is not shared by her superiors.

Robert and Sophie join forces to uncover the diabolical plot behind  Sauniére’s murder, which lead them into dark corners of church, Priory of Sion – a secret organization, hunt for the holy grail, possibility of Jesus married to Mary Magdalene – one of the most eminent disciple of Jesus and ultimately to the hidden identity of witty antagonist, Teacher.

While police and a dangerous assassin is on Robert and Sophie’s trail, Robert keeps on solving one complicated puzzle after another to finally unearth a shocking truth that changes Sophie’s life forever.

The thrilling story of the novel revolves around the struggle of Robert and Sophie to uncover the truth, Church’s attempts to block them in their quest, difficult puzzles, ciphers and labyrinths, shady characters lurking in the dark, secret pagan groups and conspiracy theories.

Dan Brown has used historical events as the building blocks for setting the stage in present time to develop the fictional story as a fact in which boundaries of fiction and reality merge to create an addictive plot.

However, some may accuse Dan of misrepresenting the history but people tend to forget that it is fictional work meant for entertainment; it is not a course material to be taught at schools so it has to be historically correct. 

Moreover, some will be appalled by the alternative life history of Jesus Christ and the negative role in which Vatican Church has been presented in the novel, but it definitely deserves a reading for having a unique absorbing story.

To sum up the review, I can only say that ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is profanely captivating and deserves four out of five stars.