So. Dan Brown.

[gnork]

(VERY mild spoilers below.)

I just finished The Da Vinci Code (I received and started it yesterday at about 6 p.m.). It was a book that held my interest for about the first half - the beginning through Langdon's and Sophie's visit to Teabing - and that I finished only for the sake of finishing. At one point in the story, after yet another twist, I

Comments

[anj1290]

Definitely with you on the 'too easy to solve' thing. But as to your question about why it's been on the bestseller list, people usually buy and then read. :) Or they open the book in the store, skim through and see that the beginning is good, and then buy it. Angels and Demons wasn't horrible either, though I heard that his others are.

[gnork]

I know people usually buy and then read, but why would they buy it? Because it was recommended to them. Why was it recommended to them? That's the key question. I wouldn't recommend it to most people. Were the reviews really that favourable? My older brother Matt, who just read it yesterday, agrees with me and friend-Matt about the second half and some other points as well. Granted, that's a consensus of only three people, but surely we aren't the only people who feel that this book shouldn't have remained on the bestseller lists for three years now! :/

As for the skimming... if people actually do that... well, then, that's very tricksy of Dan Brown, eh?

I heard that Angels and Demons is better than The Da Vinci Code...

[anj1290]

I read them both quite a while ago, so I can't remember which I liked more. And I think that the interesting/controversial nature of the subject matter and the readability of the book that have made it so popular...not too many fiction novels can claim both, I think. Or maybe he just has really good marketing people. And about the skimming--I definitely do that a lot. If I'm not sure whether something looks interesting enough to buy, I read the first few sentences/paragraphs/pages to see whether or not it hooks me.

[gnork]

I'm starting to think that the popularity is due to Brown's taking already-disputed issues - such as the nature of Mary Magdalene's relationship with Jesus - and putting his own twist on them and then exploiting his twist by packaging it up and selling 40 million copies of it... which in turn begins the controversy. From what I've read, it sounds as if Brown just took already-existing questions over which historians quibble and repackaged it for everyone to read. Darned smart of him.

How many books have you bought by skimming it? ;)

[anj1290]

Precisely. It's all how you work the system. I believe it was Einstein who said, "The key to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." :)

Hmm, I'm not sure. I've bought a lot of books in my time. *grins* If I already know the author/series, I'll buy without skimming, but unless the book comes with a really good recommendation I'll take a look at it first.