Good news for me. I haven’t read the Da Vinci Code but wanted to do it. It turns out I won’t have too because, in the mid-80’s, I read the book that author Dan Brown plagiarized to write the code.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4754308.stm
The DaVinci Code is not academic research. It’s a detective story.
Dan Brown has always said he took quite a bit from academia. But to claim that he plagiarised an academic book in his fictional detective novel is a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? It’s not like he submitted his novel for peer review in a journal. It’s a work of fiction, it’s entertainment. You don’t need footnotes and a bibliography in this case, I don’t think.
Despite this, Brown certainly does give credit – I just grabbed my copy of the book, and he does list sources, including Holy Blood, Holy Grail.
The only reason the authors are suing is for cash, plain and simple.
Yes, for sure. Cash makes people do a lot of things!
The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail book was basically an academic research essay with the central premise being that the Holy Grail was actually not a vessel but Jesus’s blood line that was preserved by some secret societies ( free masons and the likes). It involves a lot of historical information like the Cathares of southern France and the Templars. It also discusses how some families in France and Scotland would be direct descendants of Jesus and how the secret societies’ ultimate purpose is to make these people monarchs of Europe. An interesting part of the book discusses a priest in a tiny place called Rennes-Le-Château in France who spent a ridiculous amount of money in his church. Did he find a treasure? The authors postulate that the treasure was actually a secret so powerful that he was being paid to stay silent. Their research, according to them, proved that this secret involved Mary Magdalene, Jesus and their kid.
I heard they were also suing for some classic kiddie porn titles and a plate of banana nut muffins. Awesome!
A few opinions here:
techdirt.com/articles/20060227/1836257_F.shtml
And one of the comments posted there:
That sums it up. Especially when you consider that Dan Brown does give attribution, and doesn’t quote directly.
I read someone’s hardcover copy over one rainy summer day. The high-quality illustrations gave it an added cheesey touch. Pedestrian detective novel at best.
Dan Brown is better at science fiction writing. I read his sci-fi novels long before I read Da Vinci code.
If I like an author I’ll go out of my way to read more of their stuff and when I saw that he had written Da Vinci Code I picked it up but couldnt get into it. Didnt make it through the first 50 pages.
I finally read it last summer after it sat on my book shelf for a year. It was ok and the premise made for a good yarn. I wonder how the movie will pan out?
Judging from the book critics in this thread, it’s not worth the read. I’ll go see the film.
I listened to it on an audiobook (on my iPod) on the way to Calgary last year.
For more on the actual bloodline check out some of the stuff from Laurence Gardner, who is in my view one of the most credible authors on the subject. On his site are numerous books, lectures, etc. he has an actual geneology chart of the bloodline.http://www.graal.co.uk/%20%20%20There%20are%20also%20articles,%20interviews%20and%20links%20from%20the%20nexus%20magazine%20website%20athttp://.www.nexusmagazine.com some very interesting stuff. A whole lot more to it than the loosely based work of Dan Brown fiction.
Now that the court case has been thrown out, a lot of people are wondering if it was just a big publicity stunt:
I’m pretty sure it must have been a publicity thing. I was at Safeway last weekend and guess what I found on their book shelf, Holy Blood Holy Grail (or whatever it is called.) So why not cash in on the Da Vinci Code’s success by republishing the book?
and the True Descendant was picked up while wandering the desert and is currently being splashed with ice water, sleep deprived and forced to listen to the Beegees at Gitmo… thorns and crucifixion are so 2,000 years ago
I cant wait to see what the christians will have to say about this movie.
They made a big deal about harry potter and its witchcraft.
[quote=“yngwie_69”]I cant wait to see what the christians will have to say about this movie.
They made a big deal about harry potter and its witchcraft.[/quote]
Wow someone that actually cares what christians have to say.
I dont care what they have to say, i just like a good battle between myth and science…
(is that i before e except after c?)
[quote=“yngwie_69”]I dont care what they have to say, i just like a good battle between myth and science…
(is that i before e except after c?)[/quote]
I hired a blonde clerk that knew that. You should see my filing cabinet. A,B,C,D,I,F,G,H,E…