Why I dislike "The DaVinci Code"

[fleetfootmike]

ladyat left her copy here after our BBQ last summer, and (being short of things to read) I picked it up.

I have to say, and I'm aware this may place me in a minority, that I found the author annoying in the extreme, even beyond the fact that he clearly Has Personal Issues with the Catholic church.

Specifically, I find him guilty of being dishonest with the reader: he places you, the reader, in a character's head, and privy to their innermost thoughts, for the duration of a chapter. Right up to the point where they see something horrifying, dramatic, important, at the end of a chapter. At which point he suddenly stops allowing you that insight, for what to my mind is a cheap attempt at suspense, and switches viewpoint character for a dozen pages.

Repeatedly.

To my mind, this is, as I said, being dishonest with the reader: offering something (the intimacy with the character's thoughts), and then taking it away again to play with the reader's emotions.

Comments

[tiassa]

That was one of the biggest problems I had with the book. I honestly don't understand why it's so popular, as it's not particularly well-written. The idea was kind of interesting, but not enough to carry the book on its own.

[mnemozine.livejournal.com]

I did not enjoy the "DaVinci Code" as I did his earlier book, "Angels and Demons" which I read first. I only managed a third of Code before reading something more entertaining.

[danea.livejournal.com]

My personal 'must...not...throw...book' moment came after the umpteenth time a main character got lost in reverie during a key plot moment. So lost, in fact, that almost invariably one of the other characters had to draw him/her out of it. Once, ok. Twice, maybe? But good heavens, this happened a ridiculous number of times! ARGH!

[allevil.livejournal.com]

I just happened to see youe entry on The DaVinci Code and post to agree with you and to let you know there are others who didn't like the book. I don't know why so many people are finding this such a fasinating read, but I found it pretty boring. There was, along with what you described, no character devlopment and too many implausible parts to hold my interest.

[bassworm.livejournal.com]

I thought it was a terrible read, very badly written in the style of a particularly unimaginative twelve year old. Why this is became a best-seller god only knows. Does music chart-style manipulation exist in the publishing world?

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

I'd be very surprised if it didn't.