The Da Vinci Code - By Dan Brown

  Reading a Dan Brown novel for the first time is a lot for solving one of those ten thousand piece jigsaw puzzles. So you try to solve the case-in-hand and almost finish the puzzle, only to realize that some of the pieces aren’t in the right spots, even if the edges fit in. However, when you correct yourself, the entire picture clears up.

  Almost every ardent reader will have read “The Da Vinci Code”. With historical fiction and Christianity at its core, this novel launches you into an arena of puzzles and riddles versus art and history, ultimately elucidating you about the hidden facets of this world.  Starring the virtuous and brilliant Robert Langdon (created by Dan Brown as an fictional alter ego of himself, of what he wishes to be and inspired by two real people – John Langdon and Joseph Campbell), this book jumps into the brutal murder of the curator of Louvre Museum, France, Jacques Saunière.  You are introduced to his granddaughter Sophie Neveu - an astute cryptologist, Captain Bezu Fache of the French Judicial Police, Sir Leigh Teabing – A British knight living in France, Silas and Bishop Aringarosa amongst other characters, over the course of the tale.

  With such diverse roles in play, Dan Brown’s signature style of switching perspectives follows, often mid- scene. Action sequences started by one character end through another’s eyes, sudden crossovers to another player’s affairs occurring concurrently. To some, these ubiquitous changes in vista may seem distracting, but for more accustomed readers willing to fabricate the story in their minds, these jumps keep you tied to the book. They ensure that the wheels in your brain spin and that your “mind-engine” attempts to iron out the mystery alongside the primary protagonists.

  You learn of the Priory of Sion (no Mumbaikars, not the station), a secret society, founded to hide cryptic documents to be revealed on a particular date, which would bring Christianity onto its knees. Its members include renowned scientists like Sir Issac Newton (note the sir, indicating his Knighthood status). You learn of curious concepts like PHI – The Golden Ratio - existing in every aspect of nature, the Fibonacci Sequence, various religious symbols, their meanings, etymologies and histories and the stories behind famous paintings and other artwork, majorly by Da Vinci, who is the one of the most subtle but loud advocates of the ‘secret’, and has imbibed science and mathematics into his art, hiding conspiracies beyond layers. An impeccable example of this is the depiction of Jesus and his followers in ‘The Last Supper’ (unravelling the meaning behind the deviance of this depiction from that of the Bible is a scintillating experience). Chiefly, you learn of the Holy Grail, its meaning, and an alternate derivation of this term, conferring it a wholly different eminence in the framework of Christianity. All in all, you learn a lot and by the end of the book, your minds are left reeling with the plethora of information swarming in them and your faiths and beliefs vanquished.

  Ensuring that he stands uncontested, by means of thorough research, Dan Brown weaves a controversial, yet intriguing tale, mashing fact with fiction, boiling down the broth to a tantalizing climax, with all the essential spices – action, a dramatic reveal, brilliant puzzle decryption, family reunion, a tad bit of romance and of course, a kiss. He ensures that you, the readers are gripping the edges of your seats, fervently flipping pages, panting and yearning for more.

  For mystery addicts and crime-solving bibliophiles, this is a perfect choice. And for anyone wishing to try out murder mysteries and historical fiction for the first time, I assure you, this book is your route down that genre. So go on, read it already!! And those of you who’ve already read it, you know it’s worth devouring again!!!