by Steve Martin

Created on: January 20, 2007   Last Updated: September 23, 2009

Few books can have done so much to put modern fiction at the forefront of the public's consciousness as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Besides selling tens of millions of copies, this a novel which has produced countless spin off books, which has created a whole new genre, the mystical thriller, and which has led to countless documentaries and is a regular item on news programmes.

It is strange, however, that of all the books that could have caused such a furore, the one that actually did is no literary classic or weighty political tome. The Da Vinci Code is a straightforward chase-type thriller, of a type that can be found in plentiful supply in any airport booksellers.

What makes the difference is the fact that this particular thriller uses not Government or Big Business as its setting, but the The Catholic Church. The general premise that underpins the story is that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdelene and had a family. The bloodline of Christ is what is meant when the Holy Grail is referred to.

Robert Langdon, a professor of symbology and Sophie Neveu, a young French crytologist, stumble across the mystery of the Holy Grail whilst helping in the investigation of a murder which takes place in The Louvre. The basic plot of the novel is that these two go in search of the location whilst the church tries to stop them; fearing that the truth will cause irreparable damage to Christianity.

The novel is clever in some ways. The novel does not conjure up its premise out of nowhere but relies heavily on legends and myths that have surrounded the role of Mary Magdelene. The use of Learnardo Da Vinci's painting is ingenious and the plot includes enough historical and contemporary information (The Knights Templar, Opus Dei, etc) though given a new slant by the author to give a veneer of authenticity to the book. This is what has led to such an explosion of interest in the novel.

It must be stated here that, as a piece of writing, The Da Vinci Code is decidedly average. There is nothing in either the writing or structure of this book that raises it above the many other thrillers that are published each year. Dan Brown's limitations as a writer can easily be seen, especially when one reads his other books. What can't be taken away from the author, however, is the ingenious use he makes of religion as a setting and the way he makes maximum use of old legends or present-day paranoia about religion (for example, the Opus Dei of the novel may not be a true representation by any means, but it does tap into a general suspicion of the organisation). The Da Vinci Code is a book that you should read in order to understand the uproar it has caused. However, it should be read for what it is, a pleasant way to while away a Sunday afternoon, than for any deep literary appreciation.

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