Cori Strathmeyer
St. Bede Writing Group and
St. Jane de Chantal Writing Group (co-leader)
Intrigue, mystery, action, adventure, and a highly controversial theme—The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown remains one of the most popular novels of the past twenty years. Written in 2003 as the second of a six-book series, The Da Vinci Code skyrocketed to the top of The New York Times best seller list, where it remained for two years. Several years later, its plot became a hit movie featuring high-profile stars. What makes this book popular is a mix of Dan Brown’s keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat writing style and a well-crafted fictional conspiracy theory.
The book opens with the murder of a famous museum curator, Jacques Saunière, a renowned expert on the life and art of Leonardo da Vinci. Saunière’s body, discovered in the Grand Gallery of the Louvre, shocks the immediate world of museum staff and local police authorities. But what turns the investigation into a spiral of intrigue and conspiracy are the mysterious clues that Saunière leaves behind during his painful and lingering death.
Called to the scene are Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of religious iconology and symbology, and Sophie Neveu, cryptologist and police agent. Saunière’s body lay naked and spread-eagled on the gallery floor. Numerical symbols and an anagram written with black-light ink are scrawled on the floor beside his corpse. Additional clues undetected by the police direct Langdon and Neveu to escape the investigators to protect Saunière’s secret.
The plot exponentially thickens as Langdon and Neveu are thrust into a dangerous world—a world in which violence becomes a method of protecting two opposing theological beliefs. One can hardly breathe while racing along with the duo, who uncover a secret society, a treasure map of sorts, and an alternate story of the history of Christianity.
The Da Vinci Code is fiction steeped in historical truths twisted into imaginative outcomes. For Christian readers, this novel is not for the faint of heart. Brown’s story rewrites Jesus’s life and the mission of the apostles. A gifted storyteller, Brown spins a tale that includes enough historical accuracy for the reader to believe that the conspiracy could be true. Its historical and theological claims, however, have been discredited by historians, theologians, and Christian scholars throughout the world.
The novel’s storyline is bold and deserves an equally bold review. Brown’s admirable creativity is overshadowed by his audacity to alter the greatest salvific story of all time. While this novel is entertaining and popular among mystery, thriller, and conspiracy fiction readers, its subject confuses non-Christians and non-Catholic Christians with severe falsehoods. Over the years, this work of fiction has inspired misunderstanding of Christianity, the Catholic Church, and the life of Leonardo da Vinci. These misconceptions, however, provide a rich opportunity for discernment and discussion about the truths of the Christian faith. For readers who are not easily swayed by conspiracy theories or those who have a solid understanding of and steadfast belief in Christianity, this is an enjoyable, adrenaline-triggering story. The Da Vinci Code is exciting to explore, but reader beware that this fictional story reads as if it could be true.