The Da Vinci Code, what a good book...
Ivan | Thu, 2004-08-26 16:03...too bad Umberto Eco wrote it first. Same thing! Apparently Dan made a fortune on taking Eco's story, which is the biggest story ever told and put it into a Hollywood style easy to understand, easy to read hit. I like both, but I find it funny how the difference between the American and European culture is so well represented in these two books. The book of Eco is hard to follow, hard to read unless you have a solid background of general history and history of art. In Browns book however we are faced with the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Anybody heard that name? It doesn't require a very deep cultural education, does it? And it talks about the Mona Lisa! I can't believe, that Brown chose the most famous painting as a centerpiece of his story! Other artists include Bosch. Another very well known painter. I think it's really safe. :)
that thread reminds me of the ambigrams... I thought that I read about it here... let me dig the link...
ah! there it is: John Lando's Ambigrams... I think that one of the books by dan brown is related... http://www.johnlangdon.net/index.html
pierre-etienne courtejoie
can't tell how is it related, but i can't wait to get Dan Browns other books, so that i can find out! :)
i've read two books by Brown, besides the code...
digital fortress - which is pretty good, mostly on technology and viruses in computers and stuff... and then the pre-qual to the code (can't remember the name of it), but that was really simular to the code... arty-kinda thing.
like'd all of them... nice way to spend a sunday afternoon! :)
Yes, it is related to angels and demons, by dan brown...
pierre-etienne courtejoie
thats the one... angels and demons...
ii think brown has two more books... might get them someday and check them out.
digital fortress sounds promising. i have to get that one next.
well.. my girlfriend just got back from amsterdam, and she bought me Brown's new book... Deception Point. Might just start it tonight... i'll let you know how it is.
She also got me a book called The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst... it looks very promesing. Has anyone heard of it?
yeah, that's a great book, i mean the typo one.
apparently Dan may have gotten his ideas from more than just Eco:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2004/09/if_someone_stea.html
still it's a great book!
Interesting takeout on the book: http://www.oldsolar.com/BrownWitch.html
well... i've finished his fourth book ... deception point.
there really isn't much to be said about this book, that hasn't been said about the others. It's' good. But after reading all four of his books, I have to say that I'm starting to see his guidelines of a good book.
But, it's a fine read. Takes your mind of the real world for a while! :)
i think he teaches on an American University how to write bestsellers. seriously. :)
wouldnt surprize me.
i'm thinking of writing a book, based an a few things I found out reading his books.
--
Main character has to be attractive, but single (or in a shakie relationship) and through the course of the story fall in love.
Have no less than 3 and no more than 5 storylines going on at the same time, which you constantly switch between, and always when leaving one of them, keep the reader in suspence... cursing the writer to be switching stories.
Have those storielines start in totally different places (in the plot) and then make them flow together through the course of the book... ending in a spectacular finalé.
Put in information that is realy useless to the story, but is fun to read. Make it excotic enough, then the reader won't mind if its true or not.
When a character is dying, have a chapter in the book dedicated on him/her, just as he/she passes through the last minutes of life. No matter if it's a good or bad person, the reader feels for him/her.
Make the chapters short enough, so the reader always says... "just one more chapter, then it's lights out".
--
could find more if I wanted. but don't get me wrong... it's not like I'm making fun of Mr. Brown. This formula worked on me... I bought all his books! :)
An author that I love reading is Dan Simmons! I read the Hyperion saga, his other excellent book about mind control, Carrion Comfort and now I'm reading "Darwin's Blade". the hollow man was an intersting read. Fires of Eden was my least preferred so far...
pierre-etienne courtejoie
larusson! A+ :) you've learnt the lesson.
sounds interesting. anyone likes Dean R. Kontz? best thrillers.
I agree deeply what good book so true
Dude.... this is the second or third 3-year-old thread that has been revived today!
i new here and red message back old first to not miss things and like book