The Da Vinci Code

'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown is the thrilling story of symbology expert Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu, as they fight to uncover the truth after a murder in the Louvre museum in Paris puts them at the centre of a battle between an ancient fraternity and the Vatican’s Opus Dei

In this mind-expanding fictional account, the Holy Grail – a mythical object which has always been a topic of interest amongst historians and the Christian folk- is shown to be totally different from what it is widely believed to be and this leads to controversial theories about the life of Jesus Christ, which if were to be true would be disastrous to the Christian Church.

Key Facts about The Da Vinci Code

  • Title: ‘The Da Vinci Code‘
  • Author:  Dan Brown
  • Publication date: March 18, 2003
  • Language: English
  • Literary period: The present day
  • Point of view: Third-person omniscient
  • Number of pages: 689 (hardback), 489 (paperback)
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Setting: Paris, France; London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Climax: Sir Leigh Teabing reveals himself as the one behind the murder of  Sophie’s grandfather and other members of the Priory of Sion
  • Protagonist(s): Robert Langdon, Sophie Neveu
  • Antagonist(s): Sir Leigh Teabing

Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code

‘The Da Vinci Code’ is undoubtedly Dan Brown’s most popular bestseller, so overwhelming was its success that it inspired readers to return to Brown’s earlier not-so-successful novels – ‘Digital Fortress’ ‘Deception Point’ and ‘Angels and Demons’– and belatedly also put them on the New York Times bestseller list.

The idea for ‘The Da Vinci Code’-a thriller that takes readers on a journey to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci – first came to Brown while he was in Spain studying art history and in the process learned about hidden symbols in Da Vinci’s paintings. While he was researching for ‘Angels and Demons‘- his first novel to feature Robert Langdon as the main character- Brown was once again confronted with Leonardo Da Vinci. He then arranged to go to the Louvre, where he saw many of Da Vinci’s paintings and interviewed art historians. After this, he spent a year researching Leonardo Da Vinci and reading widely about cryptography and symbology, before writing ‘The Da Vinci Code.’

On the part of the readers, the book could be said to have achieved Brown’s aim and awoken a form of curiosity about the history of Christianity. Discussions have arisen on various platforms to find answers to questions about the lineage of Jesus Christ and if the Church truly tried to suppress the significance of Mary Magdalene and the non-canonical gospels.

Like Leonardo Da Vinci did with his art, Brown used this novel to subtly convey his ideas about the origin of Christianity. According to him, the theory revealed in the book- about Mary Magdalene being the wife of Jesus- is one that has been whispered for centuries and he hopes that his book in addition to entertaining people, will serve as a push for readers to explore the viewpoints presented within and come to their own interpretation. He has repeatedly insisted that ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is meant to spark further conversation about the mission and place of the Church, not to inspire denunciation of the Church.

Books Related to The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown has made his mark as a master of elaborate mystery thrillers that focus on codes, conspiracies, and secret organizations pulling the strings in the background, where the protagonist is on a mission to uncover and foil the plans of said organization.

Several books have drawn comparisons with ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ some of them being books also written by Dan Brown such as:

  • ‘Angels and Demons’– The first of the Robert Langdon series in which the symbology professor must join forces with beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria Vetra to stop an ancient brotherhood known as the Illuminati from destroying the Vatican City in Rome.
  • ‘The Lost Symbol’–  In The Lost Symbol, symbologist Robert Langdon must solve the mystery behind the disappearance of his mentor, Peter Solomon, and must once again run a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets and unseen truths to save his beloved mentor.
  • ‘Inferno’– The brilliant professor and symbologist Robert Langdon carries the fate of the world on his shoulders as he undertakes a frightening journey to stop the modern-day apocalypse, and must do this with the aid of one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri’s ‘The Inferno‘.

‘The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail’ by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln shares significant similarities to ‘The Da Vinci Code’. The views and theories presented in both books are so identical that one could say that Brown got most of his ideas and key plot elements from the book.

Published in 1982, the book among others theorizes that the Christian Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had one or more children. It also holds that the legendary Holy Grail is simultaneously the womb of Mary Magdalene and the sacred royal bloodline she gave birth to.

Furthermore, it exposes the existence of a secret society known as the Priory of Sion which had illustrious grandmasters including Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton.

As if to pay homage to its “predecessor”, one of the characters in Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Sir Leigh Teabing, bears the name of one of the authors of ‘The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail’, Richard Leigh.

Charles Brokaw’s thriller, ‘The Atlantis Code’, has a similar structure to ‘The Da Vinci Code’. Both contain codes and riddles, both have conspiracy theories, and both feature a charming Harvard professor who is in conflict with a secret organization of the Church.

The Lasting Impact of The Da Vinci Code

‘The Da Vinci Code’ became an international bestseller and launched Brown’s career as one of the world’s top best-selling authors with over 250 million books sold. Readers were so impressed with Brown’s literary genius that they were inspired to read his three initial books, ‘Deception Point,’ ‘Digital Fortress’ and ‘Angels and Demons’, belatedly putting them on the New York Times bestseller list.

It was number one on the New York Times bestseller list and stayed on the list for over a year, capturing the interest of readers of both fiction and non-fiction due to the intriguing nature of its multi-layered plot.

It was well received by critics, but reviewers still debate its merits since the book has been frequently criticized for its historical inaccuracies and the anti-Catholic stance contained within.

Within two years after its release in early 2003, ‘The Da Vinci Code’ sold an estimated twenty-five million copies worldwide in forty-four languages for its hardcover edition. In a special issue of the Times Magazine, Michele Orecklin called ‘The Da Vinci Code’ “The novel that ate the world” and noted that the ‘Bible’ was one of the few books to sell more copies since the debut of Brown’s novel at the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

In 2005, ‘The Da Vinci Code’ won the British Book Award’s Book of the Year, and also the Indies Choice Book Award for Adult Fiction. On May 19th 2006, a film adaptation of the book was released by Columbia Pictures and stars Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu and Sir Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing. The movie went on to gross a total of $244 million worldwide on its opening weekend.

But just as the book received numerous accolades, it has also received much more negative attention from religious leaders, Christian scholars, historians, and the media. In 2004, it was banned from Lebanon and some other countries for its offensiveness towards Christianity after Catholic leaders protested against its content. In 2005, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone publicly responded to the claims of the novel, which he called “a castle of lies.”. He urged Italian readers not to read the book. Many articles have been published attacking Brown’s scholarship and the factuality of the history presented in his novel.

The novel was so impactful that books were published in response to it, such as Martin Lunn’s ‘Da Vinci Code Decoded’ and Richard Abanes’ ‘The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code’.

On the part of the readers, the book could be said to have achieved Brown’s aim and awoken a form of curiosity about the history of Christianity. Discussions have arisen on various platforms to find answers to questions about the lineage of Jesus Christ and if the Church truly tried to suppress the significance of Mary Magdalene and the non-canonical gospels.

The Da Vinci Code Review ⭐

With ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ Dan Brown gave the world a book that held attention, kept on edge, shook beliefs, expanded knowledge and effortlessly dominated the New York Times best seller list.

The Da Vinci Code Historical Context 📖

‘The Da Vinci Code,’ published in 2003, is a novel that sparked a lot of discussion in the Christian world and beyond, owing to the sensitive theories it holds about the life of Jesus on earth.

The Da Vinci Code Quotes 💬

With a plot as captivating and thought-provoking as that of ‘The Da Vinci Code’, there are without a doubt deep quotes that accurately capture various themes and ideologies contained in the story.

The Da Vinci Code Character List 📖

‘The Da Vinci code’ does not feature so many characters that the reader has to consciously put in the effort to keep up with all of them, but the few characters presented by Brown all play key roles that advance the story.

The Da Vinci Code Themes and Analysis 📖

A lot of important themes were explored in ‘The Da Vinci Code’ that help the reader understand Dan Brown’s viewpoints and the driving intentions behind the book.

The Da Vinci Code Plot Summary 📖

Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is the second novel in the Robert Langdon series, in which the reader follows Langdon as he clashes with the Opus Dei in a bid to clear his name while also trying to discover the ancient secrets behind the Holy Grail.