The Novel Files: Dan Brown Madness

I have always love history, and I was excited to read The Da Vinci Code when it first came out a few years ago. I did not buy into the cult belief that it could actually exist. Instead, I looked at it as a piece of beautifully researched and crafted fiction. I read Angels and Demons as well, and was looking forward to The Lost Symbol, which I finished over Christmas.

Brown does a lot of research, and the amount of factual information he includes in his novels is incredible. His characters aren’t bad either, and you can’t help but love the nerdy but fantastically intelligent Professor Robert Langdon. The way that Brown connects reality with conspiracy theory and myth is also impressive. One could easily be swept away by his convincing stories if they aren’t careful.

The movies for The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were masterfully done, and I tip my hat to director Ron Howard. The story lines did stray from the original novels, but that didn’t bother me. I am not one of those people who believe a book and its sister film need to be identical, and I have never had a problem absorbing them separately in my mind. The only real issue I had with the movies was the choice to cast Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon. Hanks is a fantastic actor, don’t get me wrong, but I pictured someone different. Take Harrison Ford in the early Indiana Jones movies, and put him in tweed and loafers. Someone like that. I understand that Hanks was probably chosen for a very good reason, and while I watched the movies he grew on me, but I still think someone a little younger and sexier would have been better.

Each of the three novels takes place in a variety of locations. The Da Vinci Code begins in Paris at the Louvre, and ends in London (in the movie version). Angels and Demons takes place in Rome, and travels to the Vatican, Piazza Navona, and Castel Sant Angelo, to name a few. Something important to note is that many famous locations in Rome had to be completely re-created, as the crew was not allowed to shoot in places like the Vatican and Piazza Navona. The Lost Symbol is set in Washington, DC, and moves through many important settings, including an epic moment at the Washington Monument.

Personally, I recommend both novels and movies to anyone who is interested in either history or travel. The cinematography alone is worth watching the movies for, and the novels are fast-paced and intriguing. You definitely won’t be wasting your time by picking up anything that has Dan Brown connected to it, and it may even prompt you to plan a trip to one of the locations he writes about.

If I ever get a chance to meet Dan Brown, i’m going to give him a big hug, buy him a beer, and say “good job, dude.”