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New DA VINCI CODE trailer hits!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a link to the new trailer for THE DA VINCI CODE, which comes out 2 short months. I took the advice of many readers out there way back when the movie was announced and have not read the book. The thinking is I'll be able to experience the movie's twists and turns totally fresh. I have to say, the trailer looks pretty damn interesting. I'm a sucker for Tom Hanks movies and this one looks pretty intense. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this one will be one of the biggest movies of the year. I just get that vibe from the project. It has the pedigree and the fanbase. What do you fans of the book think about the trailer? Do you think they might have gotten it right? Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO GET A GLIMPSE OUT OF THE MYSTERY!!!
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And I get NOTHING but grief about it. haha.
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i can't believe i just did that, but the temptation is unimaginable when you realize you have the potential to actually be one of those lame idiots who declares "first!!!"....
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...don't drag out the ending like the book did with an unnecessary epilogue, it should be a nifty enough thriller tapping into the answerless hole at the heart of all good little catholics - although, I'm not sure what Ron Howard's religious leanings are - is he gonna make it all earnest and do-goody or is he gonna reflect a stand against organised religion?
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oftentimes, you wind up looking like an asshole
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I can't believe you just did that either - I mean, bein all proud and everything about bein second?
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but not because of my money. I've read the book and know the story. I'll continue looking for original pieces of art, written for the screen, and avoid helping this franchize grow bigger than it should be. My time and money are better used seeing and supporting new ideas and art. Or maybe I'll simply read the book again. It's a hell of a page turner :)
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I've never read the book, nor have i paid any attention to spoilers. However, even I can spot the "giveaway" scene--Ian McKellen running when he says he's a cripple at the beginning of the trailer. The movie looks pretty good--a bit on the b-movie side concerning set production. But hey, should be interesting.
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Bad idea, Quint. I'm not sure how well they'll be able to handle the story, you might be lost, when the majority of audiences who have most likely all read the book, will not be.
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i have about 130 pages left. sophie just revealed why she what she saw about her grampa in the basement. should i keep reading? or wait for the movie? what do those whove read it think?
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I've read the book. I really like the bit where Jesus picks up the flamethrower and says to the assembled sinners, "I'm back, bitches!"
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jeez...those go on for ever...
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Pulpy in the extreme, the book is nothing more than an airport thriller that got famous because of it's "contraversial" plotline concerning Jesus and whatnot. Read "Foucault's Pendulum", by Umberto Eco instead.
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William Shatner has released a CD called Has Been! Oh, Davinci Code - meh. That's right, bitches! I said 'Meh!' Flame me! FLAME ME!!!!!! Sorry, haven't had my meds today...
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...but this one has got me thinking that perhaps I should watch this...along with the rest of the world it would seem. As boring as the first trailer was, I had a strong feeling that this would be one of, if not the, biggest grosser's this year. This trailer confirms it, makes the film look much more exciting, trhilling and interesting...except for that HUGE space of time taken up by the credits for the "secret code"...boring, get to the next trailer dammit hah!
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before, than read it trough. But you should allready know the plot ending since she is the only person with green eyes in the story, and its a quite lame ending too. In the movie it will be even less suspensefull. But the real problem is that its a pageturner in a sense of learning 95% of fascinating information by people talking about it. It is not show rather than tell, but tell it all, all the time, which probably won't translate to film well at all, unless they go all flashback trough 2000 years(which would rule, but cost too much and be even more unmovie like, whatever). The action and ploting of the book itself is quite average, so if they havent upped it a bit, it will be suspensefull for people above 48.
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and although I find the subject matter interesting, I worry that I will be left cold by the story as a result of my limited comprehension skills.You see the last epic novel that I read was Green Eggs and Ham by Seuss, and while it kept me enthralled for the most part, there were some nagging questions that just still to this day bother me. Are the green eggs a metaphor for some sort of religious experience, and was the protagonist in the story brainwashed by Sam I Am into eating the obviously rotten eggs as some sort of religious "hazing"? If that isn't in fact the case, how then could Mr. I Am continue to build his "church" by feeding his followers rancid poultry products? You see, try as I might I just can't suspend my disbelief enough to just sit back and enjoy a story with so many blatant holes in it. On the other hand, I think the much simpler narrative of the upcoming Snakes On A Plane should be a story that will have a greater impact on my life.
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wouldn't recommend this - extremely hard to hold your interest in it, couldn't even finish it - The difference between "The Name of the Rose" and this had me wondering was it the same writer....
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Is it really going out on a limb to say that this movie, based on the book with a great cast, is going to be a massive hit? I don't think so. I'd say it's more of a common sense thing.
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Fuck this shite movie. I refuse to spend my money on it because Dan Brown is the antichrist - he's a hack writer, just like Grisham and Patterson. Manufactured bullshit written at the third grade reading level, no chapter longer than three pages so you don't lose your target audience: the vast idiotic half-wit masses suffering from ADD that make up this country. Where do you go from here? Two page chapters? Do away with books completely? Thank you for contributing to our evolutionary downfall. Go fuck yourself.
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...don't be too sure about that cripple thing.
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It just looks stale - like one of the anonymous John Grisham adaptations circa 1994 - THE PELICAN BRIEF, THE CLIENT, THE CHAMBER, THE FOLDER, etc.... BORING!
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There's a massive hoo-har in England at the moment over whether or not Dan Brown plagiarised the story from the book 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail'.
Still undecided, Judge makes a decision by mid-april I think. Should be interesting to find out if we'll ever get it in England.. -
Looks interesting. I just hope no one confuses this foolishness for fact.
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...and what are the facts, exactly... ?
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How come there are never any black people in is movies?
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I think it's actually a better read than The Da Vinci Code, much better paced, much more twists.
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given that everyone and his mother has read the book, if you havent read it, i advise to stay away from this TB, sooner or later some asshole will spoil the nice surprise twist of the book
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Looks spot on.
Mr. N. -
I guess because they have to find clues hidden in the past.
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The book is actually pretty good, just the ending kinda sucks. But if you're interested in literature above the level that Ron Howard would be able to understand, I can definitely recommend it. BTW, Stanley Kubrick wanted to turn it into a movie, but Umberto Eco was so pissed how "The Name of the Rose" turned out, he didn't give his permission. Just imagine for a second...a Stanley Kubrick film...written by UMBERTO ECO...filmed on location in Italy...gee, we DO live in a fucked-up universe where people like Kubrick die and people like Ron Howard make movies.
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See he loves them
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Maybe the movie will be better.
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The book is most certainly a page turner, although a couple of the twists I saw coming a mile away...like the Jesus with the flamethrower "I'm back, BITCHES!" scene. Also, I knew before turning the first page that Satan would be revealed as none other than GW Bush. When the main character did a "scratch & win" on the DaVinci painting and revealed the location of the Grail I about shit myself. It was so obvious! Virgin poon IS the holy grail. I knew that all along!!!! Oh, I don't care for the trailer....it gives too much away withiut showing the aforementioned poon....
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Took me several attempts to read it, but I am so glad I did. The first part in the museum makes no sense at first, so don't stress on it. Eco does come back to everything important in the end. Get to the Templars, and you won't stop reading it.
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but the book isn't trash. Saying so just makes you sound like a teenager that "liked the band before they famous." Foucault's Pendulum is a post modern book written in a post modern world. Too esoteric, it sounds like Eco wants to be more important than he really is. Most would a agree that The Name of the Rose is a much better book. Da Vinci is a good read, Foucault's Pendulum is not. It is a good book, but a horrible read. I can't wait to see the characers on film, the trailer seems to give away too much.
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Is it me, or does Sir Ian say that in every movie he's in these days? I don't think the book was particularly well written, but what makes it worth the read are the story, the plot twists and the idea that even if a fraction of the conspiracy stuff in there has an ounce of truth it can have great consequences throughout the Catholic institution (though as far as I can tell, the stuff they've aired on the Discovery/History Channel seem to disprove all of it...?)
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..leaves me almost at a stalemate with the production, in that I figured it would have big name stars to fill the important roles(one which I'm hoping Bettany just nails spot on), I just kind of imagined things happening differently. And I pictured McKellan's char(forgot his name) to be a little fatter. OH well. Otherwise this movie looks great and it will surely get my money.
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I found "The Da Vinci" code very badly written and a stupid read, the idiotic "OMG CIFFHANGER CHAPTER ENDING!!!!!!" rinse and repeat structure got extremely annoying. "Foucault's Pendulum", whilst difficult to get into initially, is WELL worth it.
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I really did. A friend had recommended DaVinci Code and, in looking for the book, I saw that A&D featured the same protagonist in an earlier adventure, so I figured I'd do things in order. But I got as far as the part where the hero catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror and - from his point of view - we are told how handsome he is for a middle-aged man. That pulled me right the fuck out of the story. Such a cliche, amateur author's device to reveal ultimately insignificant detail about the main character. It reminded me of that scene in "Her Alibi" where Tom Selleck is writing his protagonist as an embiellished version of himself (a shitty movie, by the way, but appropriate for this stylistic comparison). Anyway, I couldn't pick up the book again and, now that I hear folks saying they thought it was a better book than DaVinci, I have no interest in that either. I'll probably check out the movie, but I hope they got a talented screenwriter to adapt the story.
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... the black kid in "Parenthood"s name was "Cool". Lynne Thigpin was in "The Paper". ... Not to mention Howard's take on Japanese in "Gung Ho".
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It is a good book, but a bad read. My problem with it was that Eco had come across a very important issue, but seemed so wrapped up in himself that he forgot to include evryone else. The average joe who should read the book, will read three pages and then bury it in a shelf somewhere. Eco blew it by not making it's symbolisms clear enough to the average joe. Is it selling out? Yes...to intelectual esoteric minds. But, who cares about smart people anyway!
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Jesus did it.
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I noticed the symbols for the planets in our solar system as well as some sort of code that was replaced with the web address, though what those have to do with anything is beyond me.
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Tom Hulce's son in 'Parenthood' was definitely named COOL, not FOOL.
Now the little black kid in 'The People Under The Stairs'... HE was named FOOL.
Craven hates black people. -
I read the book and I loved it. Really suspensful and the conclusion doesn't let you down, IMO. I really didn't see Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon though. That sorta had me worried at first. After the second trailer I thought I was right. However, after seeing this one I will reserve judgement until after I see the movie. It does look better and better though. And I do have to agree with Quint about it being the biggest movie of the year. Having Ron Howard directing it gives me alot of hope that it's going to be a very solid movie. I'm alittle worried that they changed a lot. I saw one scene from this trailer that is different than the book. Oh well, is it May 19th yet?
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holocaust survivor's great grand-daughter in the conk. ergo, ipso facto (to be specific), he hates Jews.
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And since the vast majority of people are morons, I tend to believe that about any book that's this popular. So popular tripe + Tom Hanks...this'll be the biggest movie of the year. Besides Snakes on a Plane of course.
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I'll definetely be there for the movie. But anyone who claims that everything in this book is fact is plain off their rocker! Timelines don't match up, connections are never really made. It's a great fictional story, but let's not forget what "fiction" means.
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hollow weird loves it, but America doesn't.
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what's up with you, muthafucka? what's your problem with black people anyway? Some of the most successful directors of all time have incorporated black people in their movies with tons of success! Look at Crash! Look at The Color Purple! Look at Walking the Plank with Long Dong Silver! White boys all over the world marveled at him banging the shit out of bitches with his three-foot meat hammer! But NOOOOOOOO! You just happened to miss THOSE movies, didn't you? Always on your knees for Tom Hanks and Russell Crowe. Denzel Washington likes to get blown too, you know! What - don't know that black people exist or something? Don't remember Sticks from that episode when your white band needed a drummer and he bailed you assholes out??? FORGOT STICKS, DIDN'T YA, YA BIGOT??? I hope Fonzie remembers where he learned his cool and comes back to kick your ASS!!! Barney Fife is rolling over in his grave thanks to you!
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Ransom had Delroy Lindo. He played an FBI agent... Trailer looks good but I wished they did Angels and Demons. It's a better story.
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I love all the Da Vinci Code haters who call it "trash" or "pulpy." You know what? It IS pulpy and it IS a bit trashy but it's also an intricately constructed puzzle box that you all WISH you had written or think you have inside you. By all means, write your book about the Tao of Anakin and the Secret of the Sand People and bore us all to tears pointing out "plot flaws" in all your favorite shitty movis; Sith chief among them.
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Don't worry Codename V; 5 minutes after Code opens to 200 gajillion dollars they'll greenlight Angels as a sequel/ prequl/ whatthefuquel. Deception Point (not a Langdon book) is inferior, but still a quick, fun read. You can see the seeds of Angels and Code being planted... not that you asked for my opinion.
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to those who have read it, my take on this book is that it was the rough draft for Code. there are very little differences and its completely unresearched. can't say that about Code.
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Not interested, Hollywood.
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That's the funniest thing I've read this week so far. Kudos, sir.
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Your right Ender's Jeesh. Deception Point was inferior. There was another book Brown wrote involving codes called Digital Fortress. Not bad either. I like Angels and Demons better because I guess I like the idea of chasing the killer down in a race against time rather than being chased by killers... I could care less about the research aspect. It's fiction after all. It just has to be a clever plausibility for me. I thought he succeeded with Demons.
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Especially since the hack plagiarized a good portion of the idea. All Brown did was dumb it down and use 3-page chapters and monosyllabic words so the moronic sheep I'm plagued by on a daily basis would be able to keep up. I'm jealous of his business sense, his ability to sell people excrement and get them to ask for more, but not his writing ability. And who told you about my Secrets of the Sand People book? You breathe a word of the twist ending in that and I'll end you.
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Jesus, if that isn't the corniest shit anybody ever wrote on an old painting. I mean I know that guy is apparently some kind of scary albino ninja monk or something but maybe he oughta keep his teenage journals to himself and quit shining bright lights a dead guy's dick. I really missed the boat on this one, I never read the book but why in fuck's name would anybody be excited for this movie? It's directed by Ron Howard. It's written by Akiva Goldsman, for crying out loud. Even Tom Hanks chose a hairdo that screams "this is actually a movie from the mid '90s that you completely forgot about, and one could hardly blame you." I don't get it. At least NATIONAL TREASURE looked like its supreme retardedness could make it enjoyable. (And I already learned my lesson on that one.)
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Will there ever be a trailer for a dramatic film that doesn't use the Overtures from Requiem for a Dream?
I reckon i could count at least 10 from the last few years. -
I read the book on a dare and ended up really liking it. It's a great mystery. I'm stoked to see the film. Great trailer. Great cast. Great story.
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I think it is ironic that people point to timelines, plot holes, and lack of evidence to tear down Dan Brown's work of fiction. Yet when you bring up the same flaws in the Bible they dismiss it. Hey Pot, it's me Kettle, your black. The only thing that would make this movie better: more cowbell.
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the movie is better than the book. My biggest problem with the book was that the action scenes and much of the dialogue was awkwardly written. I felt the ideas and the plot were fine but I didn't think the author Dan Brown was that great.
I am thinking a tightly done screenplay by Akiva Goldsman will be just the thing to elevate the ok book into a great movie. -
Do you think we will see Christians rioting in the streets, burning down temples, mosques, and embassies, and beating people to death, because this movie will "insult" their religion? Oh wait, I am sorry, only Muslims do that. Toodles!
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Not only is that Kronos Quartet tune from "Requiem for a Dream" being used unnecessarily (it worked in the Two Towers trailer, albeit just barely), but...***SPOILER ALERT***...they gave away the idea that Mary Magdalene was partnered with Jesus in some controversial way and that Ian McKellan ends up being a major antagonist. While I'm excited about the movie and I'm a fan of the book (which wasn't nearly as good as Angels and Demons, which should've gotten the Hollywood treatment instead), I've come to appreciate trailers that leave something to see on Opening Day.
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http://www.celebritymoviearchive.com/tour/movie.php/8973
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And it was a far greater artistic achievement than any book Dan Brown has ever written. I looked up "hack" in the O.E.D. and there a photo of him; then I looked up "sucker" and there's a photo of someone reading THE DAVINCI CODE with Dan Brown in the background, sleeping on his gigantic Scrooge McDuck pile on money.
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I'm sure there will be a few red state boycotts of this movie... SPOILER ALERT! God forbid we should conjecture that Jesus might have had "sexual relations". We prefer to remember Jesus as someone who would support the Iraq War and wire taps...
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Please trailer editors, stop using it, it's overstayed it's welcome.
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I'm sick of it too. what pisses me off the most is they're insulting our intelligence. In their minds we'll see the trailer and even though we've heard this song a billion times in other trailers. somwhow in this trailer will connect that music to the visuals on screen and it'll make us want to see the movie even more. bullshit! never happens that way, unless you're an idiot.
I see them in theaters clap after trailers and scream. "thats gonna be good, wow" then i scream, the songs not in the movie asswipe! I like movie trailers that use their own score in their trailer. The Passion trailer is a good example. -
My mom's a pretty devout Christian and loved the book. Most of the people at her church didn't seem to have much of an objection to it either aside from a few. The general consensus to be that (a) the book's fiction and (b) it's entertaining. The loud protesters will probably be the same tired evangelical groups like Focus on Family or whatever that throw a fit about everything from homosexuality to Harry Potter.
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....used O Fortuna! from Carmina Burana for, like, two straight years?
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Herc, are you serious? umm.. Tom Hanks; Ron Howard; one of the biggest most controversial novels of the last couple decades... of course it'll be a huge movie!!
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After I finished reading it, my main thought was that it was just an extremely poorly-constructed novel that relied too heavily on BIG PLOT TWISTS to keep the reader's attention. And it's definitely both of those things. But it wasn't until I picked up ANGELS & DEMONS at Borders and read the prologue that I realized what an absolute hack Dan Brown is. THE DA VINCI CODE is a sequel of sorts to ANGELS & DEMONS, but the event that drives the plot in both stories is completely identical. Admittedly, I've never actually read ANGELS & DEMONS, but I felt like I didn't even have to go any further than the prologue to figure out that I'd already read the exact same story. I couldn't care less about the supposed "controversy" surrounding this book and movie, but anyone with a shred of knowledge about quality storytelling should be able to figure out that Dan Brown fucking sucks.
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As someone who has recently read this book, I have to wonder if this will be one case where the film is better than the novel it's based on. I say that because for this to work in the cineplexes for sustained box office, things are going to have to be sped up considerably, both in terms of sheer action and in shaving down exposition. The shot from the car chase suggests that the more, um, 'kinetic' segments from the book might indeed be fleshed out. Don't get me wrong-o, this film potentially being the 'better' version of the two ain't necessarily sayin' much. I foresee a decent effort that loses steam QUICKLY within a week of release. Now there's your "going out on a limb"! (And, yes, without elaborating, the teaser and trailer both reveal far too much.)
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My biggest problem is that they've been using Stargate and Rocketeer scores for nearly 15 goddamn years!
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http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004448.htm
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Its just a fun little beach reading book nothing more. I had fun r eading it but there is better. Im always amazed at the contrversey the book stirs up. Its just a fun beach reading book. I liked it.
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Its a really fun B movie that doesnt take itself seriously at all. I thought the movie a really great time at the theater.
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...the Religious Right in the trailer? Shouldn't the part in the trailer that goes "...to protect a secret so powerful that if revealed would devistate the very foundations of >>mankind<<" be "the Catholic Church" (or equiv) instead of "mankind"?
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And will not read the book or see the movie, simply because its more fun to see peoples looks of shocked dismay and confusion, and then saying they can't believe that I'm not going to see it or have never picked up the book. I'm also not into conspiracy religous thrillers. If I want idiotic crap like that I'll just tune into Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell or George Noory.
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The main reasons(s) why Nat treasure doesnt work is mainly down to Nic Cage. Cage made only one great movie called leaving Las Vegas for which re rightfully one the oscar for best actor oscar. But since then cage has stuck to his elvis impersonator routine. It ruins every film he has been in. You cannot take him seriously when he opens his mouth. This will happen again in ghost rider. Ghost rider is meant to be dark and menacing but when Cage opens his out mouth, elvis comes out. The other reasons are the flat direction, the predictable screenplay and the dire script.
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Ron Howard has characters and the plot but dumped the prose. I feel so sorry for the judge who has to read the two books by the same publisher and come up with a verdict.
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The book was a quick, mindless, entertaining read. It was never trying to be anything more. Brown was not attempting to write Atlas Shrugged or War and Peace. He was trying to write a fun, enjoyable work of fiction. And he did. Do you really care the chapters were 3 or 4 pages long? It is what it is, and it's exactly what it set out to be. It's that simple. Do you think Bay and Bruckheimer thought they were making Citizen Kane when they made Armageddon?
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handing tickets out for gold.
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The book was an intricately-constructed puzzle box? You mean except for the giant gaping hole in the center of the story (i.e., that the old curator died to preserve a "secret" that a whole load of people already knew)? Please. The book is extremely poorly-written. The reason it's golden is because it is *superbly* structured. Despite his hackneyed writing, one must give Dan Brown props for writing a hell of a page turner. And, oh yeah, anyone who actually believes that this work of FICTION has any basis in reality deserves their own stupidity. I expect you believe "Braveheart" is ripped from the pages of a history book as well?
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spoiler.
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I liked Focault's Pendulum, although if the whole book were written in the way the first couple pages or so were written, I don't know if I would've been able to finish it.
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Are you gonna tell me in broad daylight that Wallace never had a love child with the future queen of England? Unbelievable! The next thing you're going to tell me is that Jack and Rose never made sweet love in the carriage compartment...
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I read the book fresh when I didn't know what it was about (apart from Da Vinci paintings, obviously) and I enjoyed the fuck out of it. But I know that if I had read it NOW after all the 'controversy' and people mouthing off explaining what happens in the book I would probably have hated it. No-one can read it now with an open mind, and no-one will be able to see this movie without thinking "this is going to be 'controversial', I better get my judgement hat on right now". By the way, the book wasn't poorly written, but some people are expecting some kind of all-time masterclass work, which it isn't, it's just a fucking novel.
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I loved TDC, and look forward to the movie. But man...I pity the idiots who think it's real.
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...Jesus didn't have sexual relations. And he hates war.
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...you CAN be "entertaining" while still providing 'restaurant-quality', well-constructed fare (regardless of the form of entertainment). It DOES happen on occasion, believe it or not. Your allusion to Bay and Bruckheimer, however, seems to be all the damning evidence needed to display that you do not understand that quality and fun are not mutually exclusive (just ask J.K. Rowling, for starters). The book could've been better written and just as successful, if not moreso (hard to grasp as that may be) and intending to be a 'page-turner' is no excuse for poor writing. Don't deny it. (Since I've read it, I've repeatedly told people it reads like a shoddy novelization of a decent movie, so maybe people SHOULD see the film first for more than just being 'unspoiled'.)
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I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you. Wallace's lovechild was actually the result of his illicit affair with Mary Magdalene, who'd been preserved with Walt Disney's cryogenic chamber, which itself had been carried back to 1 A.D. by the T-1000, who had accidentally misprogrammed his time-travel bubble. What Wallace didn't know was that he himself was the bastard son of JT Leroy and that famous sasquatch who starred in "Harry and the Hendersons." It's all very complicated, and of course stupid Hollywood has to dumb everything down for the masses. It's a shame, really.
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Son of a bitch! I knew my history degree wasnt worth the toilet paper its printed on! This whole time I'd thought that Wallace was nothing more than an amalgam of various scottish lords and a legitimate scottish brigand and had assumed that Hollywood simply added the whole queen affair for dramatic effect. But now that I know the T-1000 was involved...
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It's actually golden, trickling and flickering vertical lines of ancient hieroglyphics and religious symbols. Sorry, that was bad.
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Da Vinci Code is in reality a "historical" knockoff of the "philosophical" Celestine Prophecy!! Both are paced the same, are written in similarly pedantic and elementary fashion, and both novels revolve around assenine action plots that both defy logic and are easily unraveled by would-be gumshoes. Sorta like State of Fear...
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in his diary/journals. People have been trying to decipher it for a very LOOOONG time. I'm guessing this story is a take off of that concept.
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that swear they can find a code in the Bible.
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I read that back in 96' and it kind of blew me away. A lot has been said about it the past several years. Thanks to "The DaVinci Code" (not to mention the current court case), it has come back into the spotlight. Regardless of the conclusions reached within, it is a fascinating read with a unique perspective regarding the historical importance of certain people & places. -- I also read "Foucault's Pendulum". This was a difficult read and I was not always sure what the hell was going on. By the end, I could not tell if I was blown away or just simply didn't understand it. (Interesting to note that one of the chapter prefaces is a quote from "Holy Blood, Holy Grail".) "The Name of the Rose" was much more impressive. Apparently Eco (who is fascinated by all things arcane) has been consulted on many of this "Jesus theories" and doesn't believe they hold any water.
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...when I saw the trailer, I think I came in my pants. I really do think so. There's something hot and sticky and kinda salty smellin coming from my left pocket of my cargo shorts...
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I recommend this book to any of you interested in similar mystery-type stuff. The subject matter is nothing like "The Da Vinci Code" or "HBHG" but it is divided up into 3 sections: Jewish, Christian, & Islamic. Each contains stories or "historical accounts" about the mysterious people known as the Kazars. The book is arranged in such a way that it reads like a dictionary/lexicon - you can begin reading it at any point that you wish. And there are 2 different versions of the book for sale: male & female. The difference is a crucial paragraph that apparently changes everything. (I only read the male version so I can't say what the deal is...) Check it out.
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I just recently read the book a little while ago, and while in many ways it operates like a standard thriller with somewhat predictable plot twists...its the historical grounding that really made the story interesting for me.I was really interested by the way the book provides indepth descriptions of historical places and facts, which while being somewhat disputable helped to ground what would appear to be a standard thriller in some form of reality. I'm afraid that Ron Howard will choose to place his primary focus on advancing the plot instead of taking the time to present the information that made the book so compelling for many. Its hard to see how certain aspects, such as the repeated references to etymology and lengthy historical description will find a place within a film that is designed to be a shopping mall summer blockbuster. If Howard just goes for the plot, while omitting the higher brow elements, which made the book so fascinating for many, the Davinci Code will be nothing more than your standard summer picture minus the impressive CGI special effects that seem to do so well these days. For the sake of the fans of the book I hope that I am wrong, and that the material hasn't been too dubbed down for an audience who would never even think about reading a book.
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entertaining read that weaves fascinating historical and religious speculation into the plot. Yes, Brown borrows liberally from other literary and historical sources but not everything has to be entirely original to be entertaining. Yes, Brown uses the same basic plot structure for all his novels. Yes, his characters are a little bit two dimensional, but lots of people like his books, so who cares. How many best sellers have you written, theoneofblood and other critics? By the way, if you're going to be a literary elitist, you should at least learn to spell. It's controversial, not contraversial!
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Was an entertaining read but it fell apart for me with the big revelation at the end. Da Vinci Code had more restraint, I felt like Angels just decided to let out the crazy all at once. That being said, the movie version of it would be pretty awesome I believe, the chase around Rome to find the bishops would be pretty fantastic/thrilling. Plus, it's a fairly grim/death-filled book, so it'd have some great imagery in it.
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The Cinderella Man trailer was one of the sappiest things I've seen. And that music works with 2 Chicks banging eachother with an assplug or hobbits fighting orcs, NOT with a middle aged man giving a lecture.
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It's not particularly well-written. But so what? I liked the short chapters, it helped keep up the pace. The writing was simple and accessible. I blew through it in a day or so. Just because the book isn't especially elaborate in it's language use doesn't take away from the fact that it's a damn entertaining read and a pretty great story. Sometimes simple is good, too. And yes, I have and still do read better books by better authors, but I'm not gonna pretend that I didn't enjoy this one alot. Also, is it just me or does Tom Hanks actually seem less conspicuous as Robert Langdon than everyone thought he'd be? His mannerisms/voice seem slightly different and I like that he seems to have become the character, at least a little.
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I don't think the book is poorly written, but relative to the number of copies sold it seems a bit pedestrian. Reminds me of when someone asked John Grisham if he got recognized alot: "I'm a famous author in a country where few people read" and that's true. Most people don't read, and most that do maybe read one or two novels a year. So with nothing to compare it to Da Vinci Code is a great book I'm sure. I read it, liked it well enough, think it will make a fine movie, but it was nothing memorable otherwise.
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Yet I was surprised that I didn't hate it.
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Of staying away from reading the book to avoid spoilers, but then watch the trailers which spoil the hell out of everything. I feel bad for you. Those who watched the trailer(s) cannot read the book anymore.
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for the likes of us. Same old story: Boy meets girl, girl disapproves of amount of time boy spends entertaining internet geek followers, boy goes out dancing instead of web-mastering. It's tragic, really.
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If movies keep using Requiem for a Dream as a trailer song, they're going to kill it, and fast.
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What's with the pedantic posts defending the book and our illiterate culture? (cue falsetto voice) "It's an entertaining read." "Not every book one reads has to stimulate the mind." "National Treasure is, like, a total rip off." "Today is my heavy flow day." CRIPES! You sound like a bunch of chick book club wannabes. Excuse me while I throw up. Go ahead, waste your time on this pathetic movie and your summer vacation trash novels - you're just buying what they're selling.
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the book. not a rip-off. i think. i wonder how much howard + co. have improved or expanded on the book, if at all. i don't remember a car slamming into a truck in the book ...
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...a car DIDN'T slam into a truck or double-decker bus or whatever in the novel. Expect lots more of this kind of thing in place of the exposition and backstory that partially redeemed the book (by making you forget for a minute that you didn't care about the characters). And slick visual tricks, as the trailer demonstrates.
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Quality wise, that is. Obviously, he's loaded. But he's an awful writer. Still, Quint illiteracy is more disturbing. Give a hoot. Read a book!
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"I don't have a point, waaaaah. I just want to whine and complain about everyone else, waaaaah. I think it's incredibly clever to use the name of Anthony Michael Hall but, here's the incredibly clever part, I use the nickname form! Oooooh, I'm FRIGHTFULLY sly, aren't I?" Stupid people look at you and wonder how you got so dumb. Read a book, dumbass, it's good for your brain. You need all the help you can get.
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"And I can't see the irony in my own post."
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Good call. As if lowering one's standards somehow excuses schlock.
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After Reading that book I read his other 4 books...they all had the same style and were fun. Dan Brown will not be remembered in 20 years, but he is fun for now.
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if people didn't read authors like brown, rowling, grisham, and king, they wouldn't read anything at all. these authors, especially rowling, are also responsible for a resurgence of reading amongst pre-teen kids. that's pretty valuable. plus, not everyone has the patience for difficult authors, although i think it would benefit adults who read stuff like the davinci code to try out some palahniuk or vonnegut as a gateway to these other authors. if anyone was pissed off by davinci code, they should try out survivor and see how their sensibilities react. oh, and ron howard isn't a racist. it's not like he actually BUYS anything when he goes to underground slave auctions. he just kind of windowshops.
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but just because something is simple and easy to read doesn't make it worthless. Ecto's right about the resurgency in reading because of books like these, and that's hardly a bad thing. And if you're the kind of person who can only enjoy something that's difficult and abstract, then I feel sorry for you. Oh, and the last books I read was "Invisible Monsters" (just thought I'd put it out there before people start screaming about how I can't read books for adults)
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Whoops.
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People who regularly read those novels would be far less likely to read the more heady stuff if those novels never existed. I see nothing wrong in commercial novels: they are fun and enjoyable for the majority of book buyers. I've probably read nearly a hundred novels a year (to say nothing of the textbooks i have to go slog through every year)and even I enjoy that dime store stuff. I think people need to lighten up a bit and realize that its always a good thing when novels enjoy the success of Brown's books. However, I do feel its something of a cop out when an author sells their books for movie rights. Anyone else have that sort of problem?
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I never read "Code". Lots of people had recommended it to me, but it sounded too much like Eco's "Pendulum" which I enjoyed greatly. (Yes, folks, the first handful of pages are nearly impenetrable, but once you get past them, it's really quite good.) Loved the characters, the philosophical ruminations, the prose. Here's the thing: when it all comes down to it, Eco's book is about how obsessed the secret sects and conspiracists are and how they twist every mote of reality to meet their own ideas. But then it's not just the raisin cakes and kooks of the world, but everyone who has to navigate real vs unreal vs perception vs notion vs &c. That was a pretty provoking concept, I thought. Eco's book encourages one to think more on themself and their relationship with their world views. I'm pretty convinced Brown's book won't cause much reflection, just page-turning. (Yes, other guy from a post before, the Eco's pretty post modern, but I'm a po-mo kind of guy.) Why read Brown's book o' fluff when I already read something better? I'm a methodical reader, so a novel is something of a time investment for me. If I want mindless entertainment, I'll watch reruns of sitcoms on UHF channels for 28 minutes and be done, and not waste my life on 200+ pages of a badly written yarn.
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Tom Hanks played someone with a learning disability he won an Academy Award. Will history repeat itself?
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Nobody's cracking on Brown's books for being "simple," "easy to read" or "commercial." There's nothing wrong with any of those things. The problem is that the book is poorly written. The characters are barely sketched, the dialogue is hackneyed and the exposition sits blatantly on top of the story. These things are patently true. I said it before and I'll say it again, the book is very well structured, and that (along with the controversial subject matter) accounts for the popularity of the book. I'm glad for Brown that he's experiencing success, and I'm sad for the public that's supplying it to him.
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Yeah, that is a good point. I have not read Brown's book. I picked up the code and read the first few pages in a book store. Needles to say, I was faily unimpressed. I make it a point not to financially support novels that are only a few hundred pages long, have two inch margins, and possess print large enough for my grandmother to read without her eyeglasses. Sadly, it seems like every modern author is suffering from this. Is it a publishing mandate or something? As a writer who is attempting success, I'm very curious.
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Thank god low-income fools like myself who love to read will finally be able to save 10 buck-a-roos soon. It should be out soon in paperback, if not now... I do wan't to read the book on this one being that it's so ingrained in pop culture as far as books, without being for kids. (potter) I am looking forward to seeing it though, and I think the trailer does a good job summarizing the plot, or theme rather. Though sometimes Imagine makes films too sappy or predictable, or much like a favorite sweater... cozy. I am a fan of films that go against the grain so to speak, so lets hope it fits that bill.
Lateski! -
Moses. He chiseled the 10 commandments hisself. And he used a flint to set the bush on fire. And they really went around the Red Sea, not through it.
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Miss Magdalene. Humperdido!
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ummm.. don't wanna say nothing here - might start a worldwide riot.
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The sound on my computer is broken, but the trailer at least LOOKED nice.
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Brown is currently writing the third in a trilogy of novels featuring Tom Hanks's character. The first being Angels & Demons and the second, obviously, being The Da Vinci Code. Fuck knows what the third book will be about, but it's bound to deal with the same sort of thing as Code. But where can you go after dealing with the Holy Grail? Surely the Holy Grail is...the Holy Grail of topics, so to speak. I like how a lot of people are ripping into Dan Brown when they haven't even read Code.
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...was crap. Little to no suspense, badly drawn out, predicatble, anti climatic, and pretty much boring. Yeah so yawn to the movie.
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Mar 22, 2006 12:24:21 AM CST
I'm so sorry for a-holes like flickerhead and moondoggy
by snowden's secret
whose lives are so empty that the only validation they can squeeze out of their meaningless, pathetic existences is to bash other people for the things that they enjoy. I can enjoy Stephen King just as much as Philip Roth, though for different reasons. You sit in your mom's basement and rip into everyone that has the balls to go out and create something rather than actually doing something yourself. I don't see any authors by the name of Flickerhead on Amazon.com. I had a brilliant literature prof who used to read y.a. lit and trashy romance novels even though she spoke 12 languages and could read Beowulf in the original Old English. It's fun to tear through a Dan Brown book on a lazy Sunday. Sometimes I feel like Faulkner while other times, Harry Potter. I'm an English teacher and some of my kids who aren't readers LOVE Dan Brown. It's a gateway into other literature. People who aren't big readers yet NEED blatant exposition. Reading DB books will often lead to other, more sophisticated lit. Look, people, you CAN'T be an elitist if you've never done anything. Prove me wrong, Flicker, tell us what books YOU'VE written. Maybe you're just jealous that DB is so successful and you're not? I'd love to read your books and point out everything you do wrong. Don't listen to these idiots, people, read whatever you want, as often as you can.
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Every time there is a pop culture phenomena, there will be people who hate just as passionately as people who enjoy. There are many reasons for this I suppose. Some people just won't enjoy a thing, because it's not their cup of tea. These people usually don't express their opinions. They aren't vocal because they just don't give a shit. For instance: I don't like American Idol, yet it's a ratings blockbuster. Over thirty million people watch that show, and love it. I can't stand it, but like many, I don't complain about the show, and criticize, and call the people who watch it, stupid, mindless, vapid sheep (I save that ire for Wal-Mart shoppers, heh). I just don't give a shit. But there is a very vocal minority of people who actively shout out their distain for anything pop culture by every means given them. These types of people seem to build upon their own self-esteem by associating themselves with the fringe of the arts. Movies, books, restaurants, wine, coffee, art and music, are only appealing if the "sheep" don't embrace them. Giving praise to only the expensive, eccentric, eclectic, exclusive, rare or little known is a way to set themselves apart from the rabble, to prove that they are connoisseurs, more knowledgeable, and superior to the average Joe. I've met a lot of people like this, who enjoy the supposedly sophisticated aspects of our culture, and look down their noses at the peasants. I wash my hands of people like this in my personal life. I can't abide snobs. I have friends who honestly don't like pop-culture, the difference is, my friends don't look down on those that don't share their taste. They don't have the aura of superiority that makes snobs of so many people with eclectic tastes. My friends have the wisdom to realize that not every popular thing is a bad thing, and not everyone that enjoys the simple things in life are sheep.
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its funny how many successful "shite" writers and "hack" directors there are nowadays. Maybe it's because people don't care that everything they see or read is perfect, or maybe it's just easy enough for someone with lackluster talent to force feed their polished turds down the throats of the masses. I say good for the hacks. Keep squeezin em out. For all you people whining about the crap out today. Don't just sit there and spew about why these things are bad. Do better.
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http://youtube.com/watch?v=bQ7jV4Lx6bw
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I'm sure some of you one here have been around long enough to remember the weird internet promotion around AI. It all started with a credit for "Sentient Machine Therapist" on an internet trailer and led to a whole slew of secret puzzles, murders mysteries, conspiracies, and codes. I hope those little tidbits (the symbols, web address wipe out) at the end of the trailer aren't a harbinger of a similar promotion, because that AI one took over my life.
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I tried going to the website posted at the end of the trailer, and couldn't find shit at www.sodarkthecondomman.com. Sheesh, the least they could do is have the site ready to go once they post the trailer.
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He was a carpenter. He had an accident with the nail gun. Look it up, for Christ's sa-...err, look it up.
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First of all, fuck you for being a grammer and spelling nazi. Secondly, why the fuck do you care what my opinion on something is? Is Dan Brown your mistress or some shit? I'm a paying consumer, which makes my opinion just as valid as anyone else's. My opinion on this particular product was that it sucked cock. I fucking hate the stupid excuse that all retard fanboys have when you din't like their particular jizz-factory. "YOU aren't a successful novelist, so shut up!" Of course I'm not you dumb shit, but I AM a fucking paying customer, you know THE PERSON THAT THE NOVELIST/DIRECTOR/SINGER/ARTIST MADE THE FUCKING THING FOR!
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"Didn't"
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A movie starring Eddie Griffin.
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as much as I loved The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons was better. Wierd. I thought I was the only one till I went to Amazon and scoped the reviews. Anyway, I pray to frickin god that once this movie does well they do Angels and Demons as a movie...PLEASE god let them make that movie!
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Who the fuck are you? Where did you come from? Your insults are TIRED - your reference to mom's basement and all that, so fucking old. Don't post here ever again unless I give you permission. Just go back to reading your chick lit and leave the rest of us who know better in peace.
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Grow up a little, would you? Do I need to be a mechanic to know that my car isn't functioning properly? Do I need to be a chef to know that my entree is too salty? Am I an elitist? Of course not. Despite your accusation, I've never "bashed" anyone for reading and enjoying Brown. I've mentioned repeatedly that Brown structured his book very well, and that's why it's an enjoyable read. It's literary junk food, and there's nothing wrong with that -- unless a person mistakes it for quality literature. As for what I've written, it doesn't matter, but I've written and directed an independent film, I worked as writer and director for a drama troupe for three years, and I've written one unpublished novel. P.S. You hit most of the Talkback insult cliches, but you forgot the one accusing me of being a homosexual.
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Cute handle. I don't know if you're referring specifically to my criticisms, but I think there's an important point to be made about "The Da Vinci Code." Unlike "American Idol" or "X-Men," this book has managed to create very real and widespread confusion about relevant issues, both historical and social. So, yeah, there are people who hate pop-culture just for the sake of hatin', but I think the debate about Brown's book goes beyond that. (Of course, that doesn't speak to the fact that the book is poorly-written. Most of the arguments about that seem to amount to "So what?" And that's just sad.)
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... sweeps in with his classic smackdown. God help me, I'm growing fond of it. :^)
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Modest and mediocre at best. IMHO the teaser had a lot more atmosphere. Problem is that the source, the book, is mediocre. It's a children's story for grown-ups (as a friend pointed out to me, since I don't have an opinion of my own). It gives people the feeling they are smart, since it has so many puzzles and shit in them. Agreed, it is entertaining and a fun read, but nowhere as great as other people might let you believe.
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I'd hate to break it to you, but no one really knows for sure that Jesus didn't have kids or wasn't married to Mary. Everything is speculation. Can we use the bible as evidence? Well that's a slippery slope seeing as how it claims mankind came from a couple in the garden of eden, and then yet again from a small family on an arc. Incest repercussions, anyone? Maybe the claims about Opus Dei are unfounded, but there's a good chance that it's central idea is true or partially true. People get so angry about this book because it "spreads confusion". Thing is, these are issues which SHOULD be discussed, evaluated and debated. There is nothing wrong with that. Why does suggesting something that happens to be unconventional, something that could very well be true, have to be spreading confusion? I'm sorry the catholic church feels so offended by questions about the past, but that's no reason to stop asking. Now, before everyone goes to rape me at once, I'm not saying it's absolutely true or basing my claims on Da Vinci Code (I have looked at other sources, not that I'm particularly scholarly or anything, but the web is a big place), I'm just saying that we don't know for sure either way, so claims on either side are pointless. Oh, and that remixed trailer gave me a heachache it was so bad. How many times are you going to zoom into to paintings and go boom in two minutes? Jesus.
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Some of us are just saying it's a good book. And by "good book", I mean entertaining and interesting.
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Nobody knows for sure that George Washington didn't turn into the Incredible Hulk when he got pissed off. Nobody knows for sure that Isaac Newton wasn't a cannibal cross-dresser. Everything is *not* speculation. The Gospels, while reflective of the oral tradition from which they were drawn, do coincide with other historical documents, not least of which are the writings of Josephus. To compare them with the mythic Old Testament stories is utterly ridiculous. I agree that the historicity of the Gospels should be discussed and evaulated, but making up sensationalistic shit and then straining to connect the dots is not conscientious criticism. Could you please elaborate on how the Da Vinci conspiracy "could very well be true"? This is exactly the sort of confusion to which I'm referring.
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I was talking more about the idea that Jesus and Mary may have been husband and wife. That was really the central idea to the book, I thought. As for it being a possibility, the more recently discovered Gospel of Mary definitely raises questions, such as what Peter did peter when he said to Mary: "Sister, we know that the Savior loved you more than other women..." The conspiracy i'll admit is sensational and unlikely, but I think there is a very real possibility that they were married. Granted, I'm not a theological scholar, but it just doesn't seem that Jesus' life is that solidified with historical fact that we know for sure he wasn't married.
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I think have almost all of them in storage somewhere.
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A prostitute as she was once referred to in writings as, so what else may have been changed or lost over time?
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Who washed christs feet, her name is never explicitly mentioned, but It is somewhat accepted that it was her.
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Yes, some of the events mentioned in the Gospels (like the census, etc.) can be historically verified, but not the actual stories. Take for instance the story of Jesus stopping the adulterous woman from being stoned (you know, he who is without sin...which was brilliantly parodied in Life of Brian). Wasn't in the original gospels. Was added later. The publishers probably wanted some more sex in the book. Hmm...it needs something...I know, an adulterous! Seriously, though, the gospels were oral tradition that weren't even written down until a century or so after they supposedly happened. So various and competing stories emerged or disappeared. Does this make them untrue? Of course not, but their Truth transcends historical 'fact.' The recent book, Misquoting Jesus, written by a former born-again scholar, elaborates this pretty well. The gospels, more than any other books in the Bible, were selected by committee, so any reference to Jesus being married could have easily been removed. And given the time and culture, it would have been very unusual if Jesus (which of course wasn't his actual name) had been unmarried.
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If I'm not mistaken, the authors of HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL claim that they have written a nonfiction book reflecting actual history. If that is the case, they have no plagiarism claim. It would be like writing a book about the Civil War and then claiming that the next guy who wrote a book about the Civil War stole your idea. Unless he steals your actual prose, you are SOL. The only way these guys have a case is if they were to backtrack and claim that they never really thought their book was true, and they just wrote it to try to scare up a buck by writing a good story. // And I think Foucault's Pendulum is a great read. I don't see how it could be a movie, though, since it's essentially a 1000 page book to tell a very small and rather droll joke. Getting there is lots of fun, but most people would find it dissatisfying in a movie, I think.
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I find it amusing that the majority of those ridiculing Dan Brown's writing ability can't even construct a marginally intelligent post. Their incisive analyses are replete with such erudite words as "really," "very," "badly" and the never tiresome lament that "Dan Brown is a hack." No, you don't need to be a critically adored novelist to criticize Brown, but you do have to display some competence in English usage. Ya fucken cock-knockers.
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You are an english professor? Very good--I'm a history professor at UB. And from one professor to another, work on your reading comprehension. The reason I suggest this is due to your chiding me for criticizing those who read junk novels when i made posts indicating the opposite. Did I or did I not state that I read nearly a hundred novels a year, many of which were dime store novels? Did I or did I not say authors such as King or Brown served a purpose? The fact that you failed to even comment on those posts and instead lecture me about views i do not even subscribe leads me to believe you either read selectively or not at all. In either case, sir, perhaps you should practice patience and learn when to open your mouth, and when to keep it closed.
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I am a notoriously bad cook. I burn hamburger with nearly every attempt at grilling it. However, I do know a good cheeseburger from a bad one. And although McDonalds has served billions, with millions more every year, I do know that their burgers are entirely without nurishment or quality, they are simply quick and easy. Are people wrong to eat at McDonalds? Of course they aren't. They are wrong, however, if they confuse convenience with quality. Can you say Dan Brown's work is of substantial quality? Is their skill in prose and plot? How much? Remember, its perfectly okay to judge a novel by its merrit. Just as a book can be an enjoyable read and highly imaginative, it can still be elementary in style. I think people just need to stop taking it so personal--on both sides.
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Da Vinci!
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i have been laughing for like 10 minutes straight reading these posts. there's just something about 'da vinci code' that begs for hy-larious slamming. i would just like to say that i am taking out a vendetta against dan brown, however, for a)stealing my senior thesis idea that was published 12 years ago and b)promulgating the dumb way that people call leonardo 'da vinci', as though they were calling him 'da pimp.' vinci is where he's from. dan brown and by the transitive property ron howard, suck it for daddy!!!
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-I just thought that the concepts contained within the story were way better than the execution of said novel. That said, I think that the film is going to be the biggest of the year.
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but Dan Brown is not: having read his 4 books, it's the only conclusion I can draw. the characters are painfully earnest, but unnaturally so. His pacing is Harry Potter lite, but as the human race becomes more and more lazy, it's easy to fall in and sell oneself short. "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" is much more a work that requires thought and patience... make THAT, Hollywood! but... i'm an old biblio and cinephile and truly, I will probably drag my son out to the heckleplex to see this popcorn... there is no such thing as a truly bad Tom Hanks movie...
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Screw Dan Brown and his "controversial" books. If there is any reason to watch the film she is surely it. i) http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou032.jpg ii) http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou005.jpg iii) http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou006.jpg iv) http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou003.jpg. I apologise if I stretch the TB but tinyURL.com was working properly with this site. I think I need to watch some Amelie!
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Screw Dan Brown and his "controversial" books. If there is any reason to watch the film she is surely it. 1)http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou032.jpg ii) http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou005.jpg -- iii) http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou006.jpg iv) http://www.yovacollection.com/yc/Galerias/Tautou/Tautou003.jpg --. I apologise if I stretch the TB but tinyURL.com was working properly with this site. I think I need to watch some Amelie! I wish I could make paragraphs, sigh. Double post. Im sorry.
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"I make it a point not to financially support novels that are only a few hundred pages long, have two inch margins, and possess print large enough for my grandmother to read without her eyeglasses." I think you need to work on your writing. Explain how this is not critical of Dan Brown readers (as well as being absurdly condescending)? Ooooh, I read 100 novels a year. Look at me. I look down my nose at those peasants who read books with less than 200 pages. As an educator, you MUST realize that there are many great works of literature that are less than 200 pages. Have you ever read Animal Farm? I'd like this to keep civilized, but you must realize how ridiculous you sound. Please don't brag about how frighteningly smart you are, especially when you struggle with your spelling. I apologize if I've been insulting, but snobs are a particular pet peeve of mine. The last thing I want is for anyone to get turned off from reading just because some elitist fools put them down for enjoying a novel. I was originally responding to that particular quote which I referenced above. I have since read some of your other posts and find myself in agreement with many. I apologize if I took that one post as being representative of your entire thought on the matter, but this is a subject which is dear to my heart. I want people to read.
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I added spaces to the 2nd post inbetween the URLs (to make it easier to read) and now they are gone. Why?
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"The characters are barely sketched, the dialogue is hackneyed and the exposition sits blatantly on top of the story. These things are patently true. I said it before and I'll say it again, the book is very well structured, and that (along with the controversial subject matter) accounts for the popularity of the book. I'm glad for Brown that he's experiencing success, and I'm sad for the public that's supplying it to him." Explain to me how that isn't condescending to the people who like his books? You're SAD for people who like Dan Brown? I'm only sad for people who don't read at all (though you all should really try Proust - amazing). Drop the snobbery, chum. I apologize for the insults in my post, they were unnecessary.
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for the insults, yet you applaud TMH's infantile diarrhea splattered all over the talkback. How very hypocritical of you. Nice to see that you can't recognize the irony in your own posts.
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What Liberty Valance said.
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is making me laugh. your hate for palpable.
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you're an idiot, too. I didn't mean to leave you out.
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Oh, the classic "you need to work on your sentence structure and spelling if you are going to critique" attack. Should I use yet another tired chef/mechanic/musician example? Better still, should I point out the less-than-formal setting we are in? Snowden, I think you are misreading and assuming my points yet again. Let me make this very, very clear: I do not have a problem with Brown's stories. I have a problem when they are packeged in such a way that inflates the price of the book (enlarging the font, triple spacing, increased margins, etc.). I would have assumed a literature professor would understand my ultimate complaint was based upon PUBLISHING and not the story itself. Yet again, I feel the need to point out areas YOU need to work on, Snowden. And believe me, they have nothing to do with sentence structure or spelling. And as for my supposed ego trip, I will explain this one final time: I was illustrating the very same point you made in your first post. If I, an admitted book junkie and academic, can enjoy novels by King, Grisham, and the like, then those novels are not simply aimed at the lowest common denominator. I was providing a rebuttal to an earlier post that stated academics dont read that tripe, only morons (or something to that effect). Now, Snowden, if you can find a fault with my position, then by all means, go ahead and post it. If you would take the time and read more thorougly, as a literature professor should, I think you will find that you and I are probably in complete agreement. We may disagree with what we deem is financially acceptable for a novel, but we both agree on its merits. And before you respond with what in all liklihood will be another post laced with adjectives, anger, and misrepresentation, you should remember that I, the supposed ego junkie, never stooped to name calling or analyzing your grammatical errors.
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Is it snobbery to lament the abysmal state of American literacy? I guess I don't think so, but if so, color me snobbish. I don't think people who enjoy Brown are stupid (after all, I finished the book!), but I do think it's sad that many of those people lack either the skills or the motivation to intellectually engage the material. Further, I think it's even more sad that a select few will go so far as to say that quality isn't relevant! Is this what we've come to?
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Feel free at any time to appologize for calling me an asshole at the starting gate, accusing me of living in dear old mummy's basement, taking my words entirely out of context, and generally acting in a manner that belies your profession. However, something tells me I shouldn't be holding my breath...
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Sorry, that was something of an in-joke. My first experience with TMH was on the receiving end of that "infantile diarrhea," and I got a bit indignant. Once I got past the eloquent bile, however, I discovered he had something thoughtful to say after all. Since then, I find myself chuckling whenever I see those posts.
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misread your posts as being pretentious when they were not, then I humbly apologize. Best of luck in your literary endeavors.
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You're still an idiot.
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You are right, however--I have a very big ego. I'd like to think I use it for the greater good ;)
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I've been scrolling all over the place and I can't seem to find him... Am I missing something?
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Mar 23, 2006 12:20:10 AM CST
Flickerhead, perhaps I'm overly sensitive regarding
by snowden's secret
this issue because of my experience with my students getting turned off to literature. I am in the "encourage them to read anything just to get them reading" camp. To correct Moondoggy, I am not a professor, just a simple H.S. teacher. It's sad how many kids are readers in sixth grade but have lost their love of lit by late high school. Those of us that have stayed readers and recognize (and perhaps have become a little bit bored by) the derivative literary conventions in some books should not discourage others from reading them. Eventually, they will become interested in lit that is less tied to conventions. Heck, I find myself becoming snobby about some things, too. I find it nearly impossible not to stand in front of the ticket window and scream at people buying tickets to the next Bruckheimer/Bay explosionfest. Do I wish that The Island would be given to someone who might actually try, of course. I can understand where you're coming from. There is a nasty impulse within most of us, however, to put down others who don't like the things that we do, and it's a very ugly side of human nature. I'm exposed to it a lot more than most people. You should see the poor geeks that hang out in my room during lunch b/c they can't express their liking of some t.v. show or video game or book with their fellow geeks without getting made fun of. It's frigging sad. Just be aware, that's all. Are you honestly pushing for quality, or needlessly screwing with people who are harmlessly enjoying something? Maybe I take this way too seriously. Sorry if that's true. I like the posts that say, hey, if you liked DC, then you should read Eco's FP, it's so much better. I should shut up now.
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I work at a highschool, too, and I know exactly where you are coming from, Snowden. I cant tell you how I angry I get when people automatically dismiss others for their likes and dislikes--even when its on the same damn subject matter! I'm not talking Roe v. Wade issues, either. We are talking about sci-fi geeks being snide to fantasy geeks, Geeks who read all sorts of amateurish stuff being snarky to those nerds who have some mainstream tendencies. It never ceases to amaze me how mean-spirited people can be. Then again, you know how it is at that age: all passion and intellect without wisdom.
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You're still an idiot.
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a small part of me was having more fun hating you guys. Strange how that works. We sure are strange critters, us human beans. BTW, loved V for Vendetta. Nothing thematically that we haven't seen before in Brave New World, 1984, Dune books, The Traveler, etc. but done in a really cool way.
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Thanks for not taking any action to prove me wrong, probably because you know you can't.
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I have GOT to stop posting when I'm drunk
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when you started so far below. How disingenuous of you. Let's take a look at some of your previous posts, shall we? Sort of a mini "This is Your Life, Snowballs Secret." Hmmm, you started with "I'm Tony Mike Hall, waaaaah" - love the originality there. And then there's "I'm so sorry for a-holes like flickerhead and moondoggy" - You have to admit "a-holes" is little dated, but I applaud your efforts to really stick it to us, which you did when you followed that nugget up with "I don't see any authors by the name of Flickerhead on Amazon.com." Now that's an excellent point that cannot be refuted. Checkmate! Why a high school teacher should become so angry when a few people rip Dan Brown for being a hack author of the lowest common denominator escapes me. Why the fuck do you care? You marry his sister? If we think the book sucks, so be it. It is poorly written and was purposely structured to appeal to people with ADD. We are in agreement on one point: it's a crying shame no one reads anymore. I think lowering the standards isn't the answer to recapturing readers. You do. Fine. You think I'm an idiot, I think you're a miserable, hypocritical jackass. Fine. Coming out of nowhere and flaming people on this board who say something sucks gets old, my friend - while it will keep you quite busy, it also makes you look like a fucking loser who gets off on virtual instigation. Hope it was enjoyable for you. You foolish asswipe.
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Don't try and "kiss and make up" with me like you did with the others. You can take your "I'm sorry, Tony, you're right, I am a pathetic fucknut" (which I know you're thinking inside) and cram it up your dingleberry-infested bunghole.
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People do need to read more. It definately should be more encouraged. We shouldn't need to lower the standards to reach the kids. Education. Education. Education. And if I said it before I'll say it again...Audrey frakkin Tautou! That is all.
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my grandfather told me not to argue with fools, because people might not be able to tell the difference between you and them. I'm afraid I have fallen into that trap. I can't match you in a contest of stupidity, you guys have way too much experience in that world. While I might occasionally make a foray into there, you seem to have taken residence and lordship of Stupidtown. You must realize how ironic it is for either of you to call for more quality in writing. It's pretty hilarious, actually. Keep writing, you make our argument for us with every word you type (mistype, misspell, misuse, misconstrue). It's so much fun reading your posts. It's like watching Beavis and Butthead. Geez, I did it again, arguing with fools. It's difficult to resist. This will be my last word, then, other than to occasionally pop up to call you idiots (just to encourage you to continue your delightfully foolish frothings. It's like I'm a muse for morons).
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Seriously, between referencing your grandfather like Dan Quayle, the high prince of morons, and using terms like "Stupidtown," I'm almost at a loss for words. You're in way over your head and you sound way too defensive to actually believe what you're writing. I'm starting to pity you, which takes all the fun out of pointing out your shortcomings. I will say, though, as a statement of fact more than an insult, that I am glad I am not you.
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You have no substantive ammo, my dimwitted friend - you simply are not creative or intelligent enough to keep up. It should shock me that someone as vapid as you seem to be somehow works as a teacher, but, looking at the state of education today, it doesn't surprise me at all. Frightening.
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