Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Outraged Sister stages Da Vinci demo

I don't care if this woman wants to protest if that's what she feels is necessary, but there are a couple of things about this that bother me.

She believes the book by author Dan Brown contains heresy.

Yeah, and so do a whole lot of others. Why does everyone think this one is so much different? It's fiction. What is the point of this protest? To let people know that the book is not true? If so, then most of us already realize that since it's fiction.

But this part is much worse to me:
Sister Mary said she had not read the book, but had read enough about it to understand its central errors.

She feels strongly enough about this to protest it based on second-hand reports, but doesn't even think to read the book just to be informed about what she is protesting? Sure, I bash Harry Potter at any oppurtunity, but at least I read a little of it. And if I had decided to stand outside those silly midnight book sellings protesting the thing, I would have made sure to read it first.

As a computer programmer, I found a lot more problems with Brown's Digital Fortress than The Da Vinci Code, but if they make a movie about it, I doubt I would feel compelled to protest it, since it's fiction.

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8 comments:

somewaterytart said...

While I agree with you that the DaVinci Code protestors are wasting their energies, it is true that Dan Brown makes a point of saying that his fiction is based in truth, in a little note at the front of the book. There has to be a reason people are so obsessed with this specific book's suggestions- Brown is leading them in that direction.

John Howard said...

Yeah, but that's all just marketing hype. Of course the author isn't going to mind controversy, but I doubt he actually believes the stuff.

MDC said...

I just wish there was more actual truth behind the Da Vinci Code.

not in use said...

I tend to agree with somewaterytart about this.

It is unfortunate that Dan Brown was quite so economical with the truth about how just how little truth there is in that book ... and just how many basic errors there are in the plain fiction parts too.

That said, it really doesn't take much of a brain to work it out either, so you would think that Sister Mary would have her hands full praying for the the people who are stupid enough not to be able to see through DB's nonsense.

Still, when you consider that a book that wasn't even his best (least bad) book has become his best selling book, then his untrue truths certainly did the trick on the marketing front.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Dan Brown is laughing all the way to the bank, anyway. The movie and it's accompanying protests might drive the 3 or 4 people who haven't read the book already to pick it up (excepting Posh Spice, of course).

John Howard said...

Maybe she can hire someone to read it for her.

sumo said...

We'll hire someone to read Harry Potter to you...so you can be totally objective in your relentless dislike of H.P. when you accurately write your distaste in protest. And that will be the end of that!

Anonymous said...

damn brown is an icon of ignorance dat da masses worship. he writes 'historical novels' without delineatin da facts from da fiction. pointin out wut is fictionalized in da story is standard practice of da quality historical novelists. his writing is artless. i dont giva ratazz bout da religious aspects because dat is subjective. but da most glaring stupidity of da book is how he dumbs down 'leading experts' in various fields and stereotypes dem ad nauseum. da art historian who DOES NOT KNOW DAT LEONARDO DA VINCI WRITES BACKWARDS? dats like a dentist not knowin wut teeth r. dere r lots of other character clumsinesses aboundin in da book.

yeah he is laffin his way 2da bank, he has da marketin saavy 2know dat da general public is indifferent 2high quality anyt'ing. afterall look at da boston market, dey serve food dat loox like n tastes like leftovers. or look at da popularity of da harry potter boox dat offer not'ing original in da realm of fantasy. look at all da inane tv programs dat r popular. society is not particularly discerning.