Unit2FantasyLiterature文檔

（TheDaVinciCode）

ByJANETMASLIN

Published:March17,2003

Thewordfor"TheDaVinciCode"isarareinvertiblepalindrome.Rotated180degreesonahorizontalaxissothatitisupsidedown,itdenotesthematernalessencethatissometimeslinkedtothesportofsoccer.Readrightsideup,itconciselyconveysthekindofextremeenthusiasmwithwhichthisriddle-filled,code-breaking,exhilaratinglybrainythrillercanberecommended.

Thatwordiswow.

TheauthorisDanBrown(anameyouwillwanttoremember).Inthisgleefullyeruditesuspensenovel,Mr.Browntakestheformathehasbeendevelopingthroughthreeearliernovelsandfine-tunesittoblockbusterperfection.NotsincetheadventofHarryPotterhasanauthorsoflagrantlydelightedinleadingreadersonabreathlesschaseandcoaxingthemthroughhoops.

Thefirstbookbythisonetimeteacher,the1998"DigitalFortress,"hadafoxyheroinenamedSusanFletcherwhowastheNationalSecurityAgency'sheadcryptographer.Thesecond,"DeceptionPoint,"involvedNASA,ascientificruseintheArcticandRachelSexton,anintelligenceanalystwithahairdo"longenoughtobesexy,butshortenoughtoremindyoushewasprobablysmarterthanyou."

With"AngelsandDemons,"Mr.BrownintroducedRobertLangdon,aHarvardprofessorofarthistoryandreligioussymbologywhoisloadedwith"whathisfemalecolleaguesreferredtoasan`erudite'appeal."Nowonder:thenewbookfindstheenormouslylikableLangdonponderingantimatter,thebig-bangtheory,thecultoftheIlluminatiandathreattotheVatican,amongotherthings.Yetthisismerelyawarm-upforthemind-bogglingtrickerythat"TheDaVinciCode"hasinstore.

Considerthenewbook'sprologue,setintheGrandGalleryoftheLouvre.(Thisisthekindofbookthatnoticesthatthisonegallery'slengthisthreetimesthatoftheWashingtonMonument.)ItembroilsaCaravaggio,analbinomonkandacuratorinafighttothedeath.That'sasceneleavinglittledoubtthattheauthorknowshowtopiqueinterest,asthecurator,JacquesSaunière,fightsforhislife.

Desperatelyseizingthepaintinginordertoactivatethemuseum'salarmsystem,Saunièresucceedsinbuyingsometime.Andheusesthesestolenmoments—whicharehislast—totakeoffhisclothes,drawacircleandarrangehimselflikethefigureinLeonardo'smostfamousdrawing,"TheVitruvianMan."AndtoleavebehindananagramandFibonacci'sfamousnumericalseriesasclues.

Whateverthisisabout,itisenoughtosummonLangdon,whobynow,heblushestorecall,hasbeendescribedinanadoringmagazinearticleas"HarrisonFordinHarristweed."Langdon'slatestmanuscript,which"proposedsomeveryunconventionalinterpretationsofestablishedreligiousiconographywhichwouldcertainlybecontroversial,"isdefinitelygermane.

AlsosoononthesceneisthecryptologistSophieNeveu,achipofftheauthor'searlierprototypes:"Unlikethewaifish,cookie-cutterblondesthatadornedHarvarddormroomwalls,thiswomanwashealthywithanunembellishedbeautyandgenuinenessthatradiatedastrikingpersonalconfidence."EvenifhehadnotcontrivedthisentirestoryasahuntfortheLostSacredFeminineessence,womeninparticularwouldloveMr.Brown.

WithLeonardoasco-conspirator,sincehislifeandworkweresofraughtwithsymbolsandsecrets,Mr.Brownisofftotheraces.Googleaway:youmaywanttoinvestigatethesamemattersthatLangdonandAgentNeveupursueastheytapintoamotherlodeofreligiousconspiracytheory.ThePrioryofSion,theKnightsTemplarandthecontroversialVaticanprelaturecalledOpusDeiareallinvoked,asisthepentacle,theDivineProportion,thestrangesexritesglimpsedinthefilm"EyesWideShut"andtheHolyGrail.IfyouthinktheGrailisacup,thenMr.Brown—drawinguponearliercontroversialGrailtheoriesinvolving19th-centurydiscoveriesbyarealSaunière—wouldlikeyoutothinkagain.

Asinhis"AngelsandDemons,"thisauthorisdrawntotheplacewhereempiricalevidenceandreligiousfaithcollide.Andhecreatesabracingexplorationofthisrealm,onethatisbynomeanssacrilegious,thoughitsharplychallengesVaticanpolicy.AsLangdonandSophiefollowcluesplantedbyLeonardo,theyarriveatsomejaw-droppingsuppositions,someofwhichbring"TheDaVinciCode"tothebrinkofoverkill.ButintheendMr.Browngracefullylaystorestallthequestionshehasraised.

Thebookmovesatabreakneckpace,withtheauthorseemingthoroughlytoenjoyhiscontrivances.Virtuallyeverychapterendswithacliffhanger:noteasy,consideringtheamountofplainoldtalkingthatgetsdone.AndSophieandLangdonaresentontherun,thebettertochurnupathrilleratmosphere.Totheircredit,theyevadetheirpursuersasingeniouslyastheydomosteverythingelse.

Whenbeingfollowedviaaglobalpositioningsystem,forinstance,itissmarttosendthesensorflyingouta40-footwindowandleadpursuerstothinkyouhavedonethesame.Somehowthebookmanagestoreconcilesuchderring-dowithremarkslike,"Anddidyouknowthatifyoudividethenumberoffemalebeesbythenumberofmalebeesinanybeehiveintheworld,youalwaysgetthesamenumber?"

"TheDaVinciCode"