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Dan Brown (born on June 22, 1964 in Exeter,
New Hampshire) is an American author of detective thrillers. His novels
include:
Digital Fortress (1997)
Angels and Demons (2000)
Deception Point (2001)
The Da Vinci Code (2003)
The Solomon Key (due to be released in
2006)
He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy,
where his father was a mathematics teacher, then matriculated to Amherst
College, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity, graduating in
1986. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he taught English at
Phillips Exeter. He currently lives in New England. Blythe, his wife, is
an art historian and painter and her influence is evident in his
acclaimed novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown is interested in cryptography,
keys and codes, which are a recurring theme in his stories.
Promotional materials state that he is
working on a new book called The Solomon Key about the Kryptos sculpture
at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
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Controversy
The Da Vinci Code
Allegations of plagiarism
On the 11 April 2005, novelist Lewis Perdue
sued Brown and his publisher Random House for plagiarising his novels
The Da Vinci Legacy (1983) and Daughters of God (2000), claiming "there
are far too many parallels between my books and 'The Da Vinci Code' for
it to be an accident." 2 On 4 August 2005, District Judge George B.
Daniels dismissed the motion for summary judgement ruling that "a
reasonable average lay observer would not conclude that The Da Vinci
Code is substantially similar to Daughter of God. Any slightly similar
elements are on the level of generalized or otherwise unprotectable
ideas." He affirmed that The Da Vinci Code does not infringe upon
copyrights held by Perdue.3 (see full ruling).
The lawsuit for copyright infringement and
plagiarism levied by the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail still stands.
Several central tenets in the novel The Da
Vinci Code bear marked similarities to Pope John Paul II's Theology of
the Body. Steve Kellmeyer has claimed that the central themes, such as
that sex is holy, marriage is sacred, and women should be treated as
images of the divine, are virtually directly taken from Catholic
theology.
Factual accuracy
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details
follow.
Brown's depictions of core aspects of
Christianity and the history of Catholic Church in The Da Vinci Code
have generated some controversy among critics who feel that much of what
he wrote is factually inaccurate.
For example, the novel's assertion that the
Holy Grail is the bloodline sprung from an apocryphal union between
Jesus and Mary Magdalene has been derided by many textual and historical
scholars as being not only false, but plagiarized from earlier
pseudohistorical conspiratist works featuring similar claims.
Brown states that his books are based on
historical fact and that the details regarding the works of art and
architecture discussed in his books are easily verifiable. He also
states that, while he may agree with some of the theories put forth by
the characters in his books, it is up to the reader to evaluate their
veracity. As a writer of fiction, Brown has not felt the need to
extensively defend the factual accuracy of his work beyond a brief
section on his website. As a result, it is not clear what parts of his
work he considers theory and what parts he considers fact.
Digital Fortress
Although far less controversial (if
controversial at all), Digital Fortress was heavily criticized for
factual inaccuracies with regard to cryptography. In Spain, the novel
has been criticized for depicting it as a country where "hospitals smell
of urine", "Guardia Civil (Spanish police force) can be easily bribed"
and from where "making an international call depends on how lucky you
are". When one of the main characters is wounded, it is said that "such
a lung injury could be easily treated in any medically advanced nation,
but this was Spain". As a result, the mayor of Seville (where the
Spanish plot takes place) has invited Brown to visit the city to find
out what it is actually like.
Angels and Demons
Like The Da Vinci Code and Digital
Fortress, Angels and Demons has been criticized for its factual
inaccuracies. However, what many critics of The Da Vinci Code fail to
mention or realize is that Angels and Demons generally seems to be
sympathetic towards the Catholic Church.
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Date Article Copied:
September 15, 2005
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