Book Review: The Rough Guide to The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code movie has been released on DVD this month and it is probably timely to offer another guide to the book and movie. The Rough Guide to The Da Vinci Code is an engaging, well-illustrated, straightforward read providing excellent background to the novel and movie while honestly and directly exposing the errors and distortions of the alleged "facts" embedded in the plot. Another nice thing about this guide is that it has no obvious agenda other than to explain the history, art, and culture behind Dan Brown's vivid imagination. Michael and Veronica Haag, the authors of this rough guide, are experts in literature, history, and art. It is refreshing to read an informative book that does not have an evangelistic layer wrapped around it. If Brown had promoted his book as nothing but fiction, it would not be a problem. The author of The Da Vinci Code is on record, however, as believing the conspiracy theory over the bloodline of Christ and the legend of the Holy Grail! The novel even begins with a statement that '[a]ll the descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.' Each section of the book is boldy introduced with a FACT. Well ... some of it might be, but a good deal is not and a lot of literature can be found that reiterates these alleged facts. By all means, enjoy the book and/or the movie. Then go grab The Rough Guide to The Da Vinci Code and be informed! Related Links

• My Review of The Da Vinci Code movie
• The Official Website of the movie
• Dan Brown's web site for the novel
• Wikipedia entry for The Da Vinci Code novel
• Breaking The Da Vinci Code (Christianity Today)