Tolog Review: The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
reviewed by Campbell Buffington

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is a suspenseful novel about a man who is called to go on a quest to find the "Holy Grail". This book explores different types of religions, specifically paganism and catholicism. The novel also examines the history behind certain religious practices. Brown uses the main characters' wit and intelligence to find out what the "Holy Grail" is and where it is in Paris, France. Throughout the novel, the author uses various types of imagery, mostly visual and kinesthetic, and foreshadowing to express the mystery and suspense behind this fantastic mystery about the history behind our religion: Catholicism. Readers are introduced to many different important characters through much indirect characterization and background information provided by Brown. For example, a monk who belongs to a society of a religion called Opus Dei is an albino known as “The Ghost” because of his appearance and his deft movement of weaponry. 

To start, Robert Langdon (our protagonist) is asked to come to the Louvre in Paris after giving a lecture on symbology found in artwork at Harvard. Langdon is confused but goes since it is at the request of the French Police. To his surprise (and the readers), the curator, or director, has been shot and arranged in a famous painting called the Vitruvian Man. To Langdon, and a cryptologist named Sophie Neveu, this position is significant because of their expertise in their individual fields. After going through many obstacles to find the next clue to this extravagant “treasure hunt”, Neveu and Langdon find themselves amidst scholars, bishops, monks, and law enforcement whom all too want to find this grail and bury it forever.