Decipher the Code: Deciphering the Novel "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown

Author: (German) Schillerfeld
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Since The Da Vinci Code climbed the international bestseller charts, thousands of fascinated male and female readers around the world have been discussing theological and historical issues that were once confined to university campuses and scientific publications. Of course, this book, like the recent widespread interest it has ignited in several great historical mysteries, has not been universally well-received. Especially in the United States, Brown's best-selling novel sparked fierce debates and protests from religious groups, who saw in it what the German title expresses—a "sacrilege." Is this accusation justified? Or is it simply that Dan Brown is using his characters to explore the questions that have been anticipated since the New Testament was published? The book before the reader delves into the most important mysteries of The Da Vinci Code and the issue of "sacrilege" itself, attempting to place them back in their historical context. This book compiles historical facts and background information, providing a foundation for interpretation—but it also critically examines the various arguments presented in Brown's novel. What is fact, what is speculation, what is fiction? What mysteries lie behind the mysteries? After briefly introducing the history of the sacred Glastonbury—the key and central issue in The Da Vinci Code—this book summarizes the most important insights from the novel into individual arguments and examines their credibility within a broader causal relationship. At the same time, it discusses the ambiguities and allusions embedded in the novel itself. May this book also serve as a rose line, guiding male and female readers to find a path through the maze of The Da Vinci Code.