hi folks,
here at west epping we're looking to host a night in the coming months where we invite a panel of people to explore the novel 'the da vinci code' by dan brown.
in case you haven't come across it yet, the novel has been a worldwide phenomenon for about the last 18 months and although might be considered in the 'airport novel' category (fast paced thriller) it combines lots of (quasi) religious conspiracy/search for the holy grail (which is not a cup, but i won't spoil any more), secret codes and symbology, historical research and well-crafted fiction, set, amongst other places, in the louvre, the vatican, opus dei safe houses.
the new york times review began:
*"The word for "The Da Vinci Code" is a rare invertible palindrome. Rotated 180 degrees on a horizontal axis so that it is upside down, it denotes the maternal essence that is sometimes linked to the sport of soccer. Read right side up, it concisely conveys the kind of extreme enthusiasm with which this riddle-filled, code-breaking, exhilaratingly brainy thriller can be recommended.*
*That word is wow." *
there's a range of books that have come up since its success seeking to either debunk or further explore the historical-religious claims of the novel - books with such titles as 'De-coding Da Vinci' or 'Secrets of the Da Vinci Code' and 'The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code' and more of the like.
an article in the herald/age recently covered some of the action/reaction stuff:
(http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/04/1086203626175.html?oneclick=true) but you may not want to read it if you're planning to read the book as it gives away a couple of plot points.
what i'm hearing personally and from people in my congregation is that there are thousands of people in our communities who've read the book, think it was a great yarn and are keen to talk about the fact vs. fiction stuff. some may be interested in the follow-up books, but others are just keen to chat.
so what we're thinking is a forum of people keen to discuss some of the historical stuff in a fun and informative way that we'll promote to our wider community.
believe it or not, there is a question at the end of all this...
*know anyone who would be interested in participating? suggest anyone you think would be good to hear? reasons for your suggestions?*
happy to hear your thoughts as we begin our planning.
thanks to those who made it this far!
:-)
kent
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