Angels and Demons

When I started hearing hype about The Da Vinci Code I figured I should read it, but the women who rode my train said that Angels and Demons was first (and some said it was better), so I decided to read the books in order. It took me about two days to drag myself through the pages of Angels and Demons, one miserable weekend when I was stuck in bed with a bum knee. And to make it worse, I actually purchased this book--though I'm hoping I got it at the O and that it was inexpensive.

If you love Dan Brown and his books, you might want to stop reading now.

I HATED Angels and Demons. I thought the main story, the secret cult stealing secrets from CERN, was okay--hey, I like spy stories as much as the next girl. I thought the subplots (the Vatican intrigue, the romance between . . . I can't even remember the characters' names) were weak and completely predictable. And I thought the writing was at about a sixth grade level. Not at a sixth grader's reading level, though it was probably that too, but like something that would be written by a sixth grader. And not a sixth grader in an advanced creative writing class.

But even worse than all those things, I absolutely HATE when authors of fiction falsely claim that their stories are based on fact. And now that I've heard more and more about The Da Vinci Code, more than I could ever want to hear, I'm very glad I didn't read it. Even hearing about it makes my blood boil. It's not real!

I admit that I'm not an expert or even an enthusiast, but there are plenty of people who have looked into the topic, and the credible ones all agree that The Da Vinci Code is fiction. There's an article on Salon that examines the issue clearly .

Of course, there's nothing wrong with making up a conspiracy theory and adding to the intrigue by tying it to reality. I think that's what's known as FICTION.

All I'm saying is this: if you're writing fiction, call it fiction. Lots of people like to read fiction. And try to write well.

And if you think that the fact there's no proof of the secret society makes it all the more real . . . just please don't try to convince me.