Still reading.....

Yes I'm still slogging through Everyday Grace.

This is not a slam on the book -- just because a book doesn't grab you may not be so much a comment on the book as a reflection of where you are at this point in your life.

The question in my mind is -- do I bale on this one for now (who knows, I may come back to this same book 6 weeks or 6 months from now and find that it now speaks to me) or do I hang in there and keep reading?

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

Well, I was going to write some long post reviewing this book. But the more I thought about it the more I felt that really, hasn't enough been written about this book? It's been out since, what, 2003 and been written about, discussed, dissed, praised and puzzled over ad nausem! Under these circumstances, what more can I add?

So I'll just say this about the Code - its a RGT! That's my short hand for Rippin' Good Tale! Dan Brown pulls off what I call -- the Indiana Jones trick.

Let me explain. Way back when, I, my sister and a couple of good friends went to see the sneak of Raiders of the Lost Ark. We were already hardcore Speilberg and Lucas fans by that time -- but we were also deeply skeptical about the premise of this movie. I mean, come on, these two gentlemen had made their names on action movies - Jaws, Star Wars, yada! What the he** were they doing or thinking making a move about - oh bring on the boredom - an archeologist! Didn't they spend their days on their knees in the dirt with a brush? Oh yeah -- that was going to bring folks rushing into the theatre. NOT!

Still, we were true believers. And like all true believers, we were ready to give the benefit of the doubt. However, as healthy believers (A species, these days, becoming rarer and rarer), we continued expressing our doubts regarding this little movie venture even as we settled into our seats. What we figured we'd see was some National Geographic type semi-educational film.

What we saw was -- well you know the rest (Or you've been living in a cave for the last 30 years - in which case you probably aren't reading this blog - if anyone is!). Archeology NEVER looked so good! (Well until now - when you can pull yourself away from your latest book check out Digging for the Truth on the History Channel - Go Josh!)

But I digress.....

What we were treated to by Messers Speilberg and Lucas was a flat out, no holds barred, in your face adventure rollercoster ride which left us breathless and yelling for more! (Don't be cheeky - I AM talking about the movie.)

And while Brown may not have succeeded quite that well, he has certainly created a story that gives a symbologist and a cryptographer a credible turn as Mission Impossible intellectuals. He makes the many Perils of Pauline escapes actually seem more than plausible and, amazingly, well within the skill sets of the characters. No mean feat, if you think about it.

And thinking about it, or thinking it through is the key to the action in this book. Almost every chapter poses a new puzzle or, even more interesting, a new spin on a puzzle which appeared to be already solved! Yet for all the puzzles artistic and textual in this book, Brown is smart enough not to drag out the revelation of their answers. He's obviously wise enough to know that while just about all humans are fascinated by a puzzle, not all of them have the wit or the patience to figure them out! I admit to a deep bias when it comes to this book -- I'm an ex art, theology major with a love of words and their many possible meanings as well. So Brown pretty much had me at the first description of his main character's profession. (A professor of Religious Symbology? I think I'm in love! ) But I was pleasantly surprised at how well he spins his story making just the right blend of geeky supposition and conspiracy action to keep both the mind and the plot moving along.


Brown does stumble a bit when he starts "implying" romance when it's totally unnecessary. That being said, if you haven't already, ignore all the hype and read the book!

As for all the "controversy" surrounding the premise of the book -- I've two comments.

1. IT'S A NOVEL PEOPLE!!!! And for those of you that don't appear to own a dictionary, this from my copy of Webster's New World College Dictionary (4th ed.), "novel, adj, a relatively long fictional prose narrative with a more or less complex plot of pattern of events, about actions, feelings, motives, etc. of a group of characters" The key word in that definition being "fictional".

It’s meant to be enjoyed as a story – not treated as a historical document! But if it makes you think a bit out of the box – hey, all the better!

2. I'm no fan of Opus Dei, but after all the bellyaching I'd heard, after I read the book I didn't think the characters associated with that group were necessarily badly portrayed. The story gives a clear understanding of the motivations of just about all the characters ( Still to the end, I was a little cloudy on what was up with at least one of them) and I have to say, I came away from the book with some sympathy for just about everyone involved.


Like I said, read it – you won’t have misspent your money. (And do yourself a favor and get the illustrated version -- it's even more fun seeing pictures of the locations and paintings sited in the book.)

And that is that for the Code! (Yikes! It WAS a long post! : - O )

And the next book is (Or appears to be).....

Everyday Grace by Marianne Williamson.

Now, mind you, this was not the book I'd kind of had in mind when I was looking around to decide what to read next. I actually have 3 new acquistions from which I was contemplating choosing.

But there it was, top on a pile of books (and piles of books are the norm on my floor), a small book I brought about a year ago. Handsome cover (a painting by Nicolaes Maes, Young Girl Peeling Apples) and a size easy on the hand.

Before I knew it I'd plucked it from the pile and, cracking the cover at last, started reading.

So we'll see how it goes. I'm not ashamed to say that I can be a faithless reader, changing horses in mid-stream if my mind goes wandering!

Hitting speed bumps and bouncing (Ow!) over them....

The bad news is that I was sick all last week - hence no posting!

The good news is that I still managed to finish my second book - The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown.

Review to come!