The Da Vinci Code - What did you think? - Page 4 - WritingForums.com - Writing Forums, Writing Challenges, Critiques and Help for Writers

Beardedtroll · 03-09-2006, 04:58 PM

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Originally Posted by TSMaloy

Coming from the person who thought Connor Wolf's sentence was "kosher"?

Err, yes? Was that some grand crime against humanity for which I should be shameful?

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There is NOTHING wrong with either of those sentences.

I have to respectfully, but emphatically, disagree with you.

Stewart · 03-09-2006, 05:17 PM

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Originally Posted by TSMaloy

Hey, how is this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brown

Now it says that as of 2005 Dan Brown sold more than 25 million hard cover copies and that it helped push the sales of his earlier novels.

It's fantastic. But what's it in response to?

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PLEASE do not rely solely on spell check!).

PLEASE do not patronise me.

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And if you like that bit, try going to danbrown.com and read some of the things people have said about his work.

"One of the most intelligent and dynamic authors in the genre" -- Library Journal.

I'm afraid I don't care for selective praise on the home page of the author we are discussing. I would prefer a less biased source of information, one where negative comments sit alongside the positive.

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I am sure they, of all people, do not know what they are talking about.

I doubt it. I have an issue with Dan Brown being called intelligent. Intelligent doesn't mean being able to copy and paste a few extracts from tourist guides; it doesn't mean fictionalising the suppositions put forward in another book; and it doesn't mean getting your facts wrong. If that's what intelligence was, Umberto Eco would be asking himself why he wasted all that time reading books.

TSMaloy · 03-09-2006, 05:36 PM

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Originally Posted by Connor Wolf

I doubt it. I have an issue with Dan Brown being called intelligent. Intelligent doesn't mean being able to copy and paste a few extracts from tourist guides; it doesn't mean fictionalising the suppositions put forward in another book; and it doesn't mean getting your facts wrong. If that's what intelligence was, Umberto Eco would be asking himself why he wasted all that time reading books.

What makes you the expert on whether or not he is wrong or right? How do you know if what he put in his FICTION book is fact or if he just pulled it out of his rear end?

Stewart · 03-09-2006, 05:47 PM

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Originally Posted by TSMaloy

How do you know if what he put in his FICTION book is fact or if he just pulled it out of his rear end?

Because, according to Dan Brown, I drive on the right hand side of the road. Making such statements as England is the only nation in Europe where cars drive on the left is wrong because Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Malta, and Cyprus all share this quirk.

I also live about forty-five miles from Rosslyn. I've also been to Biggin Hill where he has the wrong police force in action. And no British police force would take commands from some French cop. All pulled out of his arse. And then on through the first Nicean Council and onto such nonsense as Emperor Constantine editing the modern day Bible.

Anyway, I'm pulling examples out of the hat. If you are going to defend the man, then please show us why he is such a good writer. You just deflect the criticism, don your rose-tinted specs, and post more retaliatory questions. Where's the meat of your argument?

THE JESUS STRANGLER · 03-09-2006, 07:39 PM

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Originally Posted by Besh

There should be a comma after myself, I think.

Correct, not at all impressive coming from an up coming bestselling guru.

Ben · 03-10-2006, 12:20 AM

I assume it was just the first draft; and even if it wasn't, it's not a big deal. Just a comma.

THE JESUS STRANGLER · 03-10-2006, 12:25 AM

He speaks as if he is some creative writing guru and he said to go pick his work apart and it only took me two sentences to find a mistake; I didn't even bother reading the rest. :yawn:

Ben · 03-10-2006, 12:34 AM

Maybe you should go read the whole thing, then, 'cause that's hardly picking it apart.

THE JESUS STRANGLER · 03-10-2006, 01:13 AM

I don't have enough interest to "pick it [all] apart," I just wanted a hint of his credentials to size up with those bold words.

Mike C · 03-10-2006, 01:56 AM

Oh dear. Vitriol and Bile. How nice, it's the Stephen King thread all over again.

Brown is not the world's greatest writer, that's a fact (and Jesus strangler, if you want to get hysterical over other people's comma use, there's plenty of my published work on my site - go right ahead, knock yourself out).

What's also more worrying is his reliance on the distortion of history and presenting fiction as fact - which was the whole hype behind the book's success in the first place - rather than relying on his story telling skills to sell the book.

Of even greater concern is that the story, it seems, may not even be his. He's in court in the UK currently over claims that he 'substantially borrowed' from someone else's work.

Stewart · 03-10-2006, 02:05 AM

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Originally Posted by THE JESUS STRANGLER

not at all impressive coming from an up coming bestselling guru.

Right, remove those blinkers, and read what I said. It was stated that the people who naysay Brown should show their credentials; I was merely stating an example of my writing was on the forum. Never once have I claimed to be an "up coming" (that's up and coming, by the way) bestselling guru. One, because I have no interest in mass market writing; two, in this day and age you need to be really poor with words to be a bestseller. Dan Brown is evidence of that.

Beardedtroll · 03-10-2006, 02:15 AM

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Originally Posted by THE JESUS STRANGLER

I don't have enough interest to "pick it [all] apart," I just wanted a hint of his credentials to size up with those bold words.

In other words, because he left out a comma he has "no credentials"? Now you're just being inane. (And I still think that particular comma is a matter of style. Are you now going to jump all over me for starting a sentence with a conjunction?)

Mike C · 03-10-2006, 03:21 AM

I think maybe the strangler should ante up and show his own credentials - let's see something of yours, JS.

A_MacLaren · 03-10-2006, 03:51 AM

Man, I've seen some petty discussions on these forums (I've even been in a few myself), but this is a real killer. This thing degenerated into spite and malice exactly three posts in.
Now, I've never read Dan Brown, so I'm not defending or attacking him. I haven't read him because airport fiction isn't really my cup of tea. I might see the movie, because it sounds to me like The Da Vinci Code might be a better movie than book, but that's neither here nor there.

I just want to comment on some things because I'm nosy. Here we go.

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Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery. Perhaps I don't get out enough... I honestly can't name one curator.

This is just being anal. The word 'renowned' doesn't mean that everybody knows about it. You can be renowned in a field, if I'm not mistaken. This guy could very well be famous among museum curators, but not among the general public.

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The man tilted his head and closed one eye, peering down the barrel of his gun. peering down? From fifteen feet away?

Yes. Peering down. The gun doesn't have to be pointed down for you to peer down the barrel. 'Peer along' would be just as good, but this isn't a mistake.

Apart from that...

You've all just been dumb. We've got some fanboys raving maniacally with the age-old 'If you can't do it you can't hate it' logic, and we've got a group of elitist jerks being cruel about peoples choices because they wouldn't deign to read Brown (and I might point out the blademasterzzz started the King thread defending someone people find to be equally vapid).

Stop being such a bunch of pissants and write some decent criticism.

(Incidentally, props go out to mike c for being a reasonable human being)

THE JESUS STRANGLER · 03-10-2006, 04:26 AM

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Originally Posted by Beardedtroll

In other words, because he left out a comma he has "no credentials"? Now you're just being inane. (And I still think that particular comma is a matter of style. Are you now going to jump all over me for starting a sentence with a conjunction?)

Did I ever say that? Uhh no.

And hey if comma's are a matter of style, than I guess "poor" storytelling and the words that create it are too.