Ghost of a flea: When quotation marks attack

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May 06, 2006

When quotation marks attack

I have yet to read The Da Vinci Code though I expect I will get around to it before seeing the film. This does not prevent me from enjoying the spittle flying hither and yon in the run up to the movie debut. Sometimes the critics do not do themselves any favours.

I could imagine readers of this book, including Catholics, falling into an infinite loop of doubt, asking, "But how do you know?" when someone tries to explain that the book is false regarding Catholicism. For example, the novel asserts that Jesus was not God, but fell in love and married Mary Magdalene and had a child with her, and from the very beginning the Church has sought to cover this up. Why? Critics of the Church would argue because it is a threat to the "male hierarchy's" "power base" and that the Church has a "negative" view of women and sexuality.

Nothing to see here folks! Certainly no male hierarchy with a negative view of women and sexuality!

Having not read the thing, it is my impression Opus Dei is subject to what may be actionable speculation in Dan Brown's airport-reading spectacular. It seems to me a more sensible line of argument would stick to specifics. A Jewish reading public would not be expected to put up with a best-selling Zionist conspiracy thriller so why should devout Catholics? This is not only a reasonable approach to addressing those who are "weak in faith" (surely an admirable goal). It is better tactics than drawing attention to the Holy See's weak hand in public relations when it comes to sex and sexuality.

See? Not just poking the Anglicans with a stick. Now looking for Quaker Da Vinci commentary.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at May 6, 2006 10:34 AM

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Comments

just weighing in with my 2 cents on the book... it's terribly written, the characters are cardboard, there is absolutely no depth, and i couldn't put it down.

the story was facinating to me, and made up for the fact that the writing was a bit, shall we say, lack luster...

Posted by: mainja at May 8, 2006 08:07 AM

Agree 100%. Course I have been reading about the stuff that he pinched for his tale for over 15 years.

Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge at May 9, 2006 10:00 AM