mattc_85

I am thinking about reading The DaVinci Code. Would it be ok to start at this book or should I start with his first novel?
Thanks!

SideShow

I would start with Angels and Demons, because it's the first adventure with the hero of Da Vinci, plus it's an awesome book! I'm pretty sure his other novels aren't connected though, I could be wrong.

darkside

You can start with Da Vinci Code. Thats what I did. Angels and Demons should at least be second. Both books are excellent so you can't go wrong either way.

travlr

Nothing would be spoiled by reading Da Vinci Code before Angels and Demons but I would recommend Angels and Demons first. They are both excellent books so you can't go wrong with either of them.

Geofferson

Start off with Angels & Demons.

Beaver

Great thread! I just got both books, so I was wondering the same thing. I had been leaning toward Angels & Demons first and think I will go with that based on recs.

djtoell

This isn't meant a threadcrap, but an honest recommendation. If you haven't read any Dan Brown yet: stay far, far away. I read "Angels & Demons" earlier this year, and I remain astounded that not only was Brown able to get published, but he has since sold in huge numbers. This does not bode well for the future of the American publishing industry. "A&D" is just devastatingly stupid. The premise is acceptable trash, but Brown's writing style is horrendous, filled with wafer-thin characters, atrociously idiotic dialogue, two-page long chapters, and sudden forced and mind-numbing moments of wonder by the characters on every page. The barely-out-of-junior-high writing syle is insulting to the readers' intelligence. It makes James Patterson read like James Joyce.

If you value your own worth as a reader and you're interested in grand Catholic conspiracy/adventure novels, just go for Umberto Eco or even Arturo Perez-Reverte. You and your IQ will thank me later.

DJ

Tsar Chasm

A&D was a lot of fun. Granted, it isn't highbrow literature that you could sit and discuss with the Duke of Stickinmybutt.

I enjoyed both this and DaVinci code. The author has certainly done a lot of research into his subjects and locales. They are both exceptionally fast reads and should be enjoyed.

Like many people, I read DaVinci Code first and when I finished A&D, I kinda wish I had read it first.

Kal-El

Ignoring the obvious-threadcrap-disguising-as-otherwise, I agree with everyone else. I read them in this manner actually:

Angels and Demons
Da Vinci Code
Deception Point
Digital Fortress

djtoell

It wasn't a threadcrap. It was a completely on-topic post. mattc_85 asked for a recommendation on which book to read, and I gave my advice: neither. Not every negative opinion is automatically a threadcrap. It's not as if I busted into the middle of a thread about the plot of "Angels & Demons" and said that the book sucked. An opinion on the books was asked for, and I gave one. I only prefaced my comments with the "this is not a threadcrap" disclaimer because I knew that someone who thinks that every negative post is necessarily a threadcrap was certain to pop up and flame me. And, lo and behold, I was right.

DJ

gusamo

I haven't read A&D yet, but the Da Vinci Code was excellent.

DodgingCars

I respectfully disagree with djtoell. I have read Angels & Demons and thought it was excellent. A real fun read.

I haven't read Da Vinci Code yet, but I plan to. I was thinking of waiting for the PB.

Blade

Actually, he was asking which of two books to read first, not whether either were worth reading.

I actually happen to agree with you (at least about Da Vinci Code, as I haven't read Angels), but it's really not the subject of the thread.

I don't know if I'd call this a threadcrap, but I would say it was "aggressively off-topic"!

matt, I've always been of the opinion that you should always read an author's books in the order he wrote them, if you can. I figure their writing will usually get better as they do more of it, and it's better to start with them at their "worst" so that things can only get better.

Kal-El

While this may be a good idea,--and mind you, I don't know how they plan to do the cover for the PB--you might miss some good stuff that you might want to look for later on, especially if you plan on trying the 2nd web challenge on Dan Brown's site. Try borrowing it from the library if you can.

JasonF

You ought to check out some Piers Anthony or Robert Heinlein some time.

(Now that's a threadcrap!)

Cedar

I bumped this thread up to let everyone know that Digital Fortress is now available in mass market paperback form. Stumbled accross this quite by accident at Barnes and Noble today. Guess he will soon have three books in the top 15 list on the paperback charts!

Quake1028

Came here to ask a question just like this . Picked up TDC the other day at Costco for $14, and I got A&E and DF today 2/$12 at Waldenbooks. Can't wait to get started.

Tom Banjo

I just finished Deception Point, and can now say that IMO all 4 of his books are definately worth reading. I found all of them interesting, and very informative. He really puts a lot of research into the topics he uses in his stories. I'd probably rank them like this from best to worst:
1. Da Vinci Code
2. Angels & Demons
3. Deception Point
4. Digital Fortress

The Zizz

I just read The Da Vinci Code...enjoyable enough popcorn book...something to kill time with on vacation or something. I agree with djtoell, however, that Umberto Eco and Arturo Perez-Reverte (esp. The Flanders Panel) are far better books in this genre. I might even describe DaVinci Code as "Foucault's Pendulum for Dummies." But I still had a good time reading the Da Vinci Code.