da vinci uncoded

Don't laugh but I finally got my hands on the much talked about DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. Half of the world's reading population must have already read it. The book was passed on to me by my boyfriend who usually never gets pass reading the synopsis at the back cover. Full of praise for the book, he had urged me to read it. Truth is, Da Vinci Code got so famous, I feel slightly embarassed reading it in public places. Cliche, you know. But I wanted to check out what the hype is all about.

You may or may not like the book...(depending on your beliefs???) but I was definitely very impressed with how Dan Brown has so cleverly fused fact with fiction and post some of the most intriguing topics in such a friendly and readable format. A master of the word, his writing is brilliant. The plot is complex and engaging...but at some point, the skeptic in me thinks it's just a tad bit far-fetched. The ending answers some questions while leaving others to your imagination. Some mysteries are more tantalising when left unsolved. Somehow, the plot is very clever like that- the questions are raised, even if there are no answers.

Opus Dei, The Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, the background of Leonardo Da Vinci- his life's work, his genius and his bordering on insanity. All these and loads of very interesting nuggets of information that I would never have bothered to enquire on my own...now all presented to the masses in a paperback. The book also talks about the Bible- and how it has been 'edited' to what it is today. Fact or fiction- that's obviously for the reader to decide. One thing is for sure, the book is not short of controversies and it leaves you wanting to find out more. I wished I had discovered the book earlier.

Have you read it? What are your thoughts on it? And while you're at it, why are some of the most brilliant, most talented peope in the world, somehow always a little insane, offbeat or misunderstood? Maybe that should have been the norm. What's a little insanity if you can be a genius?