Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: beet1e on August 08, 2005, 05:35:46 PM
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Well, I tried. Read the first 140 pages, but stalled. Admittedly, author Dan Brown's writing style is fluid and readable. But there is a problem: Much of the subject material concerns art and religion - two subjects that are in my dead zone. After I gave the book back to the person from whom I had borrowed it, I was told what the crux of the matter is in the story - to which my reaction was "Wow. How knickerwettingly exciting." :(
Just wondered if any of you bookworms out there had actually got through it.
Has DB written any books of a more secular nature? Wouldn't mind looking at one of those...
Toodle-Pip, and positive waves all over the place to those in need...
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Was going to, then saw some stuff debunking all of the theories put forward and revealing the hoax behind it.
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Yep. Read it. So did my kid.. great conversation piece.
Like most 'good' stories, some historical truth, tied to half-truths and pure speculation. Read it for what it is.. entertainment.
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Originally posted by Hangtime
Yep. Read it. So did my kid.. great conversation piece.
Like most 'good' stories, some historical truth, tied to half-truths and pure speculation. Read it for what it is.. entertainment.
I'm glad you said that. Saved me the trouble :aok
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I downloaded the audio book
was a good listen
Tapakeg
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Hi Beetle,
Unfortunately it was in my "have to read in order to be able to answer questions about it without talking through my hat" list which are generally books I don't enjoy much (like the Celestine prophecy, etc.) While Brown's writing style is indeed fairly fluid and I tried to simply read it for what it was, I got tired of the fabricated history and the vast multi-layered conspiracy and after a while it degenerated into an academic exercise for me. So, yes I've read it, but I never really empathized with Sophie or Langdon or any of the other characters and wasn't drawn into the story. Then again, I'm part of the conspiracy. ;)
- SEAGOON
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If you read it like a WW2 sim geek would watch a WW2 movie and grouse about the F6F5 in the picture when it should be an F6F3.... then you will agree with Seagoon.
Other than that it's not too bad.
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Originally posted by Seagoon
Then again, I'm part of the conspiracy. ;)
- SEAGOON
LOL!! Aha! An Opus Dei Operative, enh?? ;)
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Whe you are a former Parisian like me some "fact" used by Brown gave a good laught (and spoiled the reading :()
I remember the St Sulpice easter computer and "méridien de Paris" and I've never see a train going to Lille from St Lazare ... in 10 years going to and back from St Lazare if there was one I should have noticed it !
The train for Lille come from "gare du Nord" as allways and as it allway will !
(why the hell going west to go north after ?)
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The Da Vinci Code reminded me of another book I read about 30 years ago, called "The Osterman Weekend". (also made into a film, which was crap) The story looked good, and like the DVC had many hooks to make the reader want to read on, but in the end it led... nowhere. I got a strong sense of dčja vu when reading the Da Vinci Code. That, plus I probably couldn't give a stuff how it ended up.
The other book that I did read cover to cover was Kathy's Story (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840189681/qid=1123607298/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-0962364-9291815) - "A Childhood Hell Inside the Magdalen Laundries". This is an autobiographical account of a girl whose father banished her to a life inside institutions in Holy Catholic Ireland in the 1960s, where she suffered physical abuse from Roman Catholic priests and nuns. In some cases, she was raped by the very priest who preached from the pulpit against the evils of "impure thoughts". I'd already seen a TV dramatisation of a story like this. The poor girl ends up living rough, and then in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison for stealing in order to survive. As a measure of how bad those Magdalen laundries were, she said that prison life was "a breeze" compared to life in the laundries. The last of those evil laundries closed its doors in 1996! Their demise was brought about in part by the development of the domestic washing machine.
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I thought it was a nice, fast pace, piece of fiction.
no reason for anyone to get excited (or panties in a wad) over it, like some people did.
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Originally posted by beet1e
The Da Vinci Code reminded me of another book I read about 30 years ago, called "The Osterman Weekend". (also made into a film, which was crap) The story looked good, and like the DVC had many hooks to make the reader want to read on, but in the end it led... nowhere. I got a strong sense of dčja vu when reading the Da Vinci Code. That, plus I probably couldn't give a stuff how it ended up.
Give the 'Road to Gandolfo' a try.. also by Robert Ludlum (Osterman Weekend). You WILL laugh yer bellybutton off... and I don't think he was really trying to be funny. ;)
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I read it a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Brown certainly reignited my reading enthusiasm and I read his 'Angels and Demons' straight afterwards.
Beet, there is an illustrated version of The Da Vinci Code which would probably be better for you if you're not au fait with art and religion. You can have a look at my copy in October if you wanted to leave it till then?
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Originally posted by Replicant
Beet, there is an illustrated version of The Da Vinci Code which would probably be better for you if you're not au fait with art and religion. You can have a look at my copy in October if you wanted to leave it till then?
Yep! Is our October meeting definitely on?
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Originally posted by Replicant
I read it a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Brown certainly reignited my reading enthusiasm and I read his 'Angels and Demons' straight afterwards.
Beet, there is an illustrated version of The Da Vinci Code which would probably be better for you if you're not au fait with art and religion. You can have a look at my copy in October if you wanted to leave it till then?
LOL.. with my kid, when she'd bang out a relevancy question, I'd nod at the computer.. 'look it up'. After she read the book, she opened a bible.. first time since she was in elementary school. Now she's a sharp as most theologians; but with a difference.. she's not trying to prove or dis-prove anything; she's much more interested in the 'history' and the impact on civilizations wrought by 'religious dogma'. She's really getting into Islam now.. tho her toughest nut so far was trying to understand the roots of the Serb/Croat conflicts.
Really; quite a handful she is.. her research and debate skills have improved dramaticaly thanks to that one miserable book. ;)
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I didn't really rate it. I thought the characters were insubstantial and I also couldn't emphasize with them. Compared to other world bestsellers like 'The Day After Tomorrow' by Fulsom, I found it very easy to put down.
The ideas were interesting however.
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Originally posted by midnight Target
If you read it like a WW2 sim geek would watch a WW2 movie and grouse about the F6F5 in the picture when it should be an F6F3.... then you will agree with Seagoon.
Other than that it's not too bad.
http://www.moviemistakes.com
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@Hangtime
It's good when something like that happens. I have a very open minded philosophy about stuff and as far as religion goes I find it more interesting how it's affected people throughout history; i.e. given faith, hope etc., but also conflict and a different history to what really happened.
@Beetle
Well, I've had two emails so far... so I hope it still does happen albeit it might be much smaller than at first thought! Whether people are going to decide nearer the time I don't know.
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The Da Vinci Code - anyone read it?
I think a few millions did according to the sales.
It's a good light weight book. Fun and harmless, but it's pulp.
If you want the serious version of it go to the source:
"Foucault Pendulum" by Umberto Eco (also wrote "Name of the rose").
Infinitly better, but not as easy.
Bozon
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Originally posted by Hangtime
Yep. Read it. So did my kid.. great conversation piece.
Like most 'good' stories, some historical truth, tied to half-truths and pure speculation. Read it for what it is.. entertainment.
same...well put Hang
Just finished "Caesar against the Celts"based on JC's written accounts...Ramon L. Jimenez Author
Tides of War (Steven Pressfield) dramatized version of Athens Golden boy Alcibiades and his Peloponnesian War...the man who could of done what Alexander the Great did...before him
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Spoiler:
If you think that you might ever read The Da Vinci Code, stop reading my post now. If you’re sure you won’t, read on.
The premises of the book is that Mary Magdalen was not a common potato; she was JC’s wife. The Holy Grail is not a cup; it is Mary Magdalen’s womb. After the death of Jesus, Mary Magdalen splits to France and gives birth to their daughter. The royal blood line is kept secret for centuries. A few folks are selected to guard the secret and pass it on. Leonardo Da Vinci is one, he paints hints in paintings like The Last Supper where one of the 12 disciples looks very feminine and is supposed to be Mary Magdalen.
Note, I have not read this book; my wife did awhile ago and she told me about it. I’m sure that this is an awfully thin and less than perfect synopsis. I do, however, love the idea of Mary Magdalen being the Holy Grail, however likely or unlikely.
eskimo
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Total freaking ripoff of the book, "The Holy Blood, The Holy Grail".
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Originally posted by Thrawn
Total freaking ripoff of the book, "The Holy Blood, The Holy Grail".
looks like his rip-off paid off well....:eek:
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Originally posted by beet1e
But there is a problem: Much of the subject material concerns art and religion...
You could have saved some time and got that much from the reviews on the dust jacket.
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It's an amusing work of fiction, but I could say the same thing about any Dirk Pitt novel by Clive Cussler :)
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Originally posted by Holden McGroin
You could have saved some time and got that much from the reviews on the dust jacket.
Oh I already had a feel for what it was going to be about - didn't know it would get so bogged down though.
And it was a peperback - no dust jacket. :p
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Book was written to entertain. Pure Fiction. Knights Templar do exist but that's all the facts I could get from it.
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finished it this weekend..
great book!!! :aok
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I listened to the book on tape. I enjoyed having the story told to me but I suspect I wouldnt have gotten far reading it.
I think Hanks being in the movie might make it a worthwhile watch. We shall see but I doubt it will be a really terrific movie, or something like that.
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You guys ever want to read an outstanding true life novel pick up a copy of
ADRIFT:76 DAYS LOST AT SEA (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?endeca=1&isbn=0618257322&itm=8)
by Steven Callahan
True first hand account of how
Steven Callahan survived more than a month alone at sea in an inflatable raft. In January 1982, Callahan set sail from the Canary Islands on a small boat he built himself. The boat sank six days into the trip and Callahan was left adrift on a five-foot (1.5 meter) life raft.
With only three pounds of food and eight pints of water, a solar still and a makeshift spear, Callahan managed to survive on his own until his rescue 76 days later. He probably could not have accomplished this without the still (which can make sea water potable) and the spear. During his two-plus months at sea, Callahan's raft traveled approximately 1,800 miles (2,898 kilometers). Throughout the entire ordeal, Callahan constantly fought death. Not only did he lose an incredible amount of weight, leaving him malnourished, Callahan was very badly sunburned and had to repeatedly fight off sharks. Although left helpless to watch as ships passed without noticing him, Callahan's determination to live was unyielding. He ate whatever fish he could catch and found ways to occupy his mind. His quick-thinking saved his life time and again. Even when his raft sprung a leak, Callahan was able to keep the raft afloat and managed the leak for 33 more days until his rescue.
Positively riviting book.
by the time he was rescued in the book I was so into it I felt almost as thirsty as he did
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Yes, yes, this piece of fiction completely destroys christianity.
Read that again 3 times and figure out why everyone is in a funk about it.
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Give the 'Road to Gandolfo' a try.. also by Robert Ludlum (Osterman Weekend). You WILL laugh yer bellybutton off... and I don't think he was really trying to be funny.
I hope you're not talking about the Robert Ludlum who wrote the Bourne Identity.
The Bourne Identity is quite possibly the worst book ever written ever. I was seriously in pain reading it and gave up soon into the book.
I'll be damned if I ever willingly pick up a Ludlum book ever again. Even to determine whether or not it would burn well.
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
I hope you're not talking about the Robert Ludlum who wrote the Bourne Identity.
The Bourne Identity is quite possibly the worst book ever written ever. I was seriously in pain reading it and gave up soon into the book.
I'll be damned if I ever willingly pick up a Ludlum book ever again. Even to determine whether or not it would burn well.
I like the part in the book where there is a secret cruise ship filled with an arms bazaar, and they let in all these spys without so much of a background check and then they blow the boat up, and everyone dies and then they get away.
Actually that Ludlum book wasnt half bad.:rofl
Seriously anything by Dale Brown gives me phyiscal pain and nausea."Tin Man" has got to be the worst book ever. So I think anything by Dan Brown would do the same dang thing.
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Totally unbelievable book.
I mean who could believe a story about a guy that comes to earth as the son of god...............
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Originally posted by Silat
Totally unbelievable book.
I mean who could believe a story about a guy that comes to earth as the son of god...............
I know. Its a miracle anyone believes it.
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Beet1e is Teabing :)
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
I hope you're not talking about the Robert Ludlum who wrote the Bourne Identity.
The Bourne Identity is quite possibly the worst book ever written ever. I was seriously in pain reading it and gave up soon into the book.
I'll be damned if I ever willingly pick up a Ludlum book ever again. Even to determine whether or not it would burn well.
If you thought the Bourne Identity was bad, you should try reading the one called "the Brotherhood" or something like that. I accidently picked it up once in desperate need for something to read during some train trips.
Story basically is about how a small group of nazis secretly have prepared for a worldwide coup, by use of now grown-up sonnenkinder, (sun childs) placed in powerful positions. The coup was to be executed by flying lots of Me-323 gliders (yes, not 321's!), hidden since the war and towed by jet planes, loaded with poison into water resovoirs. The trick being they would be invisible on radar since they don't have metal in them.:huh
There are so many twists and turns in his books that I actually was expecting Hitler to turn up alive by the end of the book, which he then did. I swear I'm not making this up. :lol
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OMG, I just found it's a film as well. Title was "The Apocalypse Watch" btw, not what I wrote above.
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click harry potter (http://www.kosowan.com/adventure/)
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Furby - who was Teabing? I don't recall that name in the first 140 pages, which was as far as I got. As soon as it started getting religious, my mind went into quiesce status.
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its a Royal Historian, Sir Leigh Teabing who is incredibly rich!
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Originally posted by Furball
its a Royal Historian, Sir Leigh Teabing who is incredibly rich!
LOL! Why does everyone around here seem to think that I'm loaded?! :lol
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Couldn't get through it. The characters were poorly drawn, the plotline strained my credulity to the breaking point.
I bailed on the book at the point where he informed me that the political terms "left" and "right" were based on some masculine/feminine/religeous mumbo jumbo. They, of course, emmanate from the seating arrangements in the French Assembly.