In his blog, Roland Poirier Martinsson expresses his fascination with the phenomenon Dan Brown and his success with The Da Vinci Code.

He notes a new biography on Dan Brown, and a Da Vinci Code calendar for 2006, and sarcastically asks if we will see Dan Brown dolls on sale next.

I have read The Da Vinci Code myself, and I admit that I found it highly entertaining. It was a quick read. Many friends and acquaintances have also read it - a popular conversation topic.

It is some time since it was issued, even in its Swedish translation, so I had assumed this was a phenomenon of the past. Sure, I had noted the claims from the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, seen all other available Dan Brown books quickly reach the shelves along with fast appearing clones and a vast number of books refuting or explaining the ‘Da Vinci Code’. Then there is the film.

I had to check again when doing some last minute Christmas shopping. Sure enough, there was a CD: The Da Vinci Mode - ‘Spirit of Da Vinci’! A double CD! It is a mix of ambient pop and classical music.

The book is quite clearly not a masterpiece, though it was not until I read the predecessor, Angels and Demons, that it became clear just how bad it is. Angels and Demons is probably the worst book I have ever read. The Da Vinci Code is an obvious carbon copy of it.

As a former student of physics, partly at CERN, I rolled my eyes and looked heavenwards almost every page. The most exaggerated storytelling has been removed in the next version of the same story ( i.e. The Da Vinci Code), probably contributing to its success.

Conspiracy theories and secret brotherhoods make fascinating and tempting reading. Furthermore, if the action takes place in popular tourist places, the milieu will become more vivid for many readers. However, this is not unique. So I speculate a little why this particular book became so intensely successful:

  • It is read by people who, like myself, are not regular readers of suspense fiction. These will not have a lot of good suspense fiction as a reference.
  • Dan Brown claims to base his book on facts. This is to create an illusion, of course, but there is something to it. Many facts are correct, e.g. the fact that the myths and conspiracy theories he describes already exist. Readers will be familiar with at least some of them, and maybe an attractive myth that gets repeated becomes a little more ‘true’. A myth about a more original uncorrupted spirituality, just before our eyes, but still hidden, is attractive.
  • The effort spent is not huge, and the ‘reward’ comes quickly, creating a lust for more. Paradoxically there may be a yearning for cultivation. The use of already existing material makes it possible for further reading elsewhere, which gives a sense of cultivation. There is no time for real cultivation today, or maybe it is just too boring for people.
  • The success breeds success. Eventually there will be a social component to having read the book - much as e.g. the casual discussions at work of the sports or the latest episodes of the reality shows.

Dan Brown dolls– no, probably not… But the brands Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code will continue to sell many different types of merchandise for quite some time. The success of the book has turned into success of the success.