WHO’S AFRAID OF THE CODE?
Mark my words: ten years later The Da Vinci Code would have lost its thrill but Christianity would still be there and many people like Mother Teresa in our life time would rise from nowhere and demonstrate the love of Jesus in action, says columnist Rajendra Prabhu.
Those who are going ga ga on the Dan Brown book are ignoring what the book itself says about the work as seen by the American Press: “exhilarating brainy thriller” (New York Times), “smart thrills” (People magazine), “thriller writing doesn’t get better than this” (Denver Post).
It is regrettable that even otherwise rational people are trying to substitute what this “thriller” says about Jesus and Christianity for what the Gospels declare and the Church has experienced over two thousand years. Haven’t we seen other thrillers and even so called spiritual movements –so famous in their time but soon going into oblivion? So many books were best sellers at one time or the other. But they haven’t retained that popularity over two millennia as the Bible has done- without anybody needing to advertise this book. Therefore to claim that just because the Code has sold over 45 million copies in three years it is more important than the Bible and that it eclipses the picture of Jesus in the Gospels is to be carried away by changing winds. Who would not like to read a thriller? Many still believe that Sherlock Holmes is a real character and he still lives in the Baker Street address. Had Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived in the mass media era of the 21st century the Sherlock Holmes books would also have gone into millions of copies. So, there is nothing unique about another thriller catching the headlines in this era of mass media.
The comparison of the Code with the Bible in fact is odious and is like comparing the chalk and cheese.
The Code has been written for effect as a thriller. Naturally, there is exaggeration, guesswork, lot of theorization etc. Only the locale is authentic, like the Paris museum The Louvre, an awe-inspiring place; the characters are all imaginary. Only a warped mind would see in that great museum that is my favourite spot whenever I had a chance to be in Paris, hooded murderers and ghosts.
A Malayalam poet once wrote that even at the milk filled udder of a cow, the fly drinks only blood.
More:
http://www.theindiancatholic.com
Those who are going ga ga on the Dan Brown book are ignoring what the book itself says about the work as seen by the American Press: “exhilarating brainy thriller” (New York Times), “smart thrills” (People magazine), “thriller writing doesn’t get better than this” (Denver Post).
It is regrettable that even otherwise rational people are trying to substitute what this “thriller” says about Jesus and Christianity for what the Gospels declare and the Church has experienced over two thousand years. Haven’t we seen other thrillers and even so called spiritual movements –so famous in their time but soon going into oblivion? So many books were best sellers at one time or the other. But they haven’t retained that popularity over two millennia as the Bible has done- without anybody needing to advertise this book. Therefore to claim that just because the Code has sold over 45 million copies in three years it is more important than the Bible and that it eclipses the picture of Jesus in the Gospels is to be carried away by changing winds. Who would not like to read a thriller? Many still believe that Sherlock Holmes is a real character and he still lives in the Baker Street address. Had Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived in the mass media era of the 21st century the Sherlock Holmes books would also have gone into millions of copies. So, there is nothing unique about another thriller catching the headlines in this era of mass media.
The comparison of the Code with the Bible in fact is odious and is like comparing the chalk and cheese.
The Code has been written for effect as a thriller. Naturally, there is exaggeration, guesswork, lot of theorization etc. Only the locale is authentic, like the Paris museum The Louvre, an awe-inspiring place; the characters are all imaginary. Only a warped mind would see in that great museum that is my favourite spot whenever I had a chance to be in Paris, hooded murderers and ghosts.
A Malayalam poet once wrote that even at the milk filled udder of a cow, the fly drinks only blood.
More:
http://www.theindiancatholic.com
posted by VIVA at 5:52 PM
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