The Da Vinci Code
 Though
I've had trouble finding time to keep up with this
column of late (not to mention cleaning my
apartment or doing the laundry), I've managed to
dig into a new thriller, the best-selling novel
"The
Da Vinci Code." It didn't take long to hook me.
With an exciting mix of action, art history,
religion and mystery, all set in romantic Paris, it
doesn't surprise me that this book debuted at the
top of the bestseller lists (it currently sits at
#2 on the New York Times' list). Besides being a
compelling murder mystery, the novel is littered
with fascinating tidbits of information on topics
ranging from Egyptian theology to Renaissance
history. I can't decide what I'm enjoying more, the
fiction or the non-fiction.
Take, for instance, the fascinating phenomenon
of the Divine Proportion. Without getting too
technical, the Divine Proportion is represented by
dividing a line segment into two smaller segments,
such that the proportion of the larger piece to the
whole is equal to the proportion of the smaller
piece to the larger piece. What makes this so
interesting is the strange and inexplicable
coincidence that this proportion (1.618:1) crops up
countless times in nature. Your arm is a perfect
example: the ratio between your full arm's length
and the length between your elbow and tip of your
fingers is roughly the same as the ratio between
the latter and the length between your shoulder and
elbow. Similar proportions can be found in the
anatomies of many animals, the characteristics of
some planets, even in the structure of DNA
itself.
I'm only about one-quarter of the way into the
book, and I already find it difficult to put down.
Usually, books that have so much drama and fact
packed into the same volume suffer from an
imbalance between the two. Either the author shows
off his considerable research at the expense of the
story, or the story is supported by the barest,
poorly researched facts. Not so with Dan Brown's
thriller. I'm so enthralled by it that I'm daring
to post this glowing endorsement without having
even finished it. So go buy it... but if you finish
it before me, don't spoil the ending.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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What is "The Daily Strick"?
I have long called
myself a writer, but too often I don't do
what a writer must do daily: write. So
you, dear reader, are the beneficiary of
my resolution to make a positive change in
at least one area of my life. Every single
day of this new year (almost), I will
write something, anything, and post it
here. It is my intention to use this daily
exercise to jump-start my too-long-dormant
creative energies, and perhaps generate
some worthwhile material this year.
Hopefully you will find at least an
occasional amusement or insight in my
daily musings.
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July Columns:
7/21: Hiatus
7/17: Death Ship
7/16: The Da Vinci Code
7/15: Bad Moon Rising
7/14: Adios, Compay
7/13: Ty Odeh
7/10: Muse
7/6: Memories
7/4: On the Road Again
7/3: Onion Valley
7/2: Happy Independence Day
Previous months in The Archive
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