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[Shaki]

It seems his new book has smashed some records:

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Brown book breaks record in hours

Did anyone pre-order or queue up to buy this?

I read The Da Vinci Code and thought it was pretty terrible, even as a trashy page turner, which I am in no way averse to. The story was average for a book of its kind and I thought the writing was amateur. If I'd read it before the hype I may not have disliked it as much as I did but still, it wasn't very good.

It's cool if he makes people ask questions of institutions and ignites interest where there was none before but does he really deserve these accolades?

So, what's his secret? Anyone love him? Anyone hate him?

[Carrots Gladstone]

I love his books. I struggle to put them down once they get going... Haven't ordered or queued for the new one though - I'd never do that for a book (or anything unless it was limited in supply eg. gig tickets). I don't really understand people that camp outside shops etc so they can get the next Harry Potter (or whatever) book at bang on midnight. If I was a Harry Potter fan, I'd just wait and get it at a convenient time...

[Le Stu]

Yeah, I thought The Davinci Code was a pretty trashy thriller. I mean, all the stuff about Christianity was interesting but I would much have preferred a fact-based history book instead. And the furore over it was predictably dense.

[Lucky Rathen]

I quite enjoyed the Da Vinci code and I thought it was quite clever, but at the same time utterly ridiculous in places. A know a lot of historians have criticised how he's tried to pass off all this fantasy as fact.

I really hated Angels and Demons though. The story was quite exciting but it was just ludicrous. At one point a guy jumps out of a helicopter 1000 feet in the air, with just a sheet of tarpaulin that he holds over his head to use as a parachute, and walks away unscathed! It's full of just utter nonsense.

I've always said that his novels read as though they were written with the sole purpose of having them turned into movies. They have so many movie cliches and set-pieces it's basically like reading a film. And not a very good one at that.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rathen

I really hated Angels and Demons though. The story was quite exciting but it was just ludicrous. At one point a guy jumps out of a helicopter 1000 feet in the air, with just a sheet of tarpaulin that he holds over his head to use as a parachute, and walks away unscathed! It's full of just utter nonsense.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! that's just tooo creepy.

I was just dicussing the Shiteness of Dan Brown with a colleague not 2 mins ago!!!

The discussion was "Books you've thrown across the room in anger/frustration/disbelief" and I had just mentioned that very passage.

Utter bobbins.

Going slightly off-topic, I thought I'd give the movie versh a chance and just got as equally frustrated with the whole.... "you're a foreigner and a college professor with no police training whatsoever and your partner is a female scientist. There are terrosists with guns and bombs and stuff in there, why don't you lead the charge into the building and the body-armoured SWAT team will follow?"..attitude of the whole movie.

Having said that, his books are very readable.

[The Ghost Of Fudge]

i like. i even read Digital Fortress and the other one (can't remember the name).

yeah, they're shit, but i can't stop reading them. implausable is fine by me.

i remember thinking "this'd make a great movie" when i read A&D. not that i've bothered going to see the film, mind. the first one was crap.

[WoodyRATM]

I like them.
Not bothered seeing the movies yet though - I just feel Tom Hanks doesnt suit the idea of Robert Langdon in my head.

[Shaki]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rathen

I've always said that his novels read as though they were written with the sole purpose of having them turned into movies. They have so many movie cliches and set-pieces it's basically like reading a film. And not a very good one at that.

Aye, I thought that the writing was more like a screenplay than a novel too. Langdon sat down. Langdon looked up. Langdon got chased around a museum/library/city centre, turning left then turning right. Langdon worked out that this symbol meant the baddies went that way.

There was no interesting characters or character development that I could grab onto but I suppose if it's page turners you're after then the action and mystery are more important. I don't necessarily mind the implausible in a book of that type - Christopher Brookmyre's action sequences and set pieces are pretty stupid but there's always great characters, dialogue and wit which I found missing with the Da Vinci Code.

I was dragged to the cinema to see Angels and Demons and groaned throughout although I was kicking myself for enjoying the twist.

I don't suppose my dislike would bother Dan Brown that much though so fair play to the lad.....

[Stichman]

Dan Brown is just so awful. His writing style is horrific, and Angels & Demons was one of the most cringey, cliche-ridden books I've ever had the misfortune to pick up. Never mind the fact that he just invents great piles of pish and passes it off as history, or the ridiculously far-fetched scenes like the infamous helicoper jump; he's just a bad, bad writer.

I'm sure he spins an exciting yarn, but dear god that's about all he can do.

[Lucky Rathen]

Vittoria was tied to the bed. Langdon managed to reach her JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME! as the assasin was about to kill her. Langdon and the assassin have a fight, which just happens to be on a balcony that's A HUNDRED FEET HIGH! The assassin overpowers Langdon and HANGS HIM OVER THE BALCONY!!! As he's about to let him go... BANG! Vittoria stabs him through the back with a poker! The assassin dies!

*They embrace.*

Wait a minute, wasn't she shackled to the bed? So are you going to explain how she managed to get free? Oh, you aren't.... right.

It's crap like that that made me hate Angels & Demons.