Angels & Demons

Sometimes, I just love schlock fiction, don't you?  

I just finished Angels & Demons (the heavy illustrated edition with all the pictures) for the second time.  Even though I knew the ending, I couldn't help devouring the 500 pages in about 4 days (that's about twice my normal speed).  For me, Dan Brown sits at the top of the list that includes Stephen King, Jackie Suzann, John Grisham and Patricia Cornwall.

But Danny boy is different.  He tosses his prose salad with just enough art, religion, truth, travel details and conspiracy theories to keep you riveted every second of the read.  He writes his pseudo-educated thrillers like Stephen Spielberg directs an Indiana Jones picture.  Well . . . maybe that's a little too inflated.   Let's say he plots the way Spielberg directs.

And, Jesus!  Does his stuff every sell!  I just checked a list or two and A&D is the top selling mass media book this week -- and it's been out for what?  Five years?

Every once in awhile a book comes along that everyone HAS to read ('Valley of the Dolls'). Once in a great while a writer comes along that everyone HAS to read (John Grisham).  There's always a writer I enjoy reading but get a little embarrassed buying at a bookstore (everyone mentioned in this blog, including Jesus).  Thank God for Amazon.com. 

Dan Brown is all three.

What's he sold?  Like 50 million books in five years or something?  Amazon.com just came out with their top sellers' list for the past then years and he's number 4, beating out John Grisham, Stephen King and Dr. Phil to name a few.  Here's the complete list:

1. J.K. Rowling
2. Spencer Johnson
3. Nora Roberts
4. Dan Brown
5. Dr. Seuss
6. John Grisham
7. Stephen King
8. J.R.R. Tolkien
9. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins
10. Jim Collins
11. Phil McGraw
12. Robert Atkins
13. C.S. Lewis
14. Mitch Albom
15. Ken Blanchard
16. James Patterson
17. Stephen R. Covey
18. Mary Pope Osborne
19. Marcus Buckingham
20. Lemony Snicket
21. John C. Maxwell
22. Janet Evanovich
23. Robert T. Kiyosaki
24. Arthur Agatson
25. Tom Clancy

The closest thing to the mania around the 'Da Vinci Code' I remember is Erich Von Daniken's 'Charriots of the Gods.'  He sparked more interest in Mayan reliefs and The Plain of Nazca than ever existed before.  I believe he's the one who's ultimately responsible for the Machu Pichu Marriott. 

Dan Brown's given us a reason to go back to Rome and Paris -- even snobs like me.  Hell!  I want to see Santa Maria Del Popolo, don't you? 

I guess this is the most back handed rave review I've ever done.  I admit it: I adore these books.  But I'm not proud of the fact.  I won't read them on airplanes or other crowded public places.  That's when I'll pull out my Dostoyevsky or Flannery O'Connor or even Larry McMurtry.  Gotta protect the old image, you know. 

NEWS FLASH:  I just read that Ron Howard is making the 'Da Vinci Code' movie with Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou.  I bet it'll be huge.  And I'm delighted about Audrey:  she's who I pictured as the female lead all the way through 'Angel & Demons.'