Recent Books

Currently, I'm reading the Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason which Carolyn and I had read about while on our trip to Quebec. Much like the Da Vinci Code, this novel is based on the secrets hidden within a 1499 novel Hypnerotomachia Poliphili . Two Princeton students struggle to divine the hidden meanings.

I guess this choice follows from my recent read of the aforementioned Da Vinci Code which I found an interesting summer read, but incredulous that so many find it intriguing as a revelation of the secrets that the Church has hidden for two thousand years such as (don't read further if you don't want to know the plot line) ....the fact?!? that Christ did not really die on the cross, that he was married to Mary Magdalene, and they had a daughter who represents the divine feminine that was squelched and hidden by the church of the fourth century. It amazes me that so many Americans hold to such varied conspiracy theories - the Church hiding the "fact" of Christ's child; the Bush/Saudi machinations of Fahrenheit 911; the mob/Cuban/CIA killing of JFK; the moon landing was faked, etc. An absolute lack of historical context or knowledge or reasoned analysis seems to be the norm for most people these days. It is much easier just to accept the "facts" presented by a skilled novelist or film maker.

I had been given Da Vinci Code by Dennis, my neighbor, along with three other books from Dan Brown which I read on my recent trip to Montreal: Digital Fortress ; Angels & Demons ; and, Deception Point. Dan creates some interesting premises in all three, but tends to go overboard with technologies that don't exist (anti-gravity matter, hypersonic planes) to wrap the novel up in the final fifty pages. Evidently, a more realistic ending isn't available as he has hyped his premise through the first eighty percent of the novel.

What's new on your reading list?