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Yesterday afternoon I started reading Dan Brown’s newest book The Lost Symbol, and am already 150 pages in.  It’s an endearing book that, like all Dan Brown books, make you question the way you look at the history you grew up learning.  It also makes you want to plan vacations to these cool spots to see the actual symbols and statues he references.

This post isn’t just to brag to all of you at how fast a reader I am, but more importantly to see what type of reader you are.

Dan Brown has written several novels, everyone knows of his best seller The Da Vinci Code that still creates controversy to this day.  However, of all the books in the Robert Langdon series (I’ve yet to read Digital Fortress and Deception Point) I found Da Vinci Code to be the weakest, and most tedious read of the three so far.

It got me thinking, when it released there were suddenly shows on history channel attempting to debunk the myths and claimed facts that Dan Brown made in the novel.  It also created plagiarism suits and got the Vatican all huffed up (but really what don’t they get huffed about?).  So what made that book more popular than Angels and Demons, the first Robert Langdon story?

Both have plots primarily revolving around religion, and not just any religion, Catholicism.  Both make dangerous claims against the ideology and foundations of the religion many of us have come to embrace.  So what is the overlying factor that gained Da Vinci Code so much press?  Is it Jesus?

I honestly don’t think it is.  Many other books and films have been released that recognize Jesus as having a family and living a normal life.  Holy Blood, Holy Grail one of the books Dan Brown supposedly plagiarized is one of them, but how many of you have read that book?  Of those who have, how many read it before Da Vinci was released?  Then there’s The Last Temptation Of Christ, a film by Martin Scorsese with Willem DaFoe in the role of Christ.  Though it kicked up controversy in it’s time, only truly hardened film buffs have sat through the film, and far less genuinely appreciate it.

Now let’s quickly look at Dan’s latest book The Lost Symbol, press went wild up until the release date, and then vanished.  I would have forgotten all about the book if I didn’t have it sitting on my shelf waiting for me.  Now with all the buzz around Da Vinci and the fact that The Lost Symbol is set in our nations capital, you would think this book would still be buzzing, especially with a new president in office.  However, there is no more press on it, it’s sadly just become another book collecting dust on the bookshelves.

So what made Da Vinci so special?  My theory is science.

Both Angels and Demons and The Lost Symbol are both heavily rooted in complex scientific terms and theories that could fly right over the top of most peoples heads.  I personally love the scientific aspect of his novels.  The theories of anti-matter, though incredibly flawed and over-exaggerated, made for people who read the book to not only come out feeling a little smarter at the end of the read, but more satisfied because they challenged themselves.

However, I’ve found the average reader doesn’t like to be challenged.  We all have a set of comforts that we don’t like to stray from.  People who love horror movies take comfort in the fact that supernatural events could happen, it reassures them that there is more to this life.  People who like comedies usually want a few quick laughs to help them cheer up from the stresses of daily life.  The Da Vinci code played into those aspects.

It took two things we are deeply ingrained with, art and religion, and crafted a wonderful murder mystery around them.  I know of countless people that enjoyed the book so much more because it was easy for them to grab a visual.  Not familiar with an artwork?  Hop onto Google images and see what it looks like, you yourself quickly took on the role of Robert Langdon as you inspected the pictures and followed along with his discoveries, marveling at each new one brought to your attention.

So could it be that science is what kills Dan’s stories for the “normal” population of readers looking for a quick fix?  I personally think it is, but I wouldn’t want to change it.  Then again, I’m also the person that loves to call people out for claiming they read the book, when they really just watched the horrible film adaptation.

What do you think?