Key themes
- Suppressed history and the power of the institution that controls it
- The line between conspiracy theory and genuine heresy
- Symbol, code and the urge to find hidden meaning
About this book
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon: the first was his 2000 novel Angels & Demons. The Da Vinci Code fol
Published in 2003, The Da Vinci Code became a global phenomenon, selling 80 million copies and sparking genuine theological controversy. It was a pivotal moment in the commercial possibilities of the literary thriller.
Discussion questions
- The novel argues that powerful institutions suppress historical truth for their own preservation. How does Brown make this conspiracy feel plausible — and where does his historical evidence thin out into speculation?
- The puzzle-solving structure gives the novel its pace but also its limits. What does the reader's relationship to the riddles tell us about why the book is so engaging — and why some readers find it hollow?
- The novel was enormously controversial among Christians. How did you engage with its theological claims — as interesting fiction, as genuine provocation, or as something in between?
- Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon are functional rather than psychologically complex characters. Does this matter — and what does the novel's popularity say about the role of character in commercial fiction?
- The Da Vinci Code sold 80 million copies. What do you think it offers readers that more literary fiction does not — and is this a question of quality or of different pleasures?
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