Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Throw it Into the Fire and Dan Brown it on Each Side

If you’ve been living under a rock, then you will have no clue what The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are, or much less, who Dan Brown is. The popular press has turned Brown into a superstar authors whose novels can easily be turned into movies. But on their own, and as books, how good are the works of Dan Brown?

This is your chance to critically review popular books, and your chance to critique a book above and beyond its ability to stay on top of the best-sellers’ list. This doesn’t mean that you have to rip the book to shreds. It only means that you have to read without being afraid of critics and Hollywood worshippers.

Read each Dan Brown book and scrutinize everything, from grammar and syntax, to plot and character development. Which characters stand out? Which need to be developed better? How well-developed is the plot? What are the loopholes? How could the books have been improved? Why are they so popular? By answering these questions, you can get your finger on the pulse of the reading masses, and you can learn an important lesson: not everything that sells is perfect.

You are not required to review every Dan Brown book; as of late 2009, you will have 5 to choose from. Pick one and read like a pro. You may end up encouraged to write your own bestseller when you’re done.

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