Lisa of Troy’s Comments (group member since Feb 12, 2022)

Lisa of Troy’s comments from the The Da Vinci Code Readalong #DaVinciCodeReadalong group.

Thanks for joining the Da Vinci Code Readalong!

If you are interested in April's book, Of Mice and Men, here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/group/invit...

We will be starting April 24, 2022.

Alright, serious question time. The Da Vinci Code or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

Thanks, Janz! You are really very kind. I am a bit behind in putting together the reading schedule. Of Mice and Men will definitely be either the last two weeks or last week of April. This one will be a little tricky because the chapters aren't numbered so I will have to give some thought as to how to get around that.....

I think if the police find Silas he should just claim sanctuary, and he should be all good. Right?

Christine wrote: "Which classic is that?"

Of Mice and Men is scheduled for next month.

Lee wrote: "we're not finished are we?"

We aren't finished yet. We will wrap up on March 31. There hasn't been a tremendous amount of participation during this Readalong. I'm not sure if it was the book or interest in Readalongs are waning.

Did anyone else think it is funny that the first cryptex's password was Sophie? My first guess was that it was her first name.

Chapter 71 - Chapter 74
Teabing and Langdon try to decrypt the message in the rosewood box. However, Sophie is the one to break the code. The message needs to be read in a mirror. The message even uncoded is not very straightforward, and it mentions a tomb. Fache is told that Teabing is likely headed to London. We learn what Sophie saw that caused the estrangement from her grandfather – she walked in on her grandfather having a spiritual moment.

Do you think that Remy and Silas know each other? Do you think that Teabing is headed to London?

Chapter 68 - Chapter 70
Langdon makes a call to his editor in The States. Apparently, Langdon wrote a book, and the editor sent it out to get praise from leading scholars including Sauniere. The police will now think that Langdon did contact Sauniere after Langdon told them that he never contacted him. Teabing threatens the pilot with a gun and offers a bribe of 2,000 pounds to take Sophie, Langdon, and Silas along for the flight. Teabing talks about how releasing the information to the public might impact Sophie. The bank manager is now stating that he wants the bank’s name out of the news but wants the item in the vault returned to him, alleging that Sophie and Langdon stole the item. Fache learns that Teabing took off in his airplane with no flight plan and leaves Collet in charge of the investigation.

Do you think that there would be blowback on Sophie for revealing the truth? Couldn’t she anonymously post her information on the internet or print off copies and mail them to a news agency?

I did some research because I am an amateur sleuth, and it looks like it is possible to rent a car under a false name. Some rental card companies permit you to pay with a prepaid card. You are required to show a driver’s license. Sometimes they run your driving record but sometimes they don’t. Although I would love to be the person who checked Silas’s information. I can only imagine the conversation at the desk. “Hey did you check in this guy?” shows picture of albino monk. “Why, yes.” “Does he look like this guy?” shows picture of someone’s driver’s license who is clearly not an albino monk. “Oh. My bad.”

Chapter 65 - Chapter 67
Silas has Teabing and Sophie at gunpoint when Teabing is carrying the cryptex to Silas, Teabing strikes Silas with his crutch, connecting right where Silas’s punishment belt is located. After shots are fired, Collet decides to burst down the gate and not wait for Fache. He discovers that Sophie, Langdon, and Teabing have taken off in a Range Rover. From the car, Teabing calls his pilot to get the plane ready. They are leaving for London. Teabing tries to question Silas, and Silas prays for a miracle. Langdon tries to call the U.S. to get some answers.

What do you think the symbolism is that Teabing hit Silas right in the punishment belt? What miracle do you think will happen to Silas? Why does Aringarosa use Silas at all instead of completing the assignment on his own? Why did The Church only put Silas on this assignment instead of assigning a team? Do you believe that Teabing would so quickly abandon all of his research in France?

Chapter 61 - Chapter 64
While Teabing is meeting with his helper, Langdon explains that Walt Disney included much symbolism in its films. Teabing comes back and is unhappy that Langdon and Sophie are wanted by the police. Until they tell him that they know where the keystone is. Teabing explains that the Priory was planning on revealing the truth at some point in the future. With the age of Pisces ending, the theory is that the Priory was going to release the secret. Collet is ready to burst in and nab Langdon and Sophie, but Fache orders to wait. Collet is concerned that either Fache is just trying to take all of the credit or perhaps he isn’t certain of Langdon and Sophie’s guilt. Collet stumbles across a warm Audi and the armored truck. Langdon examines the rosewood box and notices some text when Silas bashes him in the head.

Just saying....Lisa of Troy is also a Pisces. Coincidence?

Why do you think that The Priory risked its secret instead of just letting the secret die with them? Why do you think that Fache wants Collet to wait? Why doesn’t Teabing have a better security system? Why does Silas hit Langdon instead of trying to reason with him the way that he did with Saniuere? Have you noticed symbolism in Walt Disney movies?

Chapter 58 - Chapter 60
Teabing explains his theory to Sophie that he believes that The Last Supper includes a representation not of 13 men, but 12 men and 1 woman. The woman seated to Jesus’s right is Mary Magdalene. According to the New Testament, Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. However, Teabing claims that that wasn’t true, the Church created that narrative to discredit Mary. Jesus was in fact married to Mary Magdalene. She also was pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Sarah. Remy, Teabing’s help, calls him to ask him a question. Aringarosa receives a message that he is to call someone. Thinking that it must be The Teacher, he is surprised to hear that it is someone from The French Judicial Police.

Would you think less of Jesus for being married? It is quite interesting that the Old Testament has two books of the Bible named after women: Esther and Ruth. However, the New Testament doesn’t have any books of the Bible named after women. Why aren’t there any books written by women in The New Testament?

Also, the discussion of the royal blood of Jesus is quite interesting. There are quite a few relics associated with Jesus so it might be possible to extract DNA from these.

What do you think about Teabing's theory on The Last Supper? Do you think a woman is seated next to Jesus?

Chapter 54 - Chapter 57
Langdon and Sophie discuss hiding the cryptex before going into seeing Teabing with Langdon suggesting putting it in his coat. Teabing explains that the New Testament was written by men, and some books didn’t make the cut. Constantine had a hand in finalizing the New Testament, dropping some of the more female friendly books. Teabing shows Sophie a picture of The Last Supper which he says has a wine glass for each person rather than a single cup. Teabing states that the Holy Grail is not a thing but a person, a woman. Collet discovers Langdon and Sophie’s location, but it seems that Silas is also on the trail.

How do you think that Silas knew the location of Sophie and Langdon? What phone call could be so important to Fache?

As someone who loves books, I have often wondered about how the Bible came to be. In the Jewish and Christian faiths, they both use some of the same books of the Old Testament. Even within Christianity, Catholics have additional books. So how did someone determine which books made the cut? And how was it determined what to be included? According to 1 Corinthians 15:6, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people after the resurrection. So why didn’t their stories make it into The Bible? Where are these stories?

What do you think about the paining of The Last Supper? How will Sophie and Langdon get information from Teabing without revealing the cryptex? How much should they share with him? Usually, really important documents were copied. Do you think that Teabing might already have a copy of The Grail documents?

Chapter 50 - Chapter 53
We discover that Aringarosa has no way of contacting The Teacher. Only The Teacher can contact him. However, Aringarosa fears that The Teacher might have been trying to contact him when he had no cell service. Langdon suggests meeting his bestie, Sir Leigh Teabing who just happens to be the wealthiest person in the world AND a Grail scholar. Langdon and Sophie arrive at Leigh’s gates, get hassled by the guard for arriving so late, and endure odd questions from Leigh before being granted access. The bank manager turns on the tracking system on the truck Langdon and Sophie drove off in.

Is there a more unbelievable character than Leigh Teabing? Does everyone in France have a GPS tracking unit on Robert Langdon? Why doesn’t Aringarosa have missed calls? Does anyone else feel that the book is dragging a bit?

Paul wrote: "Am i the only one who is tiring? I started out champing at the bit to get onto the next readalong part, and yet now I am having difficulty summoning up the strength to pick up the book. I don't fin..."

Yes, Paul! I feel the same as you. This book seems almost absurd at times to the point that it is a chore to pick it up. I thought it might be that I just watched the movie before this book that ruined the surprise, but I feel the same as you.

Chapter 46 - Chapter 49
Silas gives The Teacher a call and is told to wait for next steps. He isn’t out of the game yet. Inside the rosewood box, Sophie and Langdon find a cryptex, a device that requires a password or else the message will be destroyed. Langdon believes that they are holding the keystone, the directions to The Holy Grail. However, Vernet suddenly pulls the truck over. Somehow, Langdon and Sophie end up dumping Vernet and driving off with the keystone and the truck.

Why did Vernet suddenly become so concerned about Sauniere’s property? Why is he so concerned about his bank’s reputation? Didn’t he just help two fugitives escape? Did anyone else think that Chapter 49 was a mess? How exactly does Langdon and Sophie manage to evade Vernet? If Vernet has a gun why doesn’t he shoot Langdon? Does The Teacher have no other resources other than Silas? Why would The Teacher pick the least conspicuous person to do his dirty work?

Chapter 42 - Chapter 45

Sophie and Langdon use their key to enter the Bank of Zurich. However, the clerk recognizes them from the news and alerts Interpol. The bank manager meets Sophie and Langdon, and they learn that they must have a code in addition to the key. They have one chance to get the code correct. Sophie enters the code that Sauniere left on the floor before he died but in the order of The Fibonacci sequence. The conveyor belt delivers a large box which reveals a rosewood box. The police arrive while Sophie and Langdon escape with the help of a bank manager.

This set of chapters would make for a great Booktube video. I would love to call up banks and ask if they have a safe transport clause. “Yes, if the police are chasing me into the bank, will you guarantee my safe passage out? How much would that cost?”

The bank reminded me of Gingotts Wizarding Bank from Harry Potter. I did find out that there are banks which require a key, a unique pin code, and biometics to gain access (Sentinel Vaults in Ireland).

What did you think of the bank scene? Do you believe that the police would have let the truck go without it being searched first? Does anyone else think that it is strange that Vernet (the bank manager) tells Sophie that he doesn’t know her and that their services are anonymous but then immediately knows that Jack Sauniere is Sophie’s grandfather and that they were “dear friends”?

Chapter 38 - Chapter 41

Langdon launches into a story about The Holy Grail, that it might not be a cup. He is very conveniently working on a book about The Holy Grail. The taxi driver is about to turn in Langdon and Sophie, but she pulls a gun on him. Silas understands that he has been tricked. The Sister has been sadly killed and put in her bed. Silas dreams of going back to the Opus Dei building and never leaving. Langdon apparently doesn’t know how to drive a stick shift, so Sophie has to drive the taxi. Sophie and Langdon discover that the key leads to a Bank of Zurich. Aringarosa picks up a suitcase full of bonds drawn off the account that can be traced back to the church.

Where did Sophie get this gun? Why did she hold hostage the painting if she had this gun? Did anyone else find the description of Langdon driving the stick shift laughable? Usually, if you drive a stick shift, you can stall out or maybe grind some gears. You can still steer. Why does Langdon answer all questions with a very long answer? Why do you think that Silas bothered to put the Sister back in her bed?

In The States, we lost an hour of sleep so my remarks are a bit jaded this morning. I will be back to my regularly scheduled jadedness tomorrow (or maybe in a week).

Chapter 34 - Chapter 37

Bishop Agringarosa recalls his prior time in Rome. Sophie and Langdon do not board the train but duck out in a taxi. Langdon (very conveniently) finds an address written on the key. Fache learns about the train tickets and alerts Interpol even though he knows that there will be blowback for Sophie. Langdon tells Sophie about the history of the Priory in the back of the taxi. Apparently, Friday the 13th relates to an order to eliminate the Knights Templar.

Has anyone heard of this "special place" in Paris? I was there around the time this book came out, but I don't remember a park full of interesting people. Was Langdon involved in this past event in Rome that Aringarosa is remembering? I haven't read the first book so I am wondering if I am missing out on some key backstory.

Chapter 30 - Chapter 33

Sophie finds the key under Madonna of the Rocks and uses the painting as a hostage to free Langdon. The sister finds out that everyone that she is supposed to alert is now dead. Sophie and Langdon try to get to the embassy but the police have the embassy surrounded. Sophie thinks back to the event that caused her to be estranged from her grandfather. Langdon and Sophie try to think of their next steps and buy tickets for the train.

What do you think that Sophie saw that caused her to disown her grandfather? Do you think that she should have talked to him first? What do you think that Langdon and Sophie should do? It sounds like there were more than three other people at Sanuiere’s event. Why can’t the other members of The Priory help? Wouldn’t Sophie notice people consistently going to meet with her grandfather?