Dan Brown - The Formula

Dan Brown has written four novels: The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress, and Deception Point, not necessarily in that order. Click on the links for the plot summaries if you want. I've read all of them. Rather than review all of them seperately, or even truly review all of them at all, I thought I'd retouch on what I mentioned when I reviewed "The DaVinci Code."

"Dan Brown wrote one helluva book. But, from what I hear, he wrote it several times and called each something different, so I may not be reading any of the others. Regardless, this book rocked. It's no wonder it's been the buzz of the world for years now, and I'll say that, if you haven't already, this is one book you must not miss. "

So, the first question is, "Is that true? Did Dan Brown write the same novel four times and simply rename it?" The answer is a resounding "No." Each novel had a different plot and, in two of the four novels, even had a different main character.

However, while the novels are in fact different, the plot elements are not. He likes heroes with a deep fear of something (often stemming from a childhood accident). He likes antagonists with scarred egos (often stemming from a betrayal by "the man"). And he likes cripples. Oh, and he likes it when the protagonist finds love, you know, that kind that occurs when two people are placed in stressful and life-threatening situations together (ala "Speed"). And it helps when those people haven't been able to love for awhile (also stemming from a blemished past).

So the formula goes something like:

1. take troubled, but brilliant, protagonist,
2. add world-altering event, usually of the "people's faith" variety,
3. throw in another troubled, but brilliant, person of the opposite sex, to help the protagonist,
4. take the antagonist, hide them in the shadows to pull strings like a puppet-master,
5. toss in a few false leads, to lead them on a merry chase, often across the globe,
6. and finally reveal all in a stunning climax, thus saving the world.
7. Oh, and it helps if the bad guy is either a cripple, or a trusted leader/confidante of some sort.

Does this make any of the books, or all of the books, bad? Not at all. I enjoyed them all. Each was different enough to provide enjoyment, nothing more. Do you stop eating chocolate because it tastes the same? Nope. So, grab some chocolate, a few of these novels, and relax. Enjoy.