Hey folks,

Thinking of reading the Da Vinci Code or Holy Blood, Holy Grail  before the Tom Hanks movie comes out next month. I've probably only got the spare time to read one before next month.

Any of you folks that have read both have a suggestion on which one is better : The fiction or one of the books the fiction was based on ?

Any other comments on these books ?

Holy Blood, Holy Grail is a good read, but it turns out that a lot of their writing was based on being expertly hoaxed by a couple of French bastards, so some of the assumptions that underly the very premise of the book are simply incorrect.  Still - a lot of the historical questions they explore, and interesting questions they raise (unrelated to the erroneous parts about the modern-day secret society) are fun to read.



I've not read the Da Vinci Code, because it so clearly seemed to just be fiction based on the exact same premise, so I cannot compare them.

However, since the Da Vinci Code is INTENDED to be fiction, it might be a lot more fun to read, since HBHG can get a bit dry in places.

I've read them both.  Also read Angels and Demons by same author as Da Vinci Code.  DaVinci Code is a better read than Holy Blood Holy Grail.  HBHG gets complicated fast with hard to read (i.e. pronounce)names and places.  Also seems to jump around through out history instead of following a time line.  It just didn't flow very well for me.  Maybe I'm just not smart enough to follow a book like HBHG and you'd be fine.  I had to quit about 2/3 of the way into it.  Da Vinci Code is a fast paced very entertaining read.  I recommend it to anyone.   Will  make you think about the whole religion thing too.

Quoted: ...but it turns out that a lot of their writing was based on being expertly hoaxed by a couple of French bastards, so some of the assumptions that underly the very premise of the book are simply incorrect.

Thanks for the responses.

Where can I find out more information regarding the quoted text above ?

Quoted: Quoted: ...but it turns out that a lot of their writing was based on being expertly hoaxed by a couple of French bastards, so some of the assumptions that underly the very premise of the book are simply incorrect. Thanks for the responses. Where can I find out more information regarding the quoted text above ?

There was a great documentary on it a while back (but I can't remember if it was TLC, or Discovery or what ).

But they talk about the Plantard guy who perpetrated the hoax on this wikipedia page:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priory_of_Sion

Oh wait, wrong Grail.