In a chat with his audience, the author tells why the first five pages of all his books describe a gruesome murder
Did you have a problem with Christianity or the church as a young boyIJ Was there a demon in your mind that you were wrestling withIJ
Absolutely, I read the Bible at a young age and there were some stories which seemed unreal when I grew up. My mother used to say that the Bible is full of metaphors, full of myths and fables. You should not read it like history, instead read them as myth, lesson or an allegory. One of the biggest problems with religion today is that we are caught up looking at our scriptures as facts. We should look at the scriptures as a way to move on in our lives and not as a record of history.
Have you thought of writing on new territories preaching religions, like IndiaIJ
I spent a lot of time learning the mythology of religious Christian art. I would need to know so much more about myths, symbols, codes and religions. May be I am incredibly naïve.
The Da Vinci Code was a fictional book that asked a very pointed question. I narrated the story in a way that made more sense to me. It made no difference to me whether the readers believed that story for themselves or not.
Do you think a writer is particularly a soft targetIJ
The pen is actually mightier than the sword. One pen can reach millions and millions of people.
How do you interpret history in your researchIJ
History is falsely organised religion. My main problem with it is that many have established themselves in between men and God. The church places itself in the middle and wants to act as a translator. Sometimes those translations are self-serving as in my case and I am not afraid to say it. I believe that religion plays a very important role in our lives. And it will only get better only when people say exactly what they think.
Do you believe in GodIJ
When I look at the world around us I find it impossible to imagine that’s it is here by chance.
Why is there a murder in the first five pages of your bookIJ
I really believe that my book should be fun, that they should grab and hold your attention. And part of that is to create something shocking incident early in the novel. There is nothing more shocking than the loss of life.
Do you relate yourself to Robert langdonIJ
Robert langdon is the man I wish I could be. He is a whole lot braver, though. He shares a lot of my interests in symbols, codes, art and history. But he is far more intelligent and funny. There is a scene where he looks up at a symbol and gives an analysis that took me four days to write.
How do you deal with criticismIJ
I say this for all artistes that when you are a creative person you have to let your tastes guide you. When you write, paint or cook and present that to people, you show people your taste. Some will appreciate it and some won’t. When The Da Vinci Code came out, I didn’t let criticism impact me in any way. If you listen to people who hate you, you will be insecure.