I haven’t read
The DaVinci Code. The movie version put me to sleep. It just seems like hokiness without the humor that creates silly fun. I recently came across a similarly-themed novel,
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra, a Spaniard. It is pretty much what I expected. The action takes place in 1497. Many of the characters are based on actual historical figures. The great master is working on
The Last Supper or
Il Cenacolo, which a spy, who dubs himself The Soothsayer, believes contains heretical coding. He suspects DaVinci of being a Cathar, a member of a Christian offshoot which believes the Church is antithetical to the teachings of Christ. An inquisitor is summoned from Rome. The story is told from his point of view, decades after the events, including several murders, have taken place. Several interesting issues about the painting are brought to light. The one I found most intriguing is the knot in the tablecloth on the lower right hand side, from the viewer’s perspective, which symbolizes Mary Magdalene. Detailed analysis is rendered, oddities pointed out, a riddle solved. Although they seem plausible, I am skeptical. I think of snapshots, which are instants frozen in time that seem to portray its subjects in unflattering poses that may give a false impression that encourages speculation. On the one hand, the book is an easy read, only 317 pages, wonderfully translated by Alberto Manguel. Unfortunately, I found it tedious and unsatisfying. Perhaps this simply reflects my lack of faith. Do I believe Jesus Christ existed? Yes. Do I believe He was the son of God, the product of a virgin birth? No. Do I believe the Church suffers from excess? Yes. Is the Cathar way truer or more reasonable? I don’t see it. This was the author’s fourth of six books. He has been a NY Times best seller. 74 users rated the novel at Amazon, forging to a consensus of 3.5 of five. To my surprise, that is comparable, 3.7, to Dan Brown’s wildly popular book. I wonder if devout Catholics attack these works, lowering the ratings. Anyway, on a scale of five, I rate
The Secret Supper 2.5. Here is a picture of the masterpiece, a mural on a wall of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. I notice that there are knots in each corner of the tablecloth, unlike the illustration in the book. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the painting hadn’t been finished at the moment in the narrative when the knot is mentioned.
My thanks to the gentleman who purchased two romance novels in Russian today on Bay Parkway.
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Web Site:
http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
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