An evening with Dan Brown, by guest blogger Susanna Lewis

Dan Brown is an American author of thriller / adventure fiction with bestsellers including The Da Vinci Code ( 2003), Angels And Demons ( 2000) and Inferno (2013 ) These are the three books that were made into blockbuster films all directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, the main character in each book.  The books contain recurring themes such as cryptography, symbols and codes with the ever-present conspiracy theory running as a constant story line in each book.

 

And so to Harrogate, which was Dan Brown’s only public author event in the UK this year! When the celebrated author walked on stage he was warmly received by the audience who filled the Royal Hall. Dan quickly came across as a very likeable and genuine person. I had dragged my husband along to the event who didn’t even know who Dan Brown was, but he was quickly won over by the author’s articulate way of speaking. Dan Brown’s books are usually full of subtle division between religion and science and my husband, a science based engineer, was soon  engrossed in the author’s point of view about this controversial topic.

Dan Brown talked about his childhood and how he had been raised with a deeply religious mother and a very scientific father, thus prompting the thought provoking issues in his mind from a young age. After The Da Vinci Code was released, the Catholic Church publicly condemned the book but with little effect, as the book sold over 80 million copies. Dan’s subsequent books have all enjoyed great success proving that the public are hungry for this kind of subject matter.

Dan was at the event primarily to discuss his new book ‘Origin’ which focuses on subjects like DNA, Artificial Intelligence and genetic medicine, while exploring the link with religion. The book is set in Spain which Dan Brown visited to gain valuable research, while the descriptions of these Spanish locations are beautifully written. Central to the plot are the key thoughts of “Where do we come from?” and “Where are we going?” I think in today’s uncertain world it is a question most of us will have asked, whether or not we follow a specified religion.

The event at Harrogate was a huge success - I could have listened to Dan Brown all evening. He is a charming, amiable man, highly intelligent and a fabulous story teller. I can see why I, along with millions of others, find his books exciting and addictive. I left the event thinking about the thought provoking topics he had touched on through the evening. Isn’t that the mark of a good storyteller? He certainly converted my husband into an avid fan who is now reading his first Dan Brown novel!

The book ‘Origin’ is now out for sale on Amazon

Susanna's blog A Yorkshire Girl        https://ayorkshiregirl.com/