Elonka wrote:

Blythe [Brown] was the research expert behind some of the most colourful and intriguing themes in the work, which involves a search for the Holy Grail via clues hidden in Leonardo da Vinci's paintings.

Hitherto barely heralded, the older, more glamorous half of the Browns is emerging as, if not the 'real brains' behind The Da Vinci Code, then certainly a creative energy as indispensable to her husband as the Mona Lisa herself.

The reclusive and childless New Hampshire couple are a formidable literary team. Blythe, 53, the 'silent partner', has been her husband's artistic lodestar ever since they formed a relationship in Los Angeles 16 years ago. She is cited by Brown, 41, as his 'inspiration'.

As I've been doing my own research on Dan Brown for his Wikipedia biography, I'd already come to the same conclusion -- that his wife, Blythe, was one of the driving forces behind his success. After they met, she introduced him to the right people, wrote press releases, and did a lot of the books' promotion. She's not the sole reason for his success (even with her help, Brown's first CDs and books had only mediocre sales, until The Da Vinci Code went to #1 in its first week), so there's still other ingredients required in the bestseller recipe. But I'm glad that the mainstream press is catching up with this, because I think that Blythe *should* get credit, where credit is due.

Elonka :)

1) Or the blame for an appalling book? Yep, she's significantly responsible for one of the stupidist bits of badly written prose to lay waste a forest in many years. Frankly she should be held to account for encouraging this nonsense. The writer himself can be excused on grounds of just being a bad writer, but what's HER excuse?

2) So let's remember his wife, his editors, his publishers, his friends, his dog, the waitress that served his coffee ... do you think if I just found the right wife, that blockbuster novel would just write itself? Of course you don't. The story of Blythe is just another piece in crappy jigsaw puzzle of publicity about a dopey book - specifically trying to enthuse the psuedo-feminisist claptrap that behind every great man is an even greater woman. That's not feminisim, that's making an excuse for yourself. Feminism is about making a name for yourself.

Jim

oaknet wrote:

The story of Blythe is just another piece in crappy jigsaw puzzle of publicity about a dopey book - specifically trying to enthuse the psuedo-feminisist claptrap that behind every great man is an even greater woman. That's not feminisim, that's making an excuse for yourself. Feminism is about making a name for yourself.

Actually, no, I don't think that this is part of the publicity engine. I think that Blythe has done everything possible to stay *out* of the spotlight. She's never (to my knowledge) given an interview, and there are very few pictures of her available.

My own stand on this, is that I'll admit that I'm annoyed when the public spotlight for any major accomplishment focuses on a single individual, whether it be writing a bestselling novel, negotiating a peace treaty, developing an artificial heart, or creating a critically-acclaimed movie. I have too often seen attention go to a single name, simply because that makes the story easier to understand, but it ignores or belittles all the dozens of other people who were instrumental in that accomplishment. It also bothers me when I see all the attention go to the man of a relationship, when it's clear that the success was the result of a partnership between a husband and wife team. In those cases, I say give the credit to the team, not just to the man. In the case of Brown's novels, I think it's a clear case that Blythe has been a close partner, not just personally, but professionally as well, and she should be recognized for that.

As for whether The Da Vinci Code is well-written, I'm not going to argue that. ;) I think the history is appalling, the conspiracy theories are garbage, and the frequent insistence on phrases like "all of this information is factual," or "most historians agree" is nauseating. Then again, historical accuracy aside, it *is* a fun read, and it has sparked a public debate and search for knowledge about some worthy subjects. I know that my own knowledge of the Grail legend, and the history of the Knights Templar and other elements of the Crusades has increased several hundred percent over the last year, as I've dug in to determine for myself what is fact and what is fiction. And bookstores all over the place have noticed an increase in sales of books about medieval history. I think those are good things, even if the result was unintentional. ;)

Elonka :)

Elonka wrote:

oaknet wrote:

The story of Blythe is just another piece in crappy jigsaw puzzle of publicity about a dopey book - specifically trying to enthuse the psuedo-feminisist claptrap that behind every great man is an even greater woman. That's not feminisim, that's making an excuse for yourself. Feminism is about making a name for yourself.

Actually, no, I don't think that this is part of the publicity engine. I think that Blythe has done everything possible to stay *out* of the spotlight. She's never (to my knowledge) given an interview, and there are very few pictures of her available.

My own stand on this, is that I'll admit that I'm annoyed when the public spotlight for any major accomplishment focuses on a single individual, whether it be writing a bestselling novel, negotiating a peace treaty, developing an artificial heart, or creating a critically-acclaimed movie. I have too often seen attention go to a single name, simply because that makes the story easier to understand, but it ignores or belittles all the dozens of other people who were instrumental in that accomplishment. It also bothers me when I see all the attention go to the man of a relationship, when it's clear that the success was the result of a partnership between a husband and wife team. In those cases, I say give the credit to the team, not just to the man. In the case of Brown's novels, I think it's a clear case that Blythe has been a close partner, not just personally, but professionally as well, and she should be recognized for that.

As for whether The Da Vinci Code is well-written, I'm not going to argue that. ;) I think the history is appalling, the conspiracy theories are garbage, and the frequent insistence on phrases like "all of this information is factual," or "most historians agree" is nauseating. Then again, historical accuracy aside, it *is* a fun read, and it has sparked a public debate and search for knowledge about some worthy subjects. I know that my own knowledge of the Grail legend, and the history of the Knights Templar and other elements of the Crusades has increased several hundred percent over the last year, as I've dug in to determine for myself what is fact and what is fiction. And bookstores all over the place have noticed an increase in sales of books about medieval history. I think those are good things, even if the result was unintentional. ;)

Elonka :)

How many of your friends, partner(s) and colleagues do you recompense for their part in your work? Not just a dedication but by paying them cash or in other forms of recompense?

Actually this is just another example of the US and UK hair-trigger victim-led faux-feminist culture which addresses small mannerisms rather than the real evils perpetrated against women. Stop wasting your time with this nonsense and concentrate on domestic violence, slavery, forced marriages, etc etc. I know I will.