What I Love About My Favorite Book

How ‘The Da Vinci Code’ Opened My Mind

It was 2006, and I was an undergraduate at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB). Although I was studying Soil Science, I always had a big appetite for reading novels and gaining general knowledge.

That’s how I stumbled upon one of my all-time favorite books — The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I was lucky enough to read it before seeing the movie. Who gave me the book? I honestly can’t remember, but I’m grateful for the chance to experience such a masterpiece.

Raised in a Christian household, it was the first time I ever tried to view my faith through a different lens — a more logical one. Not in a way that made me question my beliefs, I must say, but it was refreshing to see things from another perspective. I knew it was clearly fictional, and I understood that.

From the moment I started reading, I was captivated by the puzzles and secrets hidden in famous paintings and religious history. Dan Brown seamlessly weaves real locations and historical events into a fictional story, making you question what’s fact and what’s fiction.

In The Da Vinci Code, there’s a central theory about the Merovingian lineage — a supposed bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. The book suggests that Jesus had a relationship with Mary Magdalene, and they had descendants whose lineage was kept secret. It’s all fictional, of course.

The main character, Robert Langdon, is relatable in how he solves mysteries using logic, knowledge, and just a bit of luck. I also enjoyed how the book challenges conventional ideas, especially about religion and the power structures behind it.

Reading that book felt like being right there in the scenes Dan Brown vividly described. It took me on a journey into an alternate world that, before then, I’d only experienced through movies. I loved every moment of it.

If you love fiction, The Da Vinci Code is highly recommended.