The Da Vinci Code Book Summary

Brief Summary:

“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown is a mystery novel that explains the twists and turns behind decoding Cryptex. It brings forth characters involved in a series of acts, which leads them to Westminster Abbey from Paris. Besides the run to find the message enclosed in the mysterious Cryptex, the novel's characters’ get entangled in murder, fleeing, and other criminal activities. Of course, these events are unintentional and aimed at finding the identity of Sophie Neveu. 

Analyzing Twisted Aspects:

Character Revelation: 

The story starts with Jacques Saunière (curator of the Louvre Museum), who has been shot by a Catholic Monk named Silas. After his body was discovered, Harvard professor Robert Langdon was summoned by the police. In the course of investigations, the police call a cryptographer named Sophie Nevue. She turns out to be the estranged granddaughter of Saunière, who has been called to find the meaning of his last message. From there on, Dan Brown introduces more characters like Bezu Fache, Manuel Aringarosa, Sir Leigh Teabing, and Marie Chauvel Saint-Claire. Indeed, Fache is the policeman who came to investigate the case, Aringarosa is the Biship in the Vatican, Teabing is the Grail scholar, and Marie is the long-lost grandmother of Sophie. 

Decoding Saunière’s Last Message:

When the dead body of Jacques was found, the police identified a cryptic message that needed an expert to decode. For this, Langdon and Sophie were summoned. In fact, Langdon explained to Fache that the sign made on the chest of Jacques in his blood represents a reference to the goddess and not the devil. On the other hand, Nevue tells Langdon that she is the estranged daughter of Jaques and the last line is for her to find Langdon. This is the reason that the police have misunderstood him to be the murderer. But, the message had a code that Jacques wanted Langdon to decode and find the Cryptex box with Keystone. 

Hunt for the Cryptex Begins:

In the middle of the investigation, Sophie and Langdon escape as they come to know that they have to the Mona Lisa Painting and Madonna of the Rocks to find a pendant. This, further, takes them to the Depository Bank of Zurich. There, in a locker, they find the Cryptex box with a cylindrical-shaped handheld vault and rotatory dials labeled with letters. Certainly, the box with the Cryptex had clues to the password for decoding the message.

Deciphering the Cryptex Box:

To open the box, Langdon took Sophie to his teacher named Teabing because he was an expert on the Holy Grail. He explained to them that the Grail is linked with Mary Magdalene, wife of Jesus Christ. Then, the trio – Langdon, Sophia, and Teabing – discovered that the numbers on the box indicate her name. later on, they went to a place where Sophia discovered a strange ritual being performed. From Teabing, she gets to know that it’s a Sacred Marriage ritual. Then, Teabing threatens Langdon to resolve the code for the second Cryptex. Though he finds it to be Apple but removes the main content secretly before tossing the box in the air. Indeed, the final message leads them to Roselyn Chapel where she meets her long-lost brother and grand-mother. However, it is discovered that Sophie and her brother are the descendants of Mary Magdalene. Also, the real meaning of the last message in the second Cryptex is that the Grail is buried under the small pyramid beneath the inverted pyramid of the Louvre. After identifying and decoding the Cryptex, Langdon reaches the Inverted Pyramid of the Louvre and kneels to offer prayers to the Sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene.