Dan Brown's planned new book The Solomon Key is promising be a best seller if the success of his previous books are anything to go by. His most famous novel The Da Vinci Code is now credited with selling over 60.5 million copies worldwide, making Dan Brown one of the most successful authors ever.
It was rumored that The Solomon Key was to be released in December of 2008 - one assumes the timing of The Solomon Key release was to be targeted at the Christmas market. However, rumors of a rewrite of a substantial part of the book may well have been true, as the book wasn't released.
The plot of The Solomon Key is said to be based around Washington DC and features the secret society of the Freemasons. It has been confirmed that Dan Brown visited a historical Masonic building in the area.
Dan Brown's most famous novel The Da Vinci Code was hotly debated and caused historians, Opus Dei and the Catholic Church considerable problems, as Brown mixed fact with fiction. Many readers incorrectly believed much of his book was established fact. leading to conspiracy theroies floading the internet.
Many feel Brown intentionally caused this controversy by a page in his book that contained the quoted statement below.
Fact:
The Priory of Sion—a European secret society founded in 1099—is a real organization. In 1975, Paris's Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci.
The Vatican prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout Catholic group that has been the topic of recent controversy due to reports of brain-washing, coercion, and a practice known as "corporal mortification." Opus Dei has just completed construction of a $47 million National Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City.
All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.
The Priory of Sion and the documents found at Paris's Bibliothèque Nationale had been known as a hoax by the academic community for several years before Dan Brown published The Da Vinci Code. Some go as far as to state that they even sent Dan Brown this information, meaning subsquiet editions of the book should have had this page corrected.
Many Freemasons are concerned that Dan Brown will use their secrecy to build the suspense in The Solomon Key, by missportraying Freemasonry or having the provocateur of his novel being a Freemason, or former Freemason.
While Dan Brown successfully defended a copyright infringement case brought by authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail fame, this appears to been simply because you can't copyright facts. Anyone familiar with both works will happily point out the similarities to you. One of Brown's characters actually refers to the title of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail in the book!
The Solomon Key is looking at being just as controversial, with Dan Brown adding suspense into the plot by involving the Freemasons into his story. Will they be the good guy's or the bad guy's?
DAN BROWN NOVELS
Digital Fortress, 1998
Angels & Demons, 2000
Deception Point, 2001
The Da Vinci Code, 2003
The Da Vinci Code, Special Illustrated Edition, 2004
Angels and Demons, Special Illustrated Edition, 2005
