text: whats this da vinci code? im wondering? what is it all about? fact or fiction? please tell me! its fiction but its very interesting you should give it a read, it does seem so real and i had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't - i think it offends some catholics but i'm a catholic and wasnt offended its very entertaining.  the da vinci code is a novel written by american author dan brown and published in 2003 by doubleday fiction (isbn 0385504209). it is a worldwide bestseller with 36 million copies in print (as of august 2005) and has been translated into 44 languages. combining the detective, thriller and conspiracy theory genres, the book is part two of a trilogy that started with brown's 2000 novel angels and demons, which introduced the character robert langdon. in november 2004, random house published a "special illustrated edition", with 160 illustrations interspersed with the text.  the plot of the novel involves a conspiracy by the catholic church to cover up the true story of jesus. this implies that the vatican consciously knows it is living a lie, but does so to keep itself in power. the novel has helped generate popular interest in speculation concerning the holy grail legend and the role of mary magdalene in the history of christianity. fans have lauded the book as creative, action-packed and thought-provoking. critics have attacked it as inaccurate and poorly written, and decry the many negative implications about the christian church.  the book opens with the claim by dan brown that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate"; but this claim is disputed by academic scholars in the fields the book discusses (see criticisms of the da vinci code and the further reading list below). as widely noted in the media, there has been substantial confusion among readers about whether the book is factual.