Bob Cox writes
Random House Inc. yesterday said it intended to drop its demands that a Nashville publisher retitle an upcoming critique of the best-selling mystery novel, The Da Vinci Code.
Thomas Nelson Inc. is preparing to distribute a Texas theologian’s analysis of Dan Brown’s mystery novel. But the title of Darrell Bock’s forthcoming book — Breaking the Da Vinci Code — had raised the ire of Random House.
A Disconnect with Harry Potter
Debate is good.
Shutting off debate is not good.
I do not think this was done with the multiple books that have come out concerning Harry Potter that call it various mean and nasty things. God, the Devil, and Harry Potter: A Christian Minister’s Defense of the Beloved Novels and Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick are two texts that talk about and debate matters concering Harry Potter. Both express views concerning the text and discuss good aspects and “evil” aspects. The debate is not too difficult.
The question begged is this: Why is such debate okay for a children’s book but not for an adult fiction novel? The sort of idea that comes out of Da Vinci Code is not new. The idea of alternative/apocryphal views also showed up for example in a novel featuring the British science fiction character Dr. Who and no major controversy erupted.