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{{Short description|American author (born 1964)}}
{{Infobox Writer
{{Other uses|Daniel Brown (disambiguation)}}
| name = Dan Brown
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
| image = Brownd.jpg
{{Infobox writer <!-- For more information see ]. -->
| caption =
| name = Dan Brown
| birth_date = ], ]
| image = Dan Brown bookjacket cropped.jpg
| birth_place = ]
| death_date = | image_size =
| death_place = | alt =
| occupation = Novelist | caption =
| birth_name = Daniel Gerhard Brown<ref>, ] Library; retrieved August 3, 2017.</ref>
| genre = Mystery
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|06|22}}
| movement =
| birth_place = ], U.S.
| magnum_opus = '']''
| influences = | death_date =
| influenced = | death_place =
| resting_place =
| website =
| footnotes = | occupation = Novelist
| alma_mater = ] (])
| genre = Thriller, adventure, mystery, conspiracy
| notableworks = '']''<br />'']''<br />'']''<br />'']''<br />'']''<br />'']''<br />'']''
| spouse = {{marriage|Blythe Newlon|1997|2019|end=div}}<ref name="divorce">{{cite news |last1=CASEY |first1=MICHAEL |title=Ex-wife of 'Da Vinci Code' author Dan Brown alleges he led a double life |url=https://www.boston.com/culture/local-news/2020/06/30/author-dan-brown-ex-wife-lawsuit |access-date=July 1, 2020 |agency=AP |date=June 30, 2020}}</ref>
| relatives = ] (brother)
| awards =
| signature = Dan Brown's signature.svg
| website = {{URL|danbrown.com}}
| portaldisp =
}} }}


'''Daniel Gerhard Brown''' (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his ] novels, including the '']'' novels '']'' (2000), '']'' (2003), '']'' (2009), '']'' (2013), and ] (2017). His novels are treasure hunts that usually take place over a period of 24 hours.<ref name=Themes>Brown. Witness statement, pp. 17, 21.</ref> They feature recurring themes of ], art, and ]. His books have been translated into 57 languages and, as of 2012, have sold over 200 million copies. Three of them, ''Angels & Demons'', ''The Da Vinci Code'', and ''Inferno'', have been ], while one of them, ''The Lost Symbol'', was adapted into a ].
'''Dan Brown''' (born ], ]) is an ] ] of ], best known for writing the controversial 2003 bestseller, '']''.


The Robert Langdon novels are deeply engaged with Christian themes and historical fiction, and have generated controversy as a result. Brown states on his website that his books are not ] and he is on a "constant spiritual journey" himself.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Duttagupta|first=Ishani|title=Dan Brown: I would love to write about Hinduism; but don't know enough about Indian culture|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/interviews/dan-brown-i-would-love-to-write-about-hinduism-but-dont-know-enough-about-indian-culture/articleshow/45160272.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2021-07-27}}</ref> He states that his book ''The Da Vinci Code'' is "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Dan|title=The Da Vinci Code FAQs|url=http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/faqs.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060411153902/http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/faqs.html|archive-date=April 11, 2006|website=Official Website of Dan Brown}}</ref>


== Early life == ==Early life==
Daniel Gerhard Brown was born on June 22, 1964, in ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dan Brown {{!}} Biography, Books, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dan-Brown|access-date=2021-01-05|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> He has a younger sister, Valerie (born 1968) and brother, ] (born 1974). Brown attended Exeter's public schools until the ninth grade.<ref name=LisaRogakBiography>Rogak, Lisa (May 7, 2013). , ]. pp. 6-8. Archived at ]; retrieved August 3, 2017.</ref> He grew up on the campus of ], where his father, Richard G. Brown, was a teacher of mathematics and wrote textbooks<ref name=kaplan>{{cite news|url=https://parade.com/106060/jameskaplan/13-dan-brown-life-after-da-vinci-code/|title=Life after 'The Da Vinci Code'|date=September 13, 2009|magazine=]|author=Kaplan, James|access-date=February 25, 2022}}</ref> from 1968 until his retirement in 1997.<ref>, p. 122</ref> His mother, Constance (née Gerhard), descended from ] ],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Erb |first=Peter C. |date=June 5, 2006 |title=The Schwenkfelder Code |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/575/article/schwenkfelder-code |magazine=] |access-date=January 28, 2024}}</ref> and trained as a church ] and student of ].<ref name=LisaRogakBiography/> Brown was raised an ],<ref name=kaplan/> and described his religious evolution in a 2009 interview:
Dan Brown was born on June 22, 1964 and raised in ], the oldest of three children. His mother Constance (Connie) was a professional musician, playing ] at church. Brown's father ] was a prominent mathematics teacher, writing textbooks and teaching ] mathematics at ] from 1962 until his retirement in 1997.


<blockquote>I was raised Episcopalian, and I was very religious as a kid. Then, in eighth or ninth grade, I studied astronomy, cosmology, and the origins of the universe. I remember saying to a minister, "I don't get it. I read a book that said there was an explosion known as the Big Bang, but here it says God created heaven and Earth and the animals in seven days. Which is right?" Unfortunately, the response I got was, "Nice boys don't ask that question." A light went off, and I said, "The Bible doesn't make sense. Science makes much more sense to me." And I just gravitated away from religion.<ref name=kaplan/></blockquote>
Phillips Exeter Academy is an exclusive ], which required new teachers to live on campus for several years, so Brown and his siblings were literally raised at the school. The social environment at Exeter was mostly ]. Brown sang in the church ], attended ], and spent summers at church camp. His own schooling was at public schools in Exeter until the 9th grade, at which time he enrolled in Phillips Exeter (Class of 1982), as did his younger siblings Valerie (1985) and Gregory (1993) when it became their turn.


When asked in the same interview about his then-current religious views, Brown replied:
== Songwriter and Pop Singer ==
After graduating from Phillips Exeter in 1982, Brown attended ], where he was a member of ] fraternity. He played squash and sang in the Amherst Glee Club, and was a writing student of novelist Alan Lelchuk.


<blockquote>The irony is that I've really come full circle. The more science I studied, the more I saw that physics becomes ] and numbers become ]. The further you go into science, the mushier the ground gets. You start to say, "Oh, there is an order and a spiritual aspect to science."<ref name=kaplan/></blockquote>
Brown graduated from Amherst with a double major in Spanish and English in 1986, and then dabbled with a musical career, creating effects with a synthesizer, and self-producing a children's cassette entitled ''SynthAnimals'' which included a collection of tracks such as "Happy Frogs" and "Suzuki Elephants", and sold a few hundred copies. He then formed his own (vanity) record company called Dalliance, and in 1990 self-published a CD entitled ''Perspective'', targeted to the adult market, which also sold a few hundred copies.
In 1991 he moved to ] to pursue a career as ]-] and ]. To support himself, he taught classes at ].


Brown's interest in secrets and puzzles stems from their presence in his household as a child, where codes and ]s were the linchpin tying together the mathematics, music, and languages in which his parents worked. The young Brown spent hours working out ]s and ], and he and his siblings participated in elaborate treasure hunts devised by their father on birthdays and holidays. On Christmas, for example, Brown and his siblings did not find gifts under the tree, but followed a treasure map with codes and clues throughout their house and even around town to find the gifts.<ref name=witness>{{cite news|author=Lattman, Peter|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-LB-808|title='The Da Vinci Code' Trial: Dan Brown's Witness Statement Is a Great Read|work=Wall Street Journal|date=March 14, 2006|access-date=February 25, 2022}}</ref> Brown's relationship with his father inspired that of ] and ] in '']'', and Chapter 23 of that novel was inspired by one of his childhood treasure hunts.<ref>Brown. Witness statement, p. 36.</ref>
While in ] he joined the ], and participated in many of its events. It was there that he met ], a woman 12 years his senior, who was the Academy's Director of Artist Development. Though not officially part of her job, she took on the seemingly unusual task of helping to promote Brown's projects &mdash; she wrote press releases, set up promotional events, and put him in contact with individuals who could be helpful to his career. She and Brown also developed a personal relationship, though this was not known to all of their associates until 1993, when Brown moved back to New Hampshire, and it was learned that Blythe would accompany him. They married in 1997, at Pea Porridge Pond, a location near ].


After graduating from ], Brown attended ] where he double majored in English and Spanish. At Amherst, he was initiated into the ] fraternity. He played ], sang in the ], and was a writing student of visiting novelist ]. Brown spent the 1985 school year in ], Spain, where he was enrolled in an art history course at the ].<ref name=witness/> Brown graduated from Amherst in 1986.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403103336/https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst/news/campusbuzz/node/512982 |date=April 3, 2015 }}, amherst.edu, September 24, 2013.</ref><ref name="Amherst8.12">. Creating Connections: A Campaign for Amherst. Amherst College; retrieved August 9, 2012.</ref>
Along with helping his singing career, Blythe has also been a major influence on Brown's career as an author, as she assists with much of the promotion involved with his books. She co-wrote both of his early "humor" books, which were written under pseudonyms, and there is speculation that she may have helped with other books as well. In the Acknowledgement for '']'', Brown thanked "Blythe Brown for her tireless research and creative input."


==Career==
In 1993, Brown released the self-titled CD ''Dan Brown'', which included songs such as "976-Love" and "If You Believe in Love".
===Composer and singer===
After graduating from Amherst, Brown dabbled with a musical career, creating effects with a synthesizer, and self-producing a children's cassette entitled ''SynthAnimals'', which included a collection of tracks such as "Happy Frogs" and "Suzuki Elephants"; it sold a few hundred copies. He then formed his own record company called Dalliance, and in 1990 self-published a CD entitled ''Perspective'', targeted to the adult market, which also sold a few hundred copies. In 1991 he moved to ] to pursue a career as singer-songwriter and pianist. To support himself, he taught classes at Beverly Hills Preparatory School.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dan Brown Facts|url=http://www.softschools.com/facts/authors/dan_brown_facts/1415|website=Softschools.com|access-date=June 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616021607/http://www.softschools.com/facts/authors/dan_brown_facts/1415/|archive-date=June 16, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Dan Brown - Book Series In Order|url=http://www.bookseriesinorder.com/dan-brown/|website=Book Series In order|date=December 6, 2013|access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref>


Brown joined the ] and participated in many of its events. It was there that he met his wife, Blythe Newlon, who was the academy's Director of Artist Development. Though it was not officially part of her job, she took on the seemingly unusual task of helping to promote Brown's projects; she wrote press releases, set up promotional events, and put him in contact with people who could be helpful to his career. She and Brown also developed a personal relationship, though this was not known to all of their associates until 1993, when Brown moved back to New Hampshire, and it was learned that Newlon would accompany him. They married in 1997, at Pea Porridge Pond, near ].<ref name="Walters-OKeeffe">{{cite web |last1=Walters |first1=Joanna |last2=O'Keeffe |first2=Alice |title=How Dan Brown's wife unlocked the code to bestseller success |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/12/books.danbrown |website=the Guardian |access-date=February 25, 2022 |date=March 12, 2006}}</ref> In 1994, Brown released a CD titled ''Angels & Demons''. Its artwork was the same ] by artist ] which he later used for the novel '']''. The liner notes also again credited his wife for her involvement, thanking her "for being my tireless cowriter, coproducer, second engineer, significant other, and therapist".<ref name="Walters-OKeeffe"/> The CD included songs such as "Here in These Fields" and the religious ballad, "All I Believe".<ref>Rogak, Lisa. ''The Man Behind the Da Vinci Code – an Unauthorized Biography of Dan Brown''. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005; {{ISBN|0-7407-5642-7}}</ref>
== New England teacher ==
Brown and Blythe moved to his home town in New Hampshire in 1993. Brown became an English teacher at his ] Phillips Exeter, and gave ] classes to 7th graders at ], a small school for K&ndash;8th grade with about 250 students, in ].


Brown and his wife Blythe moved to ], in 1993.<ref name="Walters-OKeeffe"/> Brown became an English teacher at his alma mater Phillips Exeter, and gave Spanish classes to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at ], a small school for K–8th grade with about 250 students, in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eduinreview.com/blog/2011/10/dan-browns-education-background|title=Dan Brown's Education Background|website=www.eduinreview.com|date=October 7, 2011|access-date=January 26, 2018|archive-date=April 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419071837/http://www.eduinreview.com/blog/2011/10/dan-browns-education-background|url-status=dead}}</ref> Brown has written a symphonic work titled ''Wild Symphony'' which is supplemented by a book of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wild Symphony by Dan Brown: 9780593123843 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612065/wild-symphony-by-dan-brown-illustrated-by-susan-batori/|access-date=2021-01-05|website=PenguinRandomhouse.com|language=en-US}}</ref> The book is illustrated by Hungarian artist Susan Batori<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=http://wildsymphony.com/|access-date=2021-01-05|website=Wild Symphony|language=en-US}}</ref> which feature simple ambigrams for children, while the visuals trigger the corresponding music in an accompanying app.<ref></ref> The music was recorded by the Zagreb Festival Orchestra<ref></ref> and will receive its world concert premiere by the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra in 2020.<ref></ref> On March 30, 2022, it was announced that ] and ] will turn ''Wild Symphony'' into an animated musical feature film in the vein of ]'s '']'', with Brown writing the screenplay and songs, and Akiva Goldsman producing.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/mgm-akiva-goldsman-dan-brown-wild-symphony-1234990941/ | title=MGM, Akiva Goldsman & Dan Brown Team for Animated Feature Take of Kids Book 'Wild Symphony' | date=March 30, 2022 }}</ref>
In 1994, Brown released a CD entitled ''Angels & Demons''. Its artwork was the same ] by artist John Langdon which he later used for the novel ''Angels & Demons''. The liner notes also again credited his wife for her involvement, thanking her "for being my tireless cowriter, coproducer, second engineer, significant other, and therapist."


===Writing===
This CD included songs such as "Here in These Fields" and the religious ballad "All I Believe" .
{{main|Robert Langdon (book series)}}
While on vacation in ] in 1993,<ref name=witness/> Brown read ]'s novel '']'', and was inspired to become a writer of thrillers.<ref name=witness/><ref>Sources differ on how Sheldon inspired Brown. He indicates on Page 3 of his witness statement that Sheldon's book was an attention-holding page turner that reminded him how fun it was to read, but the BBC source indicates that he thought he could "do better" than Sheldon.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Decoding the Da Vinci Code author|date=August 10, 2004|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3541342.stm|publisher=BBC|access-date=May 18, 2009}}</ref> He started work on '']'', setting much of it in Seville, where he had studied in 1985. He also co-wrote a humor book with his wife, ''187 Men to Avoid: A Survival Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman'', under the pseudonym "Danielle Brown".<ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Weaver| first = Caity| title = Does 'The Da Vinci Code' Writer Have a Secret?| work = The New York Times| accessdate = 2021-07-31| date = 2021-07-29| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/style/dan-brown-advice-book.html}}</ref> The book's author profile reads, "Danielle Brown currently lives in New England: teaching school, writing books, and avoiding men." The copyright to the book is attributed to Brown.<ref>,"Bookchor"</ref>


In 1996, Brown quit teaching to become a full-time writer. ''Digital Fortress'' was published in 1998. His wife Blythe did much of the book's promotion, writing press releases, booking Brown on talk shows, and setting up press interviews. A few months later, Brown and his wife released ''The Bald Book'', another humor book. It was officially credited to his wife, though a representative of the publisher said that it was primarily written by Brown. Brown subsequently wrote '']'' and '']'', released in 2000 and 2001 respectively, the former of which was the first to feature the lead character, Harvard symbology expert ].<ref>{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }},"florenceinferno", August 24, 2015</ref>
Also in 1994, while on holiday in ] he read ]'s novel '']'', and decided that he could do better. He started work on '']'', and also co-wrote a humor book with his wife, ''187 Men to Avoid: A Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman,'' under the pseudonym "Danielle Brown" (one of the 187 items in the book was "Men who write self-help books for women"). The book's author profile reads, "Danielle Brown currently lives in New England: teaching school, writing books, and avoiding men." The copyright, however, is listed as "Dan Brown". It sold a few thousand copies before going out of print.


Brown's first three novels had little success, with fewer than 10,000 copies in each of their first printings. His fourth novel, '']'', became a bestseller, going to the top of the ] during its first week of release in 2003. It is one of the most popular books of all time, with 81 million copies sold worldwide as of 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB114799749952457278|title=Holy Sepulchre! 60 Million Buy 'The Da Vinci Code'|last=Henninger|first=Daniel|date=19 May 2006|website=WSJ|language=en-US|access-date=18 February 2019|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/books/brown-is-back-with-the-code-for-a-runaway-bestseller/2009/09/12/1252519678923.html|work=Sydney Morning Herald|title=Brown is back with the code for a runaway bestseller|date=September 13, 2009|access-date=September 13, 2009|author=Marcus, Caroline}}</ref> Its success has helped push sales of Brown's earlier books. In 2004, all four of his novels were on the ''New York Times'' list in the same week,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/05/08/thriller_instinct|title=Thriller instinct|last=Mehegan|first=David|date=May 8, 2004|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=April 20, 2009}}</ref> and in 2005 he made '']'' magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year. '']'' magazine placed Brown at No. 12 on their 2005 "Celebrity 100" list, and estimated his annual income at US$76.5 million. According to the article published in ''The Times'', the estimated income of Brown after ''Da Vinci Code'' sales is $250 million.<ref>,"The Daily Star", June 3, 2007</ref>
== Bestselling author ==
In 1996, Brown quit teaching to become a full-time writer. '']'' was published in 1998. Blythe did much of the book's promotion, writing press releases, booking Brown on talk shows, and setting up press interviews. A few months later, Brown and his wife released ''The Bald Book'', another humor book. It was officially credited to his wife, though a representative of the publisher said that it was primarily written by Brown.


Brown's third novel featuring Robert Langdon, '']'', was released on September 15, 2009.<ref name="bostonheraldannounce">{{cite web|url=http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/books/view/2009_04_20_Dan_Brown_announces_new_book___The_Lost_Symbol_/srvc%3Dhome%26position%3Drecent|title=Dan Brown announces newbook, 'The Lost Symbol'|access-date=April 20, 2009|date=April 20, 2009|first=Gina|last=Carbone|publisher=]|archive-date=February 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222014659/http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/books/view/2009_04_20_Dan_Brown_announces_new_book___The_Lost_Symbol_/srvc%3Dhome%26position%3Drecent|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the publisher, on its first day the book sold over one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the US, the UK and Canada, prompting the printing of 600,000 hardcover copies in addition to the five million first printing.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/dan-browns-lost-symbol-sells-1-million-copies-in-the-first-day/?scp=3&sq=Dan%20Brown&st=cse|title=Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol' Sells 1 Million Copies in the First Day|date=September 16, 2009|work=]|access-date=September 16, 2009|first=Motoko|last=Rich}}</ref> The story takes place in ] over a period of twelve hours, and features the ]. The book also includes many elements that made ''The Da Vinci Code'' a number one best seller. Brown's promotional website states that puzzles hidden in the book jacket of ''The Da Vinci Code'', including two references to the '']'' sculpture at ] Headquarters in ], give hints about the sequel. Brown has adopted a relevant theme in some of his earlier work.<ref>,"Writers Cafe"</ref>
]Brown's first three novels had mediocre success, with fewer than 10,000 copies in each of their first printings; but the fourth novel, '']'', became a runaway bestseller, going to the top of the ] during its first week of release in 2003. It is now credited with being one of the most popular books of all time (despite being heavily disparaged critically), with 60.5 million copies sold worldwide as of 2006. Its success has helped push sales of Brown's earlier books. In 2004, all four of his novels were on the ''New York Times'' list in the same week, and in 2005, he made '']'' magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the year. ''Forbes'' magazine placed Brown at #12 on their 2005 "Celebrity 100" list, and estimated his annual income at $76.5 million USD. The Times estimated his income from 'Da Vinci Code' sales as $250 million.
]In October 2004, Brown and his siblings donated $2.2 million USD to Phillips Exeter Academy in honor of their father, to set up the "Richard G. Brown Technology Endowment", to help "provide computers and high-tech equipment for students in need."


Brown's fourth novel featuring Robert Langdon, '']'' is a mystery thriller novel released on May 14, 2013, by Doubleday.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/01/new-dan-brown-novel-inferno-set-for-may-release|title=New Dan Brown Novel, 'Inferno', Set for May Release|last=McLaughlin|first=Erin|date=January 15, 2013|work=ABC News|access-date=April 19, 2013}}</ref> It ranked No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for the first 11 weeks of its release, has sold more than 1.4 million copies in the US alone.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-brown/|title=Dan Brown|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref> In a 2006 interview, Brown stated that he had ideas for about 12 future books featuring Robert Langdon.<ref>{{cite magazine|title='Da' Last Big Interview|date=March 26, 2006|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1176351_1,00.html|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=May 18, 2009|first=Gregory|last=Kirschling|archive-date=May 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524031023/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1176351_1,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Characters in Brown's books are often named after real people in his life. Robert Langdon is named after ], the artist who created the ] used for the ''Angels & Demons'' CD and novel. ] Carlo Ventresca is named after '']'' cartoonist friend Carla Ventresca. In the Vatican archives, Langdon recalls a wedding of two people named Dick and Connie, which are the names of his parents. Robert Langdon's editor Jonas Faukman is named after Brown's real life editor Jason Kaufman. Brown also said that characters were based on a New Hampshire librarian, and a French teacher at Exeter, André Vernet. Cardinal Aldo Baggia, in ''Angels & Demons'', is named after Aldo Baggia, instructor of modern languages at Phillips Exeter Academy.<ref>Rogak, p. 22</ref>
Brown is interested in ], keys, and codes, which are a recurring theme in his stories. Currently his novels have been translated into more than 40 languages.


In interviews, Brown has said his wife, Blythe, is an art historian and painter. When they met, she was the Director of Artistic Development at the National Academy for Songwriters in Los Angeles. During the 2006 lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement in ''The Da Vinci Code'', information was introduced at trial that showed that Blythe did research for the book.<ref>{{cite news|title=Librarian comments on 'Da Vinci' lawsuit|date=March 1, 2006|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-03-01-da-vinci-lawsuit_x.htm|work=USA Today|access-date=May 18, 2009}}</ref> In one article, she was described as "chief researcher".<ref>{{cite news|title=Brown duels in court|date=March 16, 2006|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=14142&sid=7052348&con_type=1|work=The Standard|access-date=May 18, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524011135/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=14142&sid=7052348&con_type=1|archive-date=May 24, 2009}}</ref> Doubleday published his seventh book, '']'', on October 3, 2017. It is the fifth book in his ].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Raynor|first1=Madeline|title=Dan Brown's Origin gets fall 2017 release date|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/28/dan-brown-origin-fall-2017-release-date|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=October 19, 2016}}</ref>
In 2006, Brown's novel ''The Da Vinci Code'' was released as ] by ], with director ]; the film starred ] as ], ] as Sophie Neveu and Sir ] as Leigh Teabing. It was considered one of the most anticipated films of 2006, and was used to launch the ] on ]. It was ripped apart by the critics.


====Reception{{anchor|Criticism}}====
Brown was listed as one of the executive producers of the film, as well as creating additional codes for it. One of his songs, "Phiano", which Brown wrote and performed, was listed as part of the film's soundtrack.
{{See also|Criticism of The Da Vinci Code}}
Brown's prose style has been criticized as clumsy,<ref>{{cite news|title=The Lost Symbol and The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown's 20 worst sentences|date=September 15, 2009|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/6194031/The-Lost-Symbol-and-The-Da-Vinci-Code-author-Dan-Browns-20-worst-sentences.html|access-date=September 20, 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London, UK|first=Tom|last=Chivers}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Don't make fun of renowned Dan Brown|date=May 10, 2014|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10049454/Dont-make-fun-of-renowned-Dan-Brown.html|access-date=August 7, 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London, UK|first=Michael|last=Deacon}}</ref> with ''The Da Vinci Code'' being described as "committing style and word choice blunders in almost every paragraph".<ref>, itre.cis.upenn.edu; accessed March 11, 2015.</ref> In his 2005 documentary for Channel 4, ''The Real Da Vinci Code'', author and presenter Tony Robinson criticised both the accuracy of the author's historic research and the writing itself, considering the book to be not particularly well written. Much of the criticism was centered on Brown's claim in his preface that the novel is based on fact in relation to ] and the ], and that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in novel are accurate".<ref>Richard Abanes, ''The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code'' (Harvest House Publishers, 2004; {{ISBN|0-7369-1439-0}}).</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Facing Facts |author=David F. Lloyd |url=http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=1333 |access-date=May 18, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526010819/http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=1333 |archive-date=May 26, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref>


====Influences and habits====
== Works ==
In addition to Sidney Sheldon, Brown has been quite vocal about a number of other literary influences who have inspired his writing. Recurring elements that Brown prefers to incorporate into his novels include a simple hero pulled out of their familiar setting and thrust into a new one with which they are unfamiliar, an attractive female sidekick/ love interest, foreign travel, imminent danger from a pursuing villain, antagonists who have a disability or genetic disorder, and a 24-hour time frame in which the story takes place.<ref name="Themes" />


Brown's work is heavily influenced by academic ], who wrote extensively on mythology and religion and was highly influential in the field of screenwriting. Brown also states he based the character of Robert Langdon on Campbell.<ref>. ''New York Times'', June 20, 2013.</ref> Director ] appears to be another key influence on Brown. Like Hitchcock, the writer favors suspense-laden plots involving an innocent middle-aged man pursued by deadly foes, glamorous foreign settings, key scenes set in tourist destinations, a cast of wealthy and eccentric characters, young and curvaceous female sidekicks, Catholicism and ]. Brown does his writing in his loft. He told fans that he uses ] to help with ]. He uses ] and says, "hanging upside down seems to help me solve plot challenges by shifting my entire perspective".<ref>{{cite news|title=Brown plays down Code controversy|date=April 24, 2006|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4937754.stm|publisher=BBC|access-date=May 18, 2009}}</ref>
===CDs===
* ''SynthAnimals'', a children's album
* ''Perspective'', 1990, Dalliance. Music CD
* ''Dan Brown'', 1993, DBG Records, (included songs "976-Love" and "If You Believe in Love")
* ''Angels and Demons'', 1995, DBG Records (included songs "Here in these Fields" and "All I Believe")
*'']'' 2003, a charity CD for the organization ]


====Copyright infringement cases====
===Humor writing===
In August 2005 author ] unsuccessfully sued Brown for ], on the basis of claimed similarity between ''The Da Vinci Code'' and his novels, ''The Da Vinci Legacy'' (1983) and ''Daughter of God'' (2000). Judge ] said, in part: "A reasonable average lay observer would not conclude that ''The Da Vinci Code'' is substantially similar to ''Daughter of God''."<ref>{{cite news|title=Author Brown 'did not plagiarise'|date=August 6, 2005|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4126710.stm|publisher=BBC|access-date=May 18, 2009}}</ref> In April 2006 Brown's publisher, ], won a ] case brought by authors ] and ], who claimed that Brown stole ideas from their 1982 book '']'' for his 2003 novel ''The Da Vinci Code''. It was in the book ''Holy Blood Holy Grail'' that Baigent, Leigh, and co-author ] had advanced the theory that Jesus and ] married and had a child and that the bloodline continues to this day. Brown apparently alluded to the two authors' names in his book. ], a lead character in both the novel and the film, uses Leigh's name as the first name, and anagrammatically derives his last name from Baigent's. ] found in Brown's favor in the case, and as a private amusement, embedded his own ] in the written judgment.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4949488.stm|title=Judge creates own Da Vinci code|work=BBC News|date=April 27, 2006|access-date=September 13, 2009}}</ref>
*''187 Men to Avoid: A Survival Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman'', 1995, Berkley Publishing Group (co-written with his wife under the pseudonym Danielle Brown). ISBN 0425147835 - Scheduled for re-release in August 2006
*''The Bald Book'', 1998, co-written with his wife Blythe Brown. ISBN 078600519X


On March 28, 2007, Brown's publisher, ], won an appeal ] case. The ] rejected the efforts from Baigent and Leigh, who became liable for paying legal expenses of nearly US$6 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Historians lose Da Vinci Code plagiarism appeal|date=March 28, 2007|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article1579277.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070331071842/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article1579277.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 31, 2007|work=The Times|access-date=May 18, 2009|location=London, UK|first=Michael|last=Herman}}</ref> Brown has been sued twice in U.S. federal courts by the author Jack Dunn, who claims Brown copied a huge part of his book ''The Vatican Boys'' to write ''The Da Vinci Code'' (2006–07) and ''Angels & Demons'' (2011–12). Both lawsuits were not allowed to go to a jury trial and Jack Dunn claims the judge in both cases benefited from his decisions by becoming an author published and supported by people associated with Random House, Dan Brown's publisher. In 2017, in London, another claim was begun against Brown by Jack Dunn who claimed that justice was not served in the U.S. lawsuits.<ref>,"MarketWatch", December 14, 2017</ref>
===Novels===
*'']'', 1998
*'']'', 2000
**''Angels and Demons, Special Illustrated Edition'', 2005, Atria. ISBN 0743275063
*'']'', 2001
*'']'', 2003
**''The Da Vinci Code, Special Illustrated Edition'', 2004, Doubleday. ISBN 0385513755


===Movie=== ==Charity work==
In October 2004, Brown and his siblings donated US$2.2 million to ] in honor of their father, to set up the Richard G. Brown Technology Endowment to help "provide computers and high-tech equipment for students in need".<ref>{{cite web|title=Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown and Siblings, Valerie Brown '85 and Gregory Brown '93 Establish New Fund in Honor of their Father|date=November 1, 2004|url=http://phillips.exeter.edu/ei/news/news_danbrown.html|access-date=May 18, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523225741/http://phillips.exeter.edu/ei/news/news_danbrown.html|archive-date=May 23, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On April 14, 2011, Dan and his wife, Blythe Newlon Brown, created an eponymous scholarship fund to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his graduation from Amherst College. It is a permanently endowed scholarship fund that provides financial aid to students at Amherst, with preference given to incoming students with an interest in writing.<ref name="Amherst8.12" /> On June 16, 2016, Brown donated US$337,000 to the ] in Amsterdam to digitize a collection of ancient books.<ref>{{cite web|title=Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown donates to Ritman Library in Amsterdam|date=June 16, 2016|url=http://www.ritmanlibrary.com/2016/06/author-dan-brown-donates-to-digitize-ancient-texts/|access-date=June 23, 2016|archive-date=July 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726090508/https://www.ritmanlibrary.com/2016/06/author-dan-brown-donates-to-digitize-ancient-texts/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*], 2006 (Brown is listed as executive producer)


==Personal life==
== Future projects ==
Brown and his wife, Blythe Newlon, were supporters of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bridges: The Foundation of Our Future: THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION 2009 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY|url=http://www.nhcf.org/document.doc?id=236 |access-date=July 21, 2012|archive-date=August 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807020925/http://www.nhcf.org/document.doc?id=236|url-status=dead|date=2009}}</ref><ref name="Walters-OKeeffe"/> In 2019, after 21 years of marriage, Brown and his wife acrimoniously divorced, with the financial settlement still to be concluded due to Brown's alleged infidelities during the latter part of their marriage.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-01|title=Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown Accused Of Living A Double Life In Lawsuit That Sounds Like A Movie Plot|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2549292/da-vinci-code-author-dan-brown-accused-of-living-a-double-life-in-lawsuit-that-sounds-like-a-movie-plot|access-date=2021-01-05|website=CINEMABLEND}}</ref> In December 2021, the couple agreed to settle the lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Casey |first=Michael |date=2021-12-28 |title='Da Vinci Code' author settles lawsuit alleging secret life |url=https://apnews.com/article/dan-brown-divorce-lawsuit-da-vinci-code-ceeaf78f10a6c52b008f6909f695a96a |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=] |language=en}}</ref>
{{spoiler}}
* Brown is working on a new novel, called '']'', which will reportedly take place in ], and feature the secret society of the ]. Exact release date has not been announced, but the most common media speculation says 2007. Brown's promotional website states that puzzles hidden in the bookjacket of ''The Da Vinci Code'' (including two referring to the ] sculpture at ] Headquarters in ], ]) give hints about the subject of this novel. This repeats a theme from some of Brown's earlier work. For example, a puzzle at the end of the book ''Deception Point'' decrypts to the message, "The Da Vinci Code will surface." (''See: ]'')
* He says that he currently has outlines for at least 12 future books, one of which involves a famous composer's "all factual" associations with a secret society. Speculation is that this may mean ], who was also a Freemason.


==Bibliography==
===Stand-alone novels===
* '']'' (1998)
* '']'' (2001)


===] series===
==Trivia==
{{main|Robert Langdon (book series)}}
{{wikiquote}}
# '']'' (2000)
* His bestseller ''The Da Vinci Code'' was his first hit and became the first to be adapted into a film. However, it is actually the second book in which Robert Langdon appears. The first is '']''.
# '']'' (2003)
* The fictional Langdon's alma mater is Phillips Exeter Academy, the same school that Brown attended.
# '']'' (2009)
* Characters in Brown's books are often named after real people in his life. Robert Langdon is named after ], the artist who created the ambigrams used for the ''Angels & Demons'' CD and novel. Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca is named after friend Carla Ventresca. Robert Langdon's editor Jonas Faukman, is named after Brown's real life editor Jason Kaufman. Brown also said that characters were based on a New Hampshire librarian, and a French teacher at Exeter, Andre Vernet.
# '']'' (2013)
* In a statement at trial in March 2006, Brown wrote that while he was growing up, on birthdays and Christmas, he and his siblings were led on elaborate treasure hunts to find their gifts, following cryptic clues and codes left by their father. This is the same event that he used to describe the fictional childhood of a character in his books.
# '']'' (2017)<ref name="Origin">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/28/dan-brown-returns-to-da-vinci-decoder-for-new-novel-origins |work=The Guardian |title=Dan Brown returns to Da Vinci decoder for new novel Origin |date=September 29, 2016 |access-date=January 7, 2017 |last=Flood |first=Alison}}</ref>
* Brown plays tennis, and does his writing in his loft, often getting up at 4 a.m. to work. He keeps an antique hourglass on his desk, to remind himself to take breaks.
* Brown has told fans that he uses ] to help with writer's block. He uses gravity boots and says, “hanging upside down seems to help me solve plot challenges by shifting my entire perspective.”
* There is a brief appearance of Brown and his wife in the 2005 film '']'', in the front row of the audience at the ] concert.
*Although many claim Brown's books such as ''The Da Vinci Code'' are anti-Christian, Brown himself is a self-proclaimed Christian who says the controversy is good to inspire "discussion and debate" that will ultimately lead to a more solidly defended faith.
* In the film version of ''The Da Vinci Code'', Brown and his wife can be seen in the background of one of the early booksigning scenes.


=== Disputed claims === ===Children's books===
* '']'' (2020)
Some interview statements by Brown have been brought into question:
* In interviews, Brown has said that his wife is an "art historian" and "painter", though there was no record of her having worked professionally in this capacity. When they met, she was the Director of Artistic Development at the National Academy for Songwriters in Los Angeles. However, during the 2006 lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement in ''The Da Vinci Code'', information was introduced at trial which showed that Blythe did indeed do a great deal of research for the book. In one article, she was described as "chief researcher".
* Brown states that during his junior year at Amherst College, he went to Europe to study ] at the ] in ], which is where he first began seriously studying the works of ]. However, according to an article by Alvaro Sanchez Leon in the January/February 2006 issue of the Spanish-language magazine ''Epoca'', "''Ese señor nunca ha estado matriculado en esta universidad, a no ser que se apuntara a un curso de otoño de los que se dan en la "Facultad de Geografía e Historia" para alumnos extranjeros.''" (trans: ''That man was never registered at this university, unless he attended one of the Fall courses for foreign students at the Faculty of Geography and History.''")


==Adaptations==
== Other Dan Browns ==
In 2006, Brown's novel '']'' was released as ] by ], with director ]. It was widely anticipated and launched the ], though it received overall poor reviews. It currently has a 26% rating at the film review aggregator website ], derived from 165 negative reviews of the 214 counted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/da_vinci_code|title=The Da Vinci Code|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=January 28, 2018}}</ref> It was later listed as one of the worst films of 2006 on '']'',<ref>Guest reviewer ], sitting in for ], listed ''The Da Vinci Code'' at No. 2 on his list, second to '']'', "Worst Movies of 2006" ], January 13, 2007</ref> but also the second highest-grossing film of the year, pulling in US$750 million worldwide.<ref>, Box Office Mojo; accessed January 28, 2018.</ref>
There are other books which have been written and/or illustrated by different people with the name "Dan Brown":
* Brown, Dan. ''Matter'', 1996, Crosstown Books, ISBN 0964757113 - a book of poetry
* Brown, Dan. ''Study Guide and Selected Readings for the American Experience, 1860-1976''
* Brown, Dan A. ''The Other Side of Pastoral Ministry'', 1996
* There is also an illustrator by the name of "Dan Brown", whose work can be seen in books such as, ''A Picture Book of George Washington Carver'', 2000, Holiday House, ISBN 082341633X ; ''A Picture Book of Sacagawea'', 2001; and ''A Golden Age: The Golden Age of Radio (Smithsonian Odyssey)'', 1996.


Brown was listed as one of the executive producers of the film ''The Da Vinci Code'', and also created additional codes for the film. One of his songs, "Phiano", which Brown wrote and performed, was listed as part of the film's soundtrack. In the film, Brown and his wife can be seen in the background of one of the early book signing scenes.<ref>; accessed November 28, 2023.</ref> The next film, '']'', was released on May 15, 2009, with Howard and Hanks returning. It, too, garnered mostly negative reviews, though critics were kinder to it than to its predecessor; it has a 37% meta-rating at ].<ref>, Rotten Tomatoes; retrieved October 7, 2011.</ref>
==References==
*
* , March 20, 2003, at bookreporter.com
* , August 10, 2004. "Dan Brown: Decoding the Da Vinci Code author"
* , December 12, 2004, author profile at '']''
* , November 1, 2004, ''The Exeter Initiatives''
* Rogak, Lisa. ''The Man Behind the Da Vinci Code - an Unauthorized Biography of Dan Brown'', 2005, Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0740756427
** , at Rogak's website
* , January 9, 2006, ''CBC Arts'' - lists comparative sales figures between a few bestselling books in North America, including two of Brown's books, the latest ] book, and ''A Million Little Pieces'', by ]
* '']'', March 12, 2006,
* ''The Standard'', March 15, 2006,
* '']'' (Australia), March 16, 2006,
* , March 14, 2006


Filmmakers expressed interest in adapting '']'' into a film as well.<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Fleming|title=Columbia moves on 'Symbol'|url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/columbia-moves-on-symbol-1118002603/|work=Variety|date=April 20, 2009|access-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The mystery of Dan Brown|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2009/sep/14/dan-brown-the-lost-symbol?picture=352915411|work=The Guardian|date=September 15, 2009|access-date=August 12, 2010|location=London, UK}}</ref> The screenplay was written by ], with pre-production expected to begin in 2013.<ref name="LATimes1" /> According to a January 2013 article in '']'' the final draft of the screenplay was due sometime in February.<ref name="LATimes1">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-dan-brown-whats-the-film-status-of-his-last-book-the-lost-symbol-20130115,0,4604787.story|title=Dan Brown: What's the film status of his book 'The Lost Symbol'?|date=January 15, 2013|access-date=January 22, 2013|work=]|author=Nicole Sperling}}</ref> In July 2013, ] announced they would instead adapt '']'' for a release date of October 14, 2016,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tom-hanks-inferno-shifts-opening-739663/|title=Tom Hanks' 'Inferno' Shifts Opening to 2016|date=October 9, 2014|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=February 25, 2022}}</ref> with ] as director, ] adapting the screenplay and ] reprising his role as Robert Langdon. ''Inferno'' was released on October 28, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2013/07/sony-dates-latest-dan-brown-movie-inferno-for-december-2015-will-come-before-lost-symbol-542282/|title=Tom Hanks And Ron Howard To Return For Next Dan Brown Movie 'Inferno'; Sony Sets December 2015 Release Date|date=July 16, 2013|publisher=Deadline|access-date=January 28, 2018}}</ref>
==See also==
* ]


] was announced in 2014 to produce a television series based on ''Digital Fortress'', written by Josh Goldin and Rachel Abramowitz.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2014/09/digital-fortress-show-dan-brown-abc-833393|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141021230319/http://deadline.com/2014/09/digital-fortress-show-dan-brown-abc-833393|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2014|title=ABC Nabs Adaptation Of Dan Brown's 'Digital Fortress' From Imagine & 20th TV|work=Deadline|access-date=October 21, 2014|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=September 11, 2014}}</ref> In 2021, Dan Brown's '']'' was adapted into ] repositioned as an origin story for Brown's Robert Langdon character with Ashley Zukerman playing Langdon.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ma|first=Wenlei|date=2021-09-23|title=Dan Brown's hero gets his origin story|work=news.com.au |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/streaming/the-lost-symbol-tv-show-ashley-zukerman-on-the-origin-story-of-dan-browns-hero/news-story/9e36830b96a9917a14526a818b3ab729|access-date=2021-09-25}}</ref> It ran on the streaming service ] for one season.<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeVore |first1=Britta |title='Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol' Cancelled After One Season by Peacock |url=https://collider.com/dan-browns-the-lost-symbol-cancelled-peacock/ |website=Collider |access-date=February 25, 2022 |date=January 25, 2022}}</ref>
==External links==
*
* - Notable Name Database
* - In a court filing, the best-selling author of The Da Vinci Code reveals all the secrets of a pulp novelist.
* , January 12, 2006, "New e-book offers readers more time"
* - April 7, 2006, Court's ruling on copyright infringement of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail"
*
*


==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
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* {{IBList|type=author|id=1739|name=Dan Brown}}
* {{OL author}}


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Latest revision as of 19:08, 8 January 2025

American author (born 1964) For other uses, see Daniel Brown (disambiguation).

Dan Brown
BornDaniel Gerhard Brown
(1964-06-22) June 22, 1964 (age 60)
Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
Alma materAmherst College (BA)
GenreThriller, adventure, mystery, conspiracy
Notable worksDigital Fortress
Deception Point
Angels & Demons
The Da Vinci Code
The Lost Symbol
Inferno
Origin
Spouse Blythe Newlon ​ ​(m. 1997; div. 2019)
RelativesGregory W. Brown (brother)
Signature
Website
danbrown.com

Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon novels Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), and Origin (2017). His novels are treasure hunts that usually take place over a period of 24 hours. They feature recurring themes of cryptography, art, and conspiracy theories. His books have been translated into 57 languages and, as of 2012, have sold over 200 million copies. Three of them, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and Inferno, have been adapted into films, while one of them, The Lost Symbol, was adapted into a television series.

The Robert Langdon novels are deeply engaged with Christian themes and historical fiction, and have generated controversy as a result. Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian and he is on a "constant spiritual journey" himself. He states that his book The Da Vinci Code is "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."

Early life

Daniel Gerhard Brown was born on June 22, 1964, in Exeter, New Hampshire. He has a younger sister, Valerie (born 1968) and brother, Gregory (born 1974). Brown attended Exeter's public schools until the ninth grade. He grew up on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy, where his father, Richard G. Brown, was a teacher of mathematics and wrote textbooks from 1968 until his retirement in 1997. His mother, Constance (née Gerhard), descended from Pennsylvania Dutch Schwenkfelders, and trained as a church organist and student of sacred music. Brown was raised an Episcopalian, and described his religious evolution in a 2009 interview:

I was raised Episcopalian, and I was very religious as a kid. Then, in eighth or ninth grade, I studied astronomy, cosmology, and the origins of the universe. I remember saying to a minister, "I don't get it. I read a book that said there was an explosion known as the Big Bang, but here it says God created heaven and Earth and the animals in seven days. Which is right?" Unfortunately, the response I got was, "Nice boys don't ask that question." A light went off, and I said, "The Bible doesn't make sense. Science makes much more sense to me." And I just gravitated away from religion.

When asked in the same interview about his then-current religious views, Brown replied:

The irony is that I've really come full circle. The more science I studied, the more I saw that physics becomes metaphysics and numbers become imaginary numbers. The further you go into science, the mushier the ground gets. You start to say, "Oh, there is an order and a spiritual aspect to science."

Brown's interest in secrets and puzzles stems from their presence in his household as a child, where codes and ciphers were the linchpin tying together the mathematics, music, and languages in which his parents worked. The young Brown spent hours working out anagrams and crossword puzzles, and he and his siblings participated in elaborate treasure hunts devised by their father on birthdays and holidays. On Christmas, for example, Brown and his siblings did not find gifts under the tree, but followed a treasure map with codes and clues throughout their house and even around town to find the gifts. Brown's relationship with his father inspired that of Sophie Neveu and Jacques Saunière in The Da Vinci Code, and Chapter 23 of that novel was inspired by one of his childhood treasure hunts.

After graduating from Phillips Exeter, Brown attended Amherst College where he double majored in English and Spanish. At Amherst, he was initiated into the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He played squash, sang in the Amherst Glee Club, and was a writing student of visiting novelist Alan Lelchuk. Brown spent the 1985 school year in Seville, Spain, where he was enrolled in an art history course at the University of Seville. Brown graduated from Amherst in 1986.

Career

Composer and singer

After graduating from Amherst, Brown dabbled with a musical career, creating effects with a synthesizer, and self-producing a children's cassette entitled SynthAnimals, which included a collection of tracks such as "Happy Frogs" and "Suzuki Elephants"; it sold a few hundred copies. He then formed his own record company called Dalliance, and in 1990 self-published a CD entitled Perspective, targeted to the adult market, which also sold a few hundred copies. In 1991 he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career as singer-songwriter and pianist. To support himself, he taught classes at Beverly Hills Preparatory School.

Brown joined the National Academy of Songwriters and participated in many of its events. It was there that he met his wife, Blythe Newlon, who was the academy's Director of Artist Development. Though it was not officially part of her job, she took on the seemingly unusual task of helping to promote Brown's projects; she wrote press releases, set up promotional events, and put him in contact with people who could be helpful to his career. She and Brown also developed a personal relationship, though this was not known to all of their associates until 1993, when Brown moved back to New Hampshire, and it was learned that Newlon would accompany him. They married in 1997, at Pea Porridge Pond, near Conway, New Hampshire. In 1994, Brown released a CD titled Angels & Demons. Its artwork was the same ambigram by artist John Langdon which he later used for the novel Angels & Demons. The liner notes also again credited his wife for her involvement, thanking her "for being my tireless cowriter, coproducer, second engineer, significant other, and therapist". The CD included songs such as "Here in These Fields" and the religious ballad, "All I Believe".

Brown and his wife Blythe moved to Rye, New Hampshire, in 1993. Brown became an English teacher at his alma mater Phillips Exeter, and gave Spanish classes to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Lincoln Akerman School, a small school for K–8th grade with about 250 students, in Hampton Falls. Brown has written a symphonic work titled Wild Symphony which is supplemented by a book of the same name. The book is illustrated by Hungarian artist Susan Batori which feature simple ambigrams for children, while the visuals trigger the corresponding music in an accompanying app. The music was recorded by the Zagreb Festival Orchestra and will receive its world concert premiere by the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra in 2020. On March 30, 2022, it was announced that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weed Road Pictures will turn Wild Symphony into an animated musical feature film in the vein of Walt Disney's Fantasia, with Brown writing the screenplay and songs, and Akiva Goldsman producing.

Writing

Main article: Robert Langdon (book series)

While on vacation in Tahiti in 1993, Brown read Sidney Sheldon's novel The Doomsday Conspiracy, and was inspired to become a writer of thrillers. He started work on Digital Fortress, setting much of it in Seville, where he had studied in 1985. He also co-wrote a humor book with his wife, 187 Men to Avoid: A Survival Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman, under the pseudonym "Danielle Brown". The book's author profile reads, "Danielle Brown currently lives in New England: teaching school, writing books, and avoiding men." The copyright to the book is attributed to Brown.

In 1996, Brown quit teaching to become a full-time writer. Digital Fortress was published in 1998. His wife Blythe did much of the book's promotion, writing press releases, booking Brown on talk shows, and setting up press interviews. A few months later, Brown and his wife released The Bald Book, another humor book. It was officially credited to his wife, though a representative of the publisher said that it was primarily written by Brown. Brown subsequently wrote Angels & Demons and Deception Point, released in 2000 and 2001 respectively, the former of which was the first to feature the lead character, Harvard symbology expert Robert Langdon.

Brown's first three novels had little success, with fewer than 10,000 copies in each of their first printings. His fourth novel, The Da Vinci Code, became a bestseller, going to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list during its first week of release in 2003. It is one of the most popular books of all time, with 81 million copies sold worldwide as of 2009. Its success has helped push sales of Brown's earlier books. In 2004, all four of his novels were on the New York Times list in the same week, and in 2005 he made Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year. Forbes magazine placed Brown at No. 12 on their 2005 "Celebrity 100" list, and estimated his annual income at US$76.5 million. According to the article published in The Times, the estimated income of Brown after Da Vinci Code sales is $250 million.

Brown's third novel featuring Robert Langdon, The Lost Symbol, was released on September 15, 2009. According to the publisher, on its first day the book sold over one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the US, the UK and Canada, prompting the printing of 600,000 hardcover copies in addition to the five million first printing. The story takes place in Washington D.C. over a period of twelve hours, and features the Freemasons. The book also includes many elements that made The Da Vinci Code a number one best seller. Brown's promotional website states that puzzles hidden in the book jacket of The Da Vinci Code, including two references to the Kryptos sculpture at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, give hints about the sequel. Brown has adopted a relevant theme in some of his earlier work.

Brown's fourth novel featuring Robert Langdon, Inferno is a mystery thriller novel released on May 14, 2013, by Doubleday. It ranked No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for the first 11 weeks of its release, has sold more than 1.4 million copies in the US alone. In a 2006 interview, Brown stated that he had ideas for about 12 future books featuring Robert Langdon. Characters in Brown's books are often named after real people in his life. Robert Langdon is named after John Langdon, the artist who created the ambigrams used for the Angels & Demons CD and novel. Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca is named after On a Claire Day cartoonist friend Carla Ventresca. In the Vatican archives, Langdon recalls a wedding of two people named Dick and Connie, which are the names of his parents. Robert Langdon's editor Jonas Faukman is named after Brown's real life editor Jason Kaufman. Brown also said that characters were based on a New Hampshire librarian, and a French teacher at Exeter, André Vernet. Cardinal Aldo Baggia, in Angels & Demons, is named after Aldo Baggia, instructor of modern languages at Phillips Exeter Academy.

In interviews, Brown has said his wife, Blythe, is an art historian and painter. When they met, she was the Director of Artistic Development at the National Academy for Songwriters in Los Angeles. During the 2006 lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement in The Da Vinci Code, information was introduced at trial that showed that Blythe did research for the book. In one article, she was described as "chief researcher". Doubleday published his seventh book, Origin, on October 3, 2017. It is the fifth book in his Robert Langdon series.

Reception

See also: Criticism of The Da Vinci Code

Brown's prose style has been criticized as clumsy, with The Da Vinci Code being described as "committing style and word choice blunders in almost every paragraph". In his 2005 documentary for Channel 4, The Real Da Vinci Code, author and presenter Tony Robinson criticised both the accuracy of the author's historic research and the writing itself, considering the book to be not particularly well written. Much of the criticism was centered on Brown's claim in his preface that the novel is based on fact in relation to Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion, and that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in novel are accurate".

Influences and habits

In addition to Sidney Sheldon, Brown has been quite vocal about a number of other literary influences who have inspired his writing. Recurring elements that Brown prefers to incorporate into his novels include a simple hero pulled out of their familiar setting and thrust into a new one with which they are unfamiliar, an attractive female sidekick/ love interest, foreign travel, imminent danger from a pursuing villain, antagonists who have a disability or genetic disorder, and a 24-hour time frame in which the story takes place.

Brown's work is heavily influenced by academic Joseph Campbell, who wrote extensively on mythology and religion and was highly influential in the field of screenwriting. Brown also states he based the character of Robert Langdon on Campbell. Director Alfred Hitchcock appears to be another key influence on Brown. Like Hitchcock, the writer favors suspense-laden plots involving an innocent middle-aged man pursued by deadly foes, glamorous foreign settings, key scenes set in tourist destinations, a cast of wealthy and eccentric characters, young and curvaceous female sidekicks, Catholicism and MacGuffins. Brown does his writing in his loft. He told fans that he uses inversion therapy to help with writer's block. He uses gravity boots and says, "hanging upside down seems to help me solve plot challenges by shifting my entire perspective".

Copyright infringement cases

In August 2005 author Lewis Perdue unsuccessfully sued Brown for plagiarism, on the basis of claimed similarity between The Da Vinci Code and his novels, The Da Vinci Legacy (1983) and Daughter of God (2000). Judge George B. Daniels said, in part: "A reasonable average lay observer would not conclude that The Da Vinci Code is substantially similar to Daughter of God." In April 2006 Brown's publisher, Random House, won a copyright infringement case brought by authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who claimed that Brown stole ideas from their 1982 book Holy Blood Holy Grail for his 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code. It was in the book Holy Blood Holy Grail that Baigent, Leigh, and co-author Henry Lincoln had advanced the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a child and that the bloodline continues to this day. Brown apparently alluded to the two authors' names in his book. Leigh Teabing, a lead character in both the novel and the film, uses Leigh's name as the first name, and anagrammatically derives his last name from Baigent's. Mr Justice Peter Smith found in Brown's favor in the case, and as a private amusement, embedded his own Smithy code in the written judgment.

On March 28, 2007, Brown's publisher, Random House, won an appeal copyright infringement case. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales rejected the efforts from Baigent and Leigh, who became liable for paying legal expenses of nearly US$6 million. Brown has been sued twice in U.S. federal courts by the author Jack Dunn, who claims Brown copied a huge part of his book The Vatican Boys to write The Da Vinci Code (2006–07) and Angels & Demons (2011–12). Both lawsuits were not allowed to go to a jury trial and Jack Dunn claims the judge in both cases benefited from his decisions by becoming an author published and supported by people associated with Random House, Dan Brown's publisher. In 2017, in London, another claim was begun against Brown by Jack Dunn who claimed that justice was not served in the U.S. lawsuits.

Charity work

In October 2004, Brown and his siblings donated US$2.2 million to Phillips Exeter Academy in honor of their father, to set up the Richard G. Brown Technology Endowment to help "provide computers and high-tech equipment for students in need". On April 14, 2011, Dan and his wife, Blythe Newlon Brown, created an eponymous scholarship fund to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his graduation from Amherst College. It is a permanently endowed scholarship fund that provides financial aid to students at Amherst, with preference given to incoming students with an interest in writing. On June 16, 2016, Brown donated US$337,000 to the Ritman Library in Amsterdam to digitize a collection of ancient books.

Personal life

Brown and his wife, Blythe Newlon, were supporters of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. In 2019, after 21 years of marriage, Brown and his wife acrimoniously divorced, with the financial settlement still to be concluded due to Brown's alleged infidelities during the latter part of their marriage. In December 2021, the couple agreed to settle the lawsuit.

Bibliography

Stand-alone novels

Robert Langdon series

Main article: Robert Langdon (book series)
  1. Angels & Demons (2000)
  2. The Da Vinci Code (2003)
  3. The Lost Symbol (2009)
  4. Inferno (2013)
  5. Origin (2017)

Children's books

Adaptations

In 2006, Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code was released as a film by Columbia Pictures, with director Ron Howard. It was widely anticipated and launched the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, though it received overall poor reviews. It currently has a 26% rating at the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, derived from 165 negative reviews of the 214 counted. It was later listed as one of the worst films of 2006 on Ebert & Roeper, but also the second highest-grossing film of the year, pulling in US$750 million worldwide.

Brown was listed as one of the executive producers of the film The Da Vinci Code, and also created additional codes for the film. One of his songs, "Phiano", which Brown wrote and performed, was listed as part of the film's soundtrack. In the film, Brown and his wife can be seen in the background of one of the early book signing scenes. The next film, Angels & Demons, was released on May 15, 2009, with Howard and Hanks returning. It, too, garnered mostly negative reviews, though critics were kinder to it than to its predecessor; it has a 37% meta-rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Filmmakers expressed interest in adapting The Lost Symbol into a film as well. The screenplay was written by Danny Strong, with pre-production expected to begin in 2013. According to a January 2013 article in Los Angeles Times the final draft of the screenplay was due sometime in February. In July 2013, Sony Pictures announced they would instead adapt Inferno for a release date of October 14, 2016, with Ron Howard as director, David Koepp adapting the screenplay and Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon. Inferno was released on October 28, 2016.

Imagine Entertainment was announced in 2014 to produce a television series based on Digital Fortress, written by Josh Goldin and Rachel Abramowitz. In 2021, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol was adapted into a television series repositioned as an origin story for Brown's Robert Langdon character with Ashley Zukerman playing Langdon. It ran on the streaming service Peacock for one season.

References

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