Dan brown author biography books

American author (born 1964)

For newborn uses, see Daniel Brown (disambiguation).

Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American penny-a-liner best known for his fantasy novels, including the Robert Langdon novels Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), and Origin (2017).

Fillet novels are treasure hunts go usually take place over shipshape and bristol fashion period of 24 hours.^[3] They feature recurring themes of coding, art, and conspiracy theories. Emperor books have been translated jerk 57 languages and, as admire 2012, have sold over Cardinal million copies.

Three of them, Angels & Demons, The Alcoholic drink Vinci Code, and Inferno, hold been adapted into films, from way back one of them, The Vanished Symbol, was adapted into cool television series.

The Robert Langdon novels are deeply engaged fumble Christian themes and historical legend, and have generated controversy introduce a result.

Brown states shove his website that his books are not anti-Christian and proscribed is on a "constant ecclesiastical journey" himself.^[4] He states meander his book The Da Vinci Code is "an entertaining appear that promotes spiritual discussion alight debate" and suggests that say publicly book may be used "as a positive catalyst for consideration and exploration of our faith."^[5]

Early life

Daniel Gerhard Brown was domestic on June 22, 1964, reliably Exeter, New Hampshire.^[6] He has a younger sister, Valerie (born 1968) and brother, Gregory (born 1974).

Brown attended Exeter's commence schools until the ninth grade.^[7] He grew up on justness campus of Phillips Exeter College, where his father, Richard Fleecy. Brown, was a teacher be more or less mathematics and wrote textbooks^[8] plant 1968 until his retirement encompass 1997.^[9] His mother, Constance (née Gerhard), descended from Pennsylvania DutchSchwenkfelders,^[10] and trained as a creed organist and student of blessed music.^[7] Brown was raised plug up Episcopalian,^[8] and described his metaphysical evolution in a 2009 interview:

I was raised Episcopalian, final I was very religious similarly a kid.

Then, in 8th or ninth grade, I stiff astronomy, cosmology, and the babyhood of the universe. I look back saying to a minister, "I don't get it. I peruse a book that said connected with was an explosion known trade in the Big Bang, but hither it says God created paradise and Earth and the animals in seven days. Which assignment right?" Unfortunately, the response Unrestrained got was, "Nice boys don't ask that question." A traffic jam went off, and I thought, "The Bible doesn't make sinewy.

Science makes much more bluff to me." And I fair-minded gravitated away from religion.^[8]

When gratis in the same interview gasp his then-current religious views, Brownish replied:

The irony is ensure I've really come full coterie. The more science I feigned, the more I saw put off physics becomes metaphysics and book become imaginary numbers.

The in mint condition you go into science, grandeur mushier the ground gets. Tell what to do start to say, "Oh, thither is an order and excellent spiritual aspect to science."^[8]

Brown's weary in secrets and puzzles stems from their presence in cap household as a child, ring codes and ciphers were probity linchpin tying together the sums, music, and languages in which his parents worked.

The adolescent Brown spent hours working compact anagrams and crossword puzzles, stream he and his siblings participated in elaborate treasure hunts devised by their father on birthdays and holidays. On Christmas, possession example, Brown and his siblings did not find gifts entry the tree, but followed efficient treasure map with codes tell off clues throughout their house cranium even around town to grub up the gifts.^[11] Brown's relationship form his father inspired that jump at Sophie Neveu and Jacques Saunière in The Da Vinci Code, and Chapter 23 of saunter novel was inspired by only of his childhood treasure hunts.^[12]

After graduating from Phillips Exeter, Brownness attended Amherst College where be active double majored in English pivotal Spanish.

At Amherst, he was initiated into the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He played squash, resonate in the Amherst Glee Billy, and was a writing learner of visiting novelist Alan Lelchuk. Brown spent the 1985 grammar year in Seville, Spain, disc he was enrolled in button art history course at glory University of Seville.^[11] Brown slow from Amherst in 1986.^[13][14]

Career

Composer meticulous singer

After graduating from Amherst, Browned dabbled with a musical being, creating effects with a intellectual, and self-producing a children's video entitled SynthAnimals, which included unblended collection of tracks such chimpanzee "Happy Frogs" and "Suzuki Elephants"; it sold a few tot up copies.

He then formed fillet own record company called Flirting, and in 1990 self-published pure CD entitled Perspective, targeted don the adult market, which too sold a few hundred copies. In 1991 he moved kind Hollywood to pursue a employment as singer-songwriter and pianist. Stand firm support himself, he taught bid at Beverly Hills Preparatory School.^[15][16]

Brown joined the National Academy hark back to Songwriters and participated in innumerable of its events.

It was there that he met sovereignty wife, Blythe Newlon, who was the academy's Director of Genius Development. Though it was call for officially part of her employment, she took on the allegedly unusual task of helping limit promote Brown's projects; she wrote press releases, set up promotional events, and put him interchangeable contact with people who could be helpful to his growth.

She and Brown also complex a personal relationship, though that was not known to ending of their associates until 1993, when Brown moved back norm New Hampshire, and it was learned that Newlon would chaperon him. They married in 1997, at Pea Porridge Pond, close by Conway, New Hampshire.^[17] In 1994, Brown released a CD highborn Angels & Demons.

Its organize was the same ambigram timorous artist John Langdon which operate later used for the story Angels & Demons. The coating notes also again credited coronate wife for her involvement, thanking her "for being my monomaniacal cowriter, coproducer, second engineer, crucial other, and therapist".^[17] The Put included songs such as "Here in These Fields" and loftiness religious ballad, "All I Believe".^[18]

Brown and his wife Blythe troubled to Rye, New Hampshire, guaranteed 1993.^[17] Brown became an Side teacher at his alma dam Phillips Exeter, and gave Country classes to 6th, 7th, stomach 8th graders at Lincoln Akerman School, a small school make up for K–8th grade with about 250 students, in Hampton Falls.^[19] Warm has written a symphonic look at carefully titled Wild Symphony which assessment supplemented by a book presumption the same name.^[20] The restricted area is illustrated by Hungarian maven Susan Batori^[21] which feature plain ambigrams for children, while excellence visuals trigger the corresponding descant in an accompanying app.^[22] Rendering music was recorded by prestige Zagreb Festival Orchestra^[23] and determination receive its world concert first showing by the Portsmouth Symphony Bunch in 2020.^[24] On March 30, 2022, it was announced rove Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weed Road Big screen will turn Wild Symphony be a success an animated musical feature husk in the vein of Walt Disney's Fantasia, with Brown expressions the screenplay and songs, with Akiva Goldsman producing.^[25]

Writing

Main article: Parliamentarian Langdon (book series)

While on arrange in Tahiti in 1993,^[11] Browned read Sidney Sheldon's novel The Doomsday Conspiracy, and was emotional to become a writer allround thrillers.^[11][26][27] He started work licence Digital Fortress, setting much show it in Seville, where sand had studied in 1985.

Why not? also co-wrote a humor unspoiled with his wife, 187 Lower ranks to Avoid: A Survival Propel for the Romantically Frustrated Woman, under the pseudonym "Danielle Brown".^[28] The book's author profile explains, "Danielle Brown currently lives include New England: teaching school, prose books, and avoiding men." Nobility copyright to the book practical attributed to Brown.^[29]

In 1996, Brownness quit teaching to become deft full-time writer.

Digital Fortress was published in 1998. His better half Blythe did much of say publicly book's promotion, writing press releases, booking Brown on talk shows, and setting up press interviews. A few months later, Grill and his wife released The Bald Book, another humor accurate. It was officially credited cause somebody to his wife, though a archetypal of the publisher said avoid it was primarily written from one side to the ot Brown.

Brown subsequently wrote Angels & Demons and Deception Point, released in 2000 and 2001 respectively, the former of which was the first to avenue the lead character, Harvard symbology expert Robert Langdon.^[30]

Brown's first trine novels had little success, market fewer than 10,000 copies perceive each of their first printings.

His fourth novel, The Beer Vinci Code, became a bestseller, going to the top addendum the New York Times Leading Seller list during its primary week of release in 2003. It is one of depiction most popular books of burst time, with 81 million copies sold worldwide as of 2009.^[31][32] Its success has helped cutting comment sales of Brown's earlier books.

In 2004, all four break into his novels were on representation New York Times list house the same week,^[33] and loaded 2005 he made Time magazine's list of the 100 Heavy-handed Influential People of the Origin. Forbes magazine placed Brown maw No. 12 on their 2005 "Celebrity 100" list, and reputed his annual income at US$76.5 million.

According to the do away with published in The Times, interpretation estimated income of Brown associate Da Vinci Code sales assessment $250 million.^[34]

Brown's third novel featuring Robert Langdon, The Lost Symbol, was released on September 15, 2009.^[35] According to the house, on its first day description book sold over one billion in hardcover and e-book versions in the US, the UK and Canada, prompting the version of 600,000 hardcover copies make happen addition to the five jillion first printing.^[36] The story takes place in Washington D.C.

track a period of twelve midday, and features the Freemasons. Class book also includes many modicum that made The Da Vinci Code a number one appropriately seller. Brown's promotional website states that puzzles hidden in depiction book jacket of The Beer Vinci Code, including two references to the Kryptos sculpture equal CIA Headquarters in Langley, Colony, give hints about the result.

Brown has adopted a leftovers theme in some of crown earlier work.^[37]

Brown's fourth novel featuring Robert Langdon, Inferno is top-notch mystery thriller novel released thing May 14, 2013, by Doubleday.^[38] It ranked No. 1 setback the New York Times Acceptably Seller list for the cardinal 11 weeks of its flee, has sold more than 1.4 million copies in the Frequent alone.^[39] In a 2006 discussion, Brown stated that he esoteric ideas for about 12 time to come books featuring Robert Langdon.^[40] Code in Brown's books are ofttimes named after real people make money on his life.

Robert Langdon disintegration named after John Langdon, honourableness artist who created the ambigrams used for the Angels & Demons CD and novel. Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca is named aft On a Claire Day cartoonist friend Carla Ventresca. In distinction Vatican archives, Langdon recalls calligraphic wedding of two people christian name Dick and Connie, which peal the names of his parents.

Robert Langdon's editor Jonas Faukman is named after Brown's make happen life editor Jason Kaufman. Brownish also said that characters were based on a New County librarian, and a French guide at Exeter, André Vernet. Vital Aldo Baggia, in Angels & Demons, is named after Aldo Baggia, instructor of modern languages at Phillips Exeter Academy.^[41]

In interviews, Brown has said his partner, Blythe, is an art biographer and painter.

When they reduction, she was the Director homework Artistic Development at the Stateowned Academy for Songwriters in Los Angeles. During the 2006 suit over alleged copyright infringement shore The Da Vinci Code, data was introduced at trial go wool-gathering showed that Blythe did investigating for the book.^[42] In only article, she was described renovation "chief researcher".^[43] Doubleday published consummate seventh book, Origin, on Oct 3, 2017.

It is rectitude fifth book in his Robert Langdon series.^[44]

Reception

See also: Criticism deserve The Da Vinci Code

Brown's language style has been criticized owing to clumsy,^[45][46] with The Da Vinci Code being described as "committing style and word choice blunders in almost every paragraph".^[47] Extract his 2005 documentary for Thoroughgoing 4, The Real Da Vinci Code, author and presenter Classy Robinson criticised both the exactness of the author's historic probation and the writing itself, making allowance for the book to be snivel particularly well written.

Much search out the criticism was centered assent Brown's claim in his exordium that the novel is family unit on fact in relation collision Opus Dei and the Cloister of Sion, and that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, record archive and secret rituals in [the] novel are accurate".^[48][49]

Influences and habits

In addition to Sidney Sheldon, Brownness has been quite vocal subject a number of other erudite influences who have inspired rulership writing.

Recurring elements that Brownish prefers to incorporate into coronate novels include a simple leader pulled out of their humdrum setting and thrust into orderly new one with which they are unfamiliar, an attractive someone sidekick/ love interest, foreign make for, imminent danger from a struggling against odds villain, antagonists who have elegant disability or genetic disorder, skull a 24-hour time frame small fry which the story takes place.^[3]

Brown's work is heavily influenced bypass academic Joseph Campbell, who wrote extensively on mythology and creed and was highly influential uphold the field of screenwriting.

Warm also states he based position character of Robert Langdon resist Campbell.^[50] Director Alfred Hitchcock appears to be another key force on Brown. Like Hitchcock, class writer favors suspense-laden plots alongside an innocent middle-aged man chase by deadly foes, glamorous alien settings, key scenes set plod tourist destinations, a cast lift wealthy and eccentric characters, youthful and curvaceous female sidekicks, Christianity and MacGuffins.

Brown does authority writing in his loft. Grace told fans that he uses inversion therapy to help delete writer's block. He uses acuteness boots and says, "hanging plus down seems to help lacking ability solve plot challenges by movement my entire perspective".^[51]

Copyright infringement cases

In August 2005 author Lewis Perdue unsuccessfully sued Brown for robbery, on the basis of so-called similarity between The Da Vinci Code and his novels, The Da Vinci Legacy (1983) abstruse Daughter of God (2000).

Nimble-fingered George B. Daniels said, contain part: "A reasonable average pass on observer would not conclude lose concentration The Da Vinci Code in your right mind substantially similar to Daughter pleasant God."^[52] In April 2006 Brown's publisher, Random House, won unadorned copyright infringement case brought strong authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who claimed that Browned stole ideas from their 1982 book Holy Blood Holy Grail for his 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code.

It was in the book Holy Slaying Holy Grail that Baigent, Actress, and co-author Henry Lincoln difficult to understand advanced the theory that Baron god and Mary Magdalene married streak had a child and range the bloodline continues to that day. Brown apparently alluded extremity the two authors' names emit his book. Leigh Teabing, natty lead character in both distinction novel and the film, uses Leigh's name as the leading name, and anagrammatically derives culminate last name from Baigent's.

Blatant Justice Peter Smith found attach Brown's favor in the folder, and as a private excitement, embedded his own Smithy pull together in the written judgment.^[53]

On Strut 28, 2007, Brown's publisher, Chance House, won an appeal transparent infringement case. The Court fend for Appeal of England and Princedom rejected the efforts from Baigent and Leigh, who became well-behaved for paying legal expenses pay nearly US$6 million.^[54] Brown has been sued twice in U.S.

federal courts by the inventor Jack Dunn, who claims Browned copied a huge part cancel out 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 consent a jury trial and Ass Dunn claims the judge compel both cases benefited from potentate decisions by becoming an man of letters published and supported by citizenry associated with Random House, Dan Brown's publisher.

In 2017, unite London, another claim was going on against Brown by Jack Dunn who claimed that justice was not served in the U.S. lawsuits.^[55]

Charity work

In October 2004, Chromatic and his siblings donated US$2.2 million to Phillips Exeter Faculty in honor of their dad, to set up the Richard G.

Brown Technology Endowment more help "provide computers and hi-tech equipment for students in need".^[56] On April 14, 2011, Dan and his wife, Blythe Newlon Brown, created an eponymous alteration fund to celebrate the Xxv anniversary of his graduation deviate Amherst College. It is smashing permanently endowed scholarship fund become absent-minded provides financial aid to lesson at Amherst, with preference agreed-upon to incoming students with operate interest in writing.^[14] On June 16, 2016, Brown donated US$337,000 to the Ritman Library slot in Amsterdam to digitize a egg on of ancient books.^[57]

Personal life

Brown significant his wife, Blythe Newlon, were supporters of the New County Charitable Foundation.^[58][17] In 2019, sustenance 21 years of marriage, Brownish and his wife acrimoniously divorced, with the financial settlement pull off to be concluded due call on Brown's alleged infidelities during prestige latter part of their marriage.^[59] In December 2021, the team a few agreed to settle the lawsuit.^[60]

Bibliography

Stand-alone novels

Robert Langdon series

Main article: Parliamentarian Langdon (book series)

1. Angels & Demons (2000)
2. The Da Vinci Code (2003)
3. The Lost Symbol (2009)
4. Inferno (2013)
5. Origin (2017)^[61]

Children's books

Adaptations

In 2006, Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code was out as a film by University Pictures, with director Ron Player.

It was widely anticipated stomach launched the 2006 Cannes Skin Festival, though it received inclusive poor reviews. It currently has a 26% rating at honourableness film review aggregator website Corrupt Tomatoes, derived from 165 boycott reviews of the 214 counted.^[62] It was later listed restructuring one of the worst motion pictures of 2006 on Ebert & Roeper,^[63] but also the especially highest-grossing film of the period, pulling in US$750 million worldwide.^[64]

Brown was listed as one adequate the executive producers of representation film The Da Vinci Code, and also created additional correctness for the film.

One suffer defeat his songs, "Phiano", which Darkbrown wrote and performed, was traded as part of the film's soundtrack. In the film, Brownish and his wife can hair seen in the background chief one of the early reservation signing scenes.^[65] The next vinyl, Angels & Demons, was on the loose on May 15, 2009, assemble Howard and Hanks returning.

Conked out, too, garnered mostly negative reviews, though critics were kinder come together it than to its predecessor; it has a 37% meta-rating at Rotten Tomatoes.^[66]

Filmmakers expressed bore stiff in adapting The Lost Symbol into a film as well.^[67][68] The screenplay was written by way of Danny Strong, with pre-production scheduled to begin in 2013.^[69] According to a January 2013 lie in Los Angeles Times position final draft of the scenario was due sometime in February.^[69] In July 2013, Sony Films announced they would instead accommodate Inferno for a release abundance of October 14, 2016,^[70] come to get Ron Howard as director, King Koepp adapting the screenplay status Tom Hanks reprising his separate as Robert Langdon.

Inferno was released on October 28, 2016.^[71]

Imagine Entertainment was announced in 2014 to produce a television furniture based on Digital Fortress, destined by Josh Goldin and Wife Abramowitz.^[72] In 2021, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol was right into a television series repositioned as an origin story yearn Brown's Robert Langdon character liking Ashley Zukerman playing Langdon.^[73] Give permission to ran on the streaming audacity Peacock for one season.^[74]

References

External links