Jodi Picoult Blasts Dan Brown's Writing Skills

Posted on May 11, 2009

With the release of the film version of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons this Friday, some authors are taking the opportunity once again to slam Dan Brown's writing. Jodi Picoult let fly in the Daily Mail saying that Brown's The Da Vinci Code was poorly written.

Picoult says, "I don't understand the hype over such a poorly written novel - and as an author who does all her own research, I know better than to consider myself an expert in the field I am writing about. I believe this was an error in judgment for this particular author."

The Daily Mail notes that Salman Rushdie also memorably criticized Brown in a lecture given at the University of Kansas in 2005. Rushdie called The Da Vinci Code "a novel so bad that it gives bad novels a bad name." Rushie also said, "Even Dan Brown must live. Preferably not write, but live."

Writers are entitled to their opinions about their peers' work, but the criticism of Dan Brown seems especially mean spirited to us. Then again, is there another author on the planet that Salman Rushdie does think is worthy of his time?

Dan's sequel to The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol is currently available for pre-order from online booksellers. We can't wait to read it.