The Truth About Dan Brown's Da Vinci CodeDan Brown's Da Vinci Code has been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years, recently returning to topped the chart list due to the release of the paperback version in March 2006. Released by Doubleday in March 2003, it was an immediate success. The book is a very well written piece of fictional literature that combines the use of historical facts and artifacts with a completely fictional adventure. Brown's use of history created some credibility in his story. When it comes to writing, authors enjoy creative freedom. So if they choose to use historical facts in a fictional book, does that make it a nonfiction book? The use of historical facts, events, artifacts, and so on in fictional writing cannot transform that fiction into nonfiction. A fictional book is a fictional book regardless of how many facts are used to flesh out a plot. The Da Vinci Code is the story of Robert Langdon's thrilling adventure. He becomes involved in the search for the truth behind the beginnings of Christianity and the Holy Grail. The main plot of the book is based on the idea that the Holy Grail is Mary Magdalene herself, the supposed wife of Christ, and that she had a daughter, so Christ's bloodline continues after her death. This truth about Christ's bloodline is obviously the church's greatest secret and could destroy the church if it were ever discovered by the public. Therefore this truth has been kept secret and protected by a number of secret religious societies. (Brown) Dan Brown stated that all the historical information in his book is accurate. On the Today Show he said: "Obviously, there are: Robert Langdon is fictional, but all the art, the architecture, the secret rituals, the secret societies, all of that is historical fact." (Today). This is reiterated at the bottom of one of the first pages of his book, along with a brief description of the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei, the two main secret societies in the book. However along with this mention of historical accuracy comes the statement on the book's copyright page "In this work of fiction, characters, places, and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used entirely fictitious"..