In the 18 years I've been writing this blog, I've reviewed 139 books to add to the "recommended books" category of TYWKIWDBI. I suppose a majority of them have been somewhat obscure works that I wanted to bring to the attention of the readership, but some have been popular titles, including Booker Prize winners and other best-sellers. Such is the case with The Secret of Secrets. Author Dan Brown rocketed to fame with his series of Robert Langdon thrillers. This is the sixth book in that sequence, and a Netflix series (without Tom Hanks) is currently in production.
The book is an easy read because Brown writes well. He mixes action and problem-solving with an abundance (or sometimes a superfluity) of factual information about the subject matter and the physical locations of the action (in this case Prague). But another characteristic of his writing this time seems to be the inclusion of a boatload of product placement. For example:
"Langdon finished dressing, finally feeling warm in his heavy chinos, turtleneck, and thick Dale sweater."
"They met at Faukman's favorite table in Manhattan - the back booth at Trattoria Dell'Arte - where authentic Italian cuisine was served in a room decorated like an artist's studio...""Langdon would have much preferred his usual Vesper martini with Nolet's Reserve gin."
In none of these situations were the details relevant to the storyline. My wife and I counted over 250 such examples. I understand that the location of the Four Seasons Prague hotel next to the river was salient for an early action, but the next several dozen times he could have returned to "his hotel" rather than specifying the name (one wonders whether the author has been granted lifetime upgrades to suites for future visits). I don't remember whether such brand-name specificity was prevalent in Angels and Demons or The Da Vinci Code, and I understand that product placement is done routinely in movies and perhaps in other best-sellling books, but in this case it became a bit annoying.
I did appreciate some of the technical and historical information, one snippet of which I'll copypaste here rather than typing the text:
Addendum: Dan Brown denies using product placement in this interview (hat tip to reader Bob)
> Readers are invited to offer mini-reviews and opinions in the Comments.
ReplyDeleteDan Brown is the kind of author who sells well at the airport.
He discusses the product placement issue in this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEPkEd-rq30&t=264s
ReplyDeleteDan Brown is a horrible writer. Your praise makes me question your taste.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind your questioning my taste, but perhaps you could add two or three sentences to explain why he is a horrible writer.
DeleteThat's the standard literary snob point of view that will never die. The fact is that there is a whole spectrum of writing that can be enjoyed and appreciated and making judgements about taste is down right silly.
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DeleteBrown is a very good thriller writer. His novels are well paced, interesting page Turners. He's not meant to be deeply thought about. You'd lose the action. I'm a literary snob. I also like thrillers. Both can coexist. It's why libraries and book stores have so many sections.
I would just like to thank Bob for this eloquent comment; nail meet head.
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ReplyDeleteHaven't read this one yet. Might be just a descriptive quirk. He's claimed it's unpaid in the past...
I know that there were fans who checked every spot he mentioned in da Vinci code like a tour.
On the subject of epilepsy, having lived with it for the past 2 years now as the result of a tumour; I started to note figures that also had the condition including the likes of Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great which was comforting in a silly way i suppose but I settled myself with the notion that if they could do what they did I should be fine riding my bike with my step daughter and walking the dog.
ReplyDeleteI had a writing teacher who encouraged us to occasionally include brand names or specific products in our stories, not as a potential way to make money but as a way to ground our writing in the real world and help readers picture scenes. Not all readers, of course; we read a short story that had a line about a woman squeezing Joy into a sink. It was in an anthology and the editor though a footnote was needed: “Dishwashing liquid.”
ReplyDeleteIn that same class we read a funny essay from Time called “These Foolish Things Remind Me Of Diet Coke” that poked fun at product placement while noting that, for instance, Shakespeare mentioned malmsey wine in Richard III. (The Duke of Clarence is stabbed and drowned in a barrel, or “butt”, of it. Not exactly promotional material.) A few years later The Onion had a single panel gag with a shot from Tomorrow Never Dies and the caption “Commercial for luxury products also a spy film.” It’s gone now but it made me laugh so hard I’ve never forgotten it.
Fay Weldon also got some flack for writing a whole novel for the Bulgari company. She defended herself by saying “writers have to make a living” and pointing to the long history of artistic patronage.
This is all to say that whatever Dan Brown’s reasons for throwing a few brand names into his novel he’s simply part of a long, complicated, not always proud, tradition.
As I sit here curating comments on my iMac while sipping Diet Mt. Dew, I agree with the point you are making. :-)
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DeleteLike anons contribution.
Playing devils advocate
Agent Striker sat at his desk rifling through evidence while eating a donut.
Agent Striker sat at his desk rifling through evidence while dipping Lays chips into fresh Beluga Caviar.
Which character sounds more interesting?
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DeleteThe more I think about it the more I like anons comment.
Should we hold writers to a higher standard?
IMO, Brown combines authenticity with some type of soft sponsorship. He mmight get free sweaters. Don't know.
According to wiki his background is music. Sponsorship abounds. I recall several panel interviews with Britney (don't ask why I watched it) always in front of her several cans of Pepsi which she never drank from.
Maybe brown found a way to do it without acknowledgement?
BTW how did you count 250 products?
@ Codex:
DeleteOne at a time. But a large number of them were references to the Four Seasons Hotel. The first couple were relevant because of the proximity to the river; after that "the hotel" would have been sufficient. Afterwords I did try to query the Google AI re the number of references to the hotel in the novel but was told that specific keyword counts cannot be verified (i.e. they deny keeping a copy of the novel in their servers).
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DeleteAs your probably aware at the height of da Vinci code, before the tours there was a controversy about the hotel room and the river being too far discovered by fans who traced all the locations. He does set these puzzles to engage fans.
The hotel was overwhelmed with requests to stay in the Langdon suite. This was many years ago.
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DeleteMy mistake. Da vinci was the Ritz which then offered da vinci packages. There were some inaccuracies which i dont recall. Secret of secrets is the four seasons river thing in case anyone really cares.
I'm done, but wearing a brand name sweatshirt.
As a writer, it's not difficult to fictionalize things. But the use of real brand names may not at all be about product placement, but a striving for authenticity...to get the readership to see (almost) exactly what you are seeing.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Archer commonly namechecks products. Jaguar, Harrods, Claridge's, Petrus, Gulfstream, Lincoln, Polaroid. And others.
ReplyDeleteFleming also mentioned brands. Rolex, Bentley, Koch, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Ronson lighters, Taittinger, Gordon's gin, Tiptree jam, Minton jam, Wilkinson knives. And others.