Dan Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Brown
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| Born | Daniel Gerhard Brown June 22, 1964 Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | Amherst College (BA) |
| Genre | Thriller, adventure, mystery, conspiracy |
| Notable works | Digital Fortress Deception Point Angels & Demons The Da Vinci Code The Lost Symbol Inferno Origin |
| Spouse |
Blythe Newlon
(m. 1997; div. 2019) |
| Relatives | Gregory W. Brown (brother) |
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Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author. He is famous for his exciting thriller novels. These include the Robert Langdon series like Angels & Demons (2000) and The Da Vinci Code (2003).
His books are often like treasure hunts, happening over just 24 hours. They often feature themes like cryptography (secret codes), art, and conspiracy theories. Dan Brown's novels have been translated into 57 languages. By 2012, over 200 million copies had been sold worldwide.
Three of his books, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and Inferno, have been made into movies. The Lost Symbol was adapted into a TV series.
The Robert Langdon novels often explore Christian themes and historical events. This has sometimes led to discussions and debates. Dan Brown says his books are not against Christianity. He sees them as a way to encourage spiritual thinking and discussion about faith.
Contents
Early Life and Inspirations
Daniel Gerhard Brown was born on June 22, 1964, in Exeter, New Hampshire. He grew up on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy. His father taught math there and wrote textbooks. His mother was a church organist and studied sacred music.
Brown was raised as an Episcopalian. He once shared how his views on religion changed. As a kid, he was very religious. But in middle school, he learned about astronomy and the Big Bang. He wondered how science and the Bible's creation story fit together. He felt science made more sense to him then. Later, he realized that science and spirituality can connect. He saw that physics can lead to bigger questions about the universe.
Dan Brown's love for secrets and puzzles started at home. His parents used codes and ciphers in their work with math, music, and languages. Young Dan spent hours solving anagrams and crossword puzzles. His father even created elaborate treasure hunts for him and his siblings on holidays. For example, they would follow maps with codes to find their Christmas gifts. These childhood treasure hunts inspired parts of The Da Vinci Code.
After high school, Brown went to Amherst College. He studied art history in Spain for a year at the University of Seville. He graduated from Amherst in 1986.
Creative Career
Music and Early Writing
After college, Dan Brown tried a career in music. He made a children's cassette called SynthAnimals. He also released a CD for adults called Perspective. In 1991, he moved to Hollywood to become a singer-songwriter. He taught at a school to support himself.
He met his future wife, Blythe Newlon, at the National Academy of Songwriters. She helped him promote his music. They married in 1997. In 1994, Brown released a CD called Angels & Demons. The artwork featured an ambigram (a design that reads the same upside down) by artist John Langdon. This ambigram was later used for his novel of the same name.
Brown and Blythe moved back to New Hampshire in 1993. He taught English at his old high school, Phillips Exeter. He also taught Spanish to younger students. Dan Brown has also written a symphonic work called Wild Symphony. It comes with a book that has simple ambigrams for children. An app plays music that matches the visuals in the book. This work is being turned into an animated musical film.
Becoming a Novelist
In 1993, while on vacation, Dan Brown read a thriller novel. It inspired him to write his own. He started his first novel, Digital Fortress, which was published in 1998. He also co-wrote a humor book with his wife under a pen name.
In 1996, Brown stopped teaching to write full-time. His wife, Blythe, helped a lot with promoting his books. She wrote press releases and arranged interviews. After Digital Fortress, he wrote Angels & Demons (2000) and Deception Point (2001). Angels & Demons was the first book to feature his famous character, Robert Langdon.
His first three novels were not very successful at first. But his fourth novel, The Da Vinci Code, became a huge bestseller in 2003. It quickly topped the New York Times Best Seller list. It is one of the most popular books ever, selling over 81 million copies by 2009. Its success also boosted sales of his earlier books. In 2004, all four of his novels were on the New York Times list at the same time.
The Lost Symbol, the third Robert Langdon novel, came out in 2009. It sold over a million copies on its first day in the US, UK, and Canada. This story takes place in Washington D.C. and involves Freemasons. Brown often hides puzzles in his book jackets, giving hints about future stories.
His fourth Robert Langdon novel, Inferno, was released in 2013. It also became a No. 1 bestseller. Dan Brown has said he has ideas for about 12 more Robert Langdon books. He often names characters after real people in his life. For example, Robert Langdon is named after artist John Langdon.
His wife, Blythe, an art historian, did much research for his books. His seventh book, Origin, was published in 2017. It is the fifth book in the Robert Langdon series.
Writing Style and Influences
Some people have criticized Dan Brown's writing style. However, his books are known for their exciting plots. He is influenced by authors like Sidney Sheldon. He also admires Joseph Campbell, who wrote about mythology and religion. Brown based the character of Robert Langdon on Campbell.
Director Alfred Hitchcock is another influence. Like Hitchcock, Brown's stories often feature an ordinary hero in danger. They have exciting foreign settings and key scenes in famous tourist spots. His books often include a mysterious female sidekick and a villain with a unique trait. The entire story usually unfolds within 24 hours. Brown writes in his loft and uses inversion therapy (hanging upside down) to help with writer's block. He says it helps him solve plot problems by changing his perspective.
Copyright Cases
Dan Brown and his publisher have faced lawsuits claiming he copied ideas from other books. In 2005, author Lewis Perdue sued Brown, saying The Da Vinci Code was too similar to his novels. The judge ruled that the books were not substantially similar.
In 2006, Brown's publisher, Random House, won a case against authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. They claimed Brown took ideas from their book Holy Blood Holy Grail for The Da Vinci Code. The court found in Brown's favor.
Charity Work
Dan Brown and his family have given money to good causes. In 2004, he and his siblings donated $2.2 million to Phillips Exeter Academy. This money helped create a technology fund for students in need. In 2011, Dan and Blythe created a scholarship fund at Amherst College. This fund helps students interested in writing. In 2016, Brown donated $337,000 to a library in Amsterdam. This helped digitize a collection of old books.
Adaptations
Many of Dan Brown's novels have been made into films and TV shows.
- In 2006, The Da Vinci Code was released as a film by Columbia Pictures. It starred Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon and was directed by Ron Howard. The film was very popular, earning $750 million worldwide.
- The next film, Angels & Demons, came out in 2009. Ron Howard directed it, and Tom Hanks returned as Langdon.
- In 2013, Sony Pictures decided to adapt Inferno into a film. It was released in 2016, again with Ron Howard directing and Tom Hanks starring.
- In 2021, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol was adapted into a television series. It explored the early life of Robert Langdon and was shown on the streaming service Peacock.
See also
In Spanish: Dan Brown para niños
