In The Asti Spumante Code by Toby Clements two characters investigate the barcode on the back of book as they search for the greatest book ever written. The novel is a parody of the Da Vinci Code. USA Todayreports that the novel is also spoof on the publishing industry itself.
The Asti Spumante Code parallels the Da Vinci plot. There is a hero (Jim Crack) and a heroine (Emily) who are trying to figure out a code. Well, kind of a code.
It's more, really, a barcode or a product code, the kind usually found on the back cover of a book.
And instead of searching for the Holy Grail, they're looking for the greatest book that will ever be written.
As Jim explains to Emily, there was once a "more innocent age" before chick lit.
This was an age "when writers wrote books that both men and women read. Some of the earlier writers are a bit obscure, but think Charles Dickens. Think Jane Austen. Think Henry James."
USA Today says Clements, who is also a literary editor for the British Daily Telegraph, wrote the book in just one month. There have already been many spin-offs and critical books published about the Da Vinci Code, so a parody was probably inevitable. You can see a list of Da Vinci Code resources, books and tv shows here.
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