Rating: 
Summary: Choose your own adventure
Review: Reads like Foucault's Pendulum Lite, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Half the obscurity, twice the readability, but somehow not as satisfying. If you're acquainted with "conspiracy" theory and/or history in any real sense this book will leave you feeling sort of embarassed that your once arcane knowledge will no longer shock people at parties. If, however, you're a total numbskull and have bought everything they've taught you over the years, then this makes a pretty good introduction to the world as it is, and you will probably reject it, because its truths unmask the lies you've accepted for so long.
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Summary: Where in the world is the good book ending?
Review: Dan Brown did a wonderful job on making me question what I thought I knew about history and my own religon. . He brings up many interesting points, and has evidence to back them up. However, I did not think that the plot was as important as him conveying his theories and facts.I think that he was too busy at the beginig of the book to set you up with history and every single symbolic pose, he forgot how to end a good book!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As a moderate Christian, I was looking forward to a wonderful read describing mysteries and codes beyond my dreams. I finished the book, just barely. The prose was poor and the surprises were all predictable. Reading dry texts on the Holy Grail are far more satisfying. I hope that the marriage described could have happened to intensify and both deify and humanize, Christ. This book was only one list after another of dry information with the characters saying "Oh". I would not recommend the book but other books on the same topic.
Rating:
Summary: Promising...but falls apart at the end
Review: I borrowed this from my mother who was reading it for her book club and finished it in a day and a half. Overall, it is a great plot, fast paced and exciting. The background he gives on the other view of the Holy Grail is interesting, as I've never heard about that theory before. I'm Catholic and I heard that the church was upset about this book, but truthfully, it really isn't that bad or much different than a movie like "The Last Temptation of Christ", which offers different views on religious characters that may offend some people. I kind of wish they would have explained more about the differences between the two Marys (Jesus's mother and Magdalene) and their roles in the church, how the mother of God was elevated to such high status in the Catholic church, especially. I think readers who are not Catholic and not aware of the strong Marian culture within the church that would find it interesting...it was kind of stressed how the church was patriarchal, male-dominated (still true in many instances) and didn't really recognize women too much. The intricate system of riddles the two main characters must solve are really well done and entertaining. I found the ending to be too cliqued (reunited with lost family and the two main characters ending up together) and it kind of ruined my overall review of the book. I would recommend it, but the ending could have been done better I think.
Rating: 
Summary: The Davinci Code
Review: This was one of the best books I've ever read. Art, history, action, thrills, and super writing.
Rating:
Summary: FAST PACED, FUN, PAGE TURNER
Review: How do I judged a book? Did I enjoy reading it?- 5 stars- Did it provide good entertainment?- 5 stars- .Is it a deep thought provoking book? -2 stars- this is your typical mystery/quest book. I would not judged this book with this criteria because it is not expected in this type of book. It is not a book centered on character development but action. Yet I thought a lot of what was mentioned made me want to find out more about the churches in Paris, etc. I think the reason some criticize this book is different criteria are being used. When I read a cozy mystery, I am not expecting a thought provoking literary fiction book. This is not either a cozy mystery or literary fiction so should not be judged with either criteria. I think it is EXCELLENT- 5 stars- at what it is. It is more a mystery/adventure/ quest with some interesting information on symbology, encryption, information on Paris , and actually very little on the Catholic Church. What everyone has heard about the underlying premise is interesting but there is a lot of other interesting information mentioned that has nothing to do with religion. It was a fast paced fun read. I read it in a couple of days and passed it on to my husband who reads very little fiction and he read it for 2 days not wanting to put it down to go to work:) Enjoy this book:)
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Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: I'd been hearing about this book from almost everyone I knew, so I got it out of the library (after a 1 month wait, may I add). I opened it last night, expecting to read a few chapters and then to go to bed. Well, luckily I didn't have work today...I was up all night reading until my eyes couldn't stay open anymore. The central questions of the book revolve around spirituality and the nature of Christian tradition and faith. It throws into question the nature of the Holy Grail, and the version of history that the Catholic Church would have us believe. Granted, these are theories that have been put forth by many scholars, and Brown is merely drawing upon their work, but he weaves fact and fiction together into a rich tapestry. However, the book is so much more. Brown is one of the few authors who can change viewpoint well. His characters are well written, the plot is paced well, and the two twists at the end surprising. The meat of the book will give you something to think about...well, unless you're a sheep and prefer to follow blindly rather than think for yourself. I strongly recommend the book.
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Summary: Maybe he's just trying to get in good with his wife...
Review: During the course of these 400+ pages of turgidity, my thought was, "Maybe the reason this guy wrote this thing was to make up with a bad fight with his wife?" After all, the coverup of the sacred feminine by the Catholic church is a pretty slim reed to hang your hat on. Give me those old Robert Ludlum "Nazi in the woodpile," stories any day. Those who castigate Mr. Brown for his inept writing style are quite right. However, it is to be noted that books are not published on the basis of good style, character development, denouement, and all the other things that unwitting, aspiring scribes are taught in the myriad (and inane) writing courses and how-to books foisted on them. The bottom line is that books are published based on their ability to sell And to this extent, Mr. Brown has got his formula down pat. And with all the $ he's going to see, I'm sure "the sacred fem"in his life will totally forgive him...once she sees her new Beamer.
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Summary: yeah, right
Review: Not that 1,597 is better than 1,596 reviews, but ... The writing did not disturb me, or the chapter lengths. The anti-Catholicism was really low-grade heresy tho. Constantine was not responsible for the number of gospels nor the divinity of Christ. And it gets worse from there. The pure English religion stripped the Blessed Virgin as place holder for the most perfect of human beings. Martyrdom and sainthood were equal opportunity occupations until the reformation particularly in England sought to strip women of spiritual careers and forced them to burn their saint books. Perhaps no other religion has a tradition of female geniuses and mystical writers as does medieval Catholicism. Women ruled spiritually not by goddess pretensions but by having a deeper understanding of the message of Christ than those scrambling up one artificial hierarchy after another. Christ came for all women; he had women followers MMagdalen --not the apostles -- got the scoop on the resurrection; and the early church thrived on female support. The Merovingians were Catholic because Clotild converted her husband Lothar, France is Catholic because Joan of Arc chased out Henry VI, Constantine was converted by his mother, Helen and Augustine by his mother Monica. A religion full of viragos -- no feminism needed till post witch-burnings (protestants 2 to 1 over RC's) and socially enforced marriage for all women for economic survival ... Amen.
Rating: 
Summary: I DON'T GET IT?????
Review: This book is one of the worst reads I can remember! I truly don't understand the hoopla about this book. Oh sure, it starts with an interesting premise, but the story execution is laughable. For example, the heroine has been estranged fro..her wonderful grandather for years for a mysterious, shocking reason. Finally it is revealed - the secret ceremony where she witnessed, to her horror - what? A murder, animal sacrifice, cannibalism? Ohno, much worse, her grandfather was having sex!!
Come on! She calls herself French? Not to mention the sreaming halt in the action every five pages so the hero can lecture us on Grail history. Snooze... The characters are 2 dimensional at best, the coincidences in the story insult the intelligence... I could not finish this book. I can only conclude that some people are so naive that the whole idea of Jesus and Mary Magdalene getting it on is shocking enough to make this a "page turner". Pitiful
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