Rating: 
Summary: Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Review: Wake up world! To all who think it is fiction - forget everything you have ever learned - it's all a lie! This is the first book that combines history and thriller in one - just for that you have to love it. To those who know the truth - we hope it gets people thinking, researching and reading.
P.S. Nothing is as refreshing as short chapters, great book.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is cheesy
Review: The topics this book touches on are interesting; Leonardo Davinci, Dead Sea Scrolls, Secret Societies, the Opus Dei cult etc. but the story around it is horrible. The characters are so stupid I am now halfway through and I don't think I will continue. I can't stand how utterly stupid this book is. The ancient codes that these characters are pulling out of their heads while being attacked and chased are so comical. I think the Scooby Doo cartoon had better character development and a more plausible story line.I would like to note that I have no problem with any of the religious content in this book and I was in no way offended by it. It seems some reviewers of this book flipped out over anyone questioning the meaning of the life of Christ. I don't want my review to be taken as one written by a religious freak. A note for the author -- I can't take the main character Sophie being surprised by one more thing - after about one hundered "shocking events." Toughen up Sophie! I bet there will be yet another surprise on the next page you complete idiot !!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: For all the rave reviews that I had heard prior to its release, The Da Vinci Code was really a mediocre mystery novel at best. The mystery was actually solvable for any reader who just put a little thought into it. The weaving of symbolic details and historical tidbits throughout the story would have been interesting had it been a little more in-depth...it was shallow at best. I would grade this as just an average book to read on vacation, but not one to be listed amongst the classics.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than I hoped...
Review: it's funny - of all the negative reviews I've seen for this book, most seem to be from the type of people who expect their fiction to be completely factual (now does that make sense?) or from those who take exception to the religious suggestions/overtones of this work. I was caught up in this book from the very beginning (which is always a nice surprise) and couldn't put it down until I reached the end. The author did a marvelous job of bringing into the story an alternate religious view and tying everything together with multi-layered puzzles and symbols hidden within the works of DaVinci. It's fast paced and full of great action - I couldn't believe it all takes place over the course of two or three days! Some people can get so caught up in an exciting and plausible story that they wouldn't hear you if you shouted in their face - if this sounds like you, I'd say you'll love this book. If, on the other hand, you find it offensive that a vague reference to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is off by a few years, maybe you should look for some good non-fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Liked the premise but...
Review: the actual story was predictible. The theories were interesting and somewhat thought provoking but the story itself was mediocre at best. The short chapters got very annoying after awhile and the constant cliffhangers at the end of all the chapters seemed like elementary writing. I was very excited to read this book, but then let down. At least it is a quick read so you don't waste a lot of your time!
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable light holiday reading
Review: I just finished reading this book. It was the most entertaining mystery/thriller that I read in a few years. It has all the "required" ingridients of the genre: murder, fast paced action, unexpected plot twists, a little bit of romance, and some philosophical and historical discussions (to make it more than just mindless entertainment). The idea behind the plot is hardly new. One story with a similar plot that comes to mind is "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco. However, Dan Brown manages to weave a very exciting story around this plot. This book is by no means perfect. In some places the story relies on foresight by the main characters that is hard to believe. In some places the characters manage to have lengthy discussions in what is supposed to be just 15 minutes. However, these holes were not enough to make me stop "believing" in the story. Earlier reviewers make many complaints about the religion in the book. I think the book is fair and respectful towards Christianity. Those who complain that the characters offer their own interpretation of the New Testament should remember that so do all the priests and ministers in the world. This book is not a book on history or religion (fortunately :). Those who think they know the one and only true interpretation of the Bible should have some humility. I enjoyed the book. I hope there is going to be a movie based on it. Since the story is set in Paris and London it would make for a very "pretty" movie.
Rating:
Summary: You've got to be kidding me!
Review: OK, I'm not opposed to the possibility that Jesus Christ was married and had a child, but much of this book's views on current religions are very insulting! Most of the "evidence" that the author relies on is flimsy at best. Some of the theories he presents on various symbolism are intriguing to contemplate, but they are very weak as presented in this story. As far as the story involving a French Cryptographer, what was the need? There is nothing more complicated in this mystery than a few grade school riddles and a simple rotational substitution cypher. If the Priory of Scion was seriously trying to protect their secret, why would they pick passwords like sofia and apple? And to use the Fibonacci series of numbers for your bank vault password is ridiculous! The only thing good about this book is it might intrigue some to do more in depth research on some of the topics highlighted in the book. Oh, and can you say double entendre again???
Rating:
Summary: Well written, but utterly ridiculous!
Review: Alright how to review a book that uses know intelligence at all. Hmmm... well it seems as though the public believes anything they are told. Even if the "facts" told to them are from a fictional "expert." This is the sad state of the world today. The book opens with the death of the curator of the Lourve, The Da Vinci Code is a mystery story and is reframing the way people think about Christianity, the church, and Jesus himself. First off the premise of this book really isn't original. It was done before in the 1970s, but recieved little to no support. Anyway the novel finds Harvard "symbologist" Robert Langdon thrown together with a french cryptologist and the daughter of the slain man, Sophie, as they try to unravel a series of clues hidden in the works of da vinci and they attempt to deny the diety of Christ. Using many made up facts and imaginable 80 gospels which have been disproven as propaganda devised by the atheist, alot of the actual historical facts are inaccurate such as the exact date of the discovery of the dead sea scrolls. The book says they were discovered in the 1950s, which is untrue, they were actually discovered in 1947. It is one thing to offer a novel that posits all sorts of conspiracies and theories that intrigue the imagination and provide fodder for coffee-break discussion, but it is entirely different when a writer puts things into the mouths of his fictional characters and present it as true, proven facts when they hae obviously been disproven. Face it people, everyone that has tried to disprove the diety of Jesus Christ has failed miserably. Christ is the Son of God, okay so get over it. No amount of theories or false religions (i.e. atheism, muslim, agnostic) will change that. Besides the Bible already predicted these things, so we are never surprised with things like this. I'm shocked that many of you people buy into this. I mean art critics have examined da vinci's drawing of the "Last Supper" and every sunday school student knows good and well that their were 12 disciples, and that has been proven, and considering that this was the last supper all the disciples would be their. Because John doesn't have a beard, this guy gets it in his head that this must be Jesus's wife? WHAT RUBISH! Every historical document, ancient diary, and even all art critics say that the figure in the painting is of a young man without a beard. You see that pretty much takes the wind out of this persons argument. Brown's expert is wrong on even simple, basic facts. As I mentioned before, The Dead Sea Scrolls were not discovered in the 1950s but in 1947. They were documents from a Jewish community that thrived during the time just prior to Jesus' life. They not only do not contain any "gospels" of any kind, but make no reference to Jesus at all. There are a few "gospels" among the Nag Hammadi documents, but based on the dating of the documents themselves, the allusions to the Canonical Gospels found in them, and the references found in the Early Church Fathers to the teaching that permeates the Nag Hammadi material, it is reasonable to conclude that these so-called gospels all are much later creations than the Canonical Gospels. The discriptions of Jesus is inconsistence not only with the Gospels, but what is known about Jesus from sources outside of the New Testament. It is true that Jesus is the most inspirational leader the world has ever seen, but He did not personally topple kings. Ultimately, His followers did influence millions for Him, but His personal ministry touched far fewer. Although He is the Messiah and as such the rightful heir to David's throne, His life was not recorded by thousands of His followers. Not only is there no reliable historical evidence of such wide spread recording, but seeing as He lived in a time when writing materials and ability were scarce, it is unreasonable to make such an assertion. Also this moron, Brown, has his "expert" quoting from the Gospel of Philip. There are some Aramaic/Syrian nuances in the work, but it doesn't exist in Aramaic. Apparently Brown intends for us to accept the idea that the original Armaic word that was translated into Greek and then into Coptic always means "spouse." But neither the word in Aramaic, or Greek, or Coptic for "companion" has as its only meaning "spouse." Face it, Jesus wasn't married, and He is the Son of God. So honestly as I have just exposed the stupidity of this lame-brained author, I hope you'll be smart and not support false teachings, and definately do not, under any circumstances, support this wad of junk. PLEASE, next time you try to deny the diety of Christ, at least get the facts strait Brown.
Rating:
Summary: Slow and Cumbersome
Review: I had eagerly awaited the chance to read this book because of all the rave reviews I had heard about it. Unfortunately, the reality did not live up to the hype. While expecting a mystery thriller, what I got was mostly historical fiction. While the author seems to have done a lot of research into the history of the grail and secret societies, the mystery was poorly plotted and seemed to drag where it should be speeding along. Hot thriller? I'd say lukewarm at best. The first 150 pages were hard to get through, but I persevered. The story did pick up a little bit after that, but was so trite and predictable that I had it all figured out by page 200. What seems to fascinate everyone that reads the book is the "history" given- and some people actually seem to believe the premise given in the book to be real. (See other reviews.) However, this is a work of FICTION. There is just enough truth mixed in with the fiction to perhaps fool the masses, but any true Bible scholar knows better.
Rating:
Summary: Raises some interesting points.
Review: I like books that challenge conventional beliefs with thought provoking revelations. Another book of this type is Kleier's THE LAST DAY (Warner Books), which goes even farther in its disclosures than Da VINCI CODE, into and beyond the secret sanctums of the Vatican Bibliotheca Secreta. There are some things God does not want Man to know (so think the patriarchs of the Church), and THE LAST DAY exposes the shocking, harrowing, and fascinating Truth. If you like the suspense of Da VINCI CODE, you will find THE LAST DAY even more intelligent and surprising.
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