Rating: 
Summary: Brown Tries to Debunk Christ's Divinity
Review: About halfway through the book, I realized it was only the short chapters obviously tailored for the Adult Attention Deficit readers among us that were keeping me turning the pages. I know it's fiction, but I find it disturbing that those who are unfamiliar with either Biblical or Art history might embrace Brown's attempt to discredit the divinity of Jesus Christ. There are many flaws in his theory. Christ never demeaned women. If you look at every episode where Christ encountered a woman in the New Testament, his tenderness and respect is evident. Also, Mary Magdalene was probably old enough to be Christ's mother. In Greek, the oldest woman was always listed first and in every instance where Mary Magdalene was listed in the New Testament, she is listed first, even before Jesus's mother. Which probably made her a woman comfortably into middle age. I don't know if Brown just has a bone to pick with the Catholic church, but he treats it as if it's the ONLY Christian church in existence. There are plenty of us Bible-believing non-Catholics out there who believe the Bible is God's holy word and are trying to worship and live our lies in accordance with the guidelines Christ left for us in the New Testament. Christ was both divine and human and that's the major point that Brown seems determined to discredit. If you can suspend disbelief and not mistake the combination of legend and conspiracy theories for fact, then you can probably enjoy this book. A similar, but much better written, book is the cult classic THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville.
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Summary: Absolutely amazing
Review: i loved this book, usually i'm not into suspense, but this really knocked off my socks. I could not put the book down for a second. And I'm a college student taking a full class load. It was just amazing. I highly recommend it to people who beleive there is more out there that we don't know, and want to see all the different things that most people never realize. The research that went into this book was incredible, and made me really understand how much work goes into a book like this one. A must read for all levels of readers.
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Summary: A thought-provoking read!
Review: What secret could be so important that people would kill to find it out? In Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code, a secret society guards a secret. The main character, a teacher at Harvard is being framed for the murder of the Louvre's curator, a member of this society. This story contains many thought-provoking ideas and facts. It was researched and very well-written.
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Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: The Da Vinci Code, need I say more! Even the title makes you want to open the book. A thriller that keeps you turning the pages as your mind wonders through the mystery and secrets the story holds. What is the clandestine society? And what secrets do they hold? A murder takes place, a late night phone call and the thriller starts to unfold. Dan Brown has brought to his readers a must read and once you pick up the book you can't put it down. If you love mysteries and you think of yourself as somewhat of a detective, you're on your why to figure out "The Vinci Code" Break the code and you will know the murderer or is it murderers? Find out what the Louvre museum hides within its walls and the clues left behind for you the reader to discover with the help of the murdered victims granddaughter. The Da Vinci Code, a name you won't forget. Larry Hobson- Author "The Day Of The Rose"
Rating: 
Summary: A saddening work of hatred and injustice
Review: I am sorry I could not give this book less than one star. To see what others write about this being a "great book" not only in the literary but also in the historical and religious sense, makes one sad at the realisation that these people have such a poor culture and idea regarding literature, history and religion.It is also sad to see that whenever someone publishes a book, article, musical album, or anything containing a statement which could be considered racist, anti-semitic, or offensive to women, homosexuals, or any religious or ethnic minorities, the author is disqualified almost immediately and there is great public outrage. However, when someone attacks the Catholic Church and christianity in general, somehow it's OK. How exactly is this fair!? Where is the respect, tolerance, political-correcteness, open-mindedness and all those things which most people and some groups are so zealous to demand but, apparently, unwilling to give others?! As a Catholic, I am taught by my Church not only to respect but, moreover, to LOVE all persons regardless of the sinfulness of their personal actions, which, however, does not at any time mean that I must also condone such deeds. It is also ridiculous to see phrases such as "exhaustively researched" used to qualify the author's work. An example: the author particularly attacks the Vatican (www.vatican.va) and Opus Dei (www.opusdei.org), and he claims, among many other outrageously false absurdities, that Opus Dei has "monks" who wear habits. It would have taken him less than five minutes to visit that organization's website to read a brief description of it and see that there are no such things as monks or habits in Opus Dei, which is a lay organization that promotes a lay spirituality. This book is a work of fiction, and promoting it as anything more is dishonest to readers, and disrespectful to the faith of millions of Catholics and other Christians. His work is based on esoteric and completely unfounded legends regarding Mary Magdalene and Jesus. The author and his readers are apparently more convinced by ficticious and fantasized works about the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar and other such things, than by almost 2,000 years of serious historical and biblical research by respected and qualfied professionals, christian and non-christian, religious and secular, etc. (By the way, --for those interested in these subjects,-- for a professionally researched and objectively presented history of The Knights Templar, I recommend the work of historian Piers Paul Read, "The Templars"). I wish to end with a quote from Thomas Roeser in the 27 September 2003 edition of The Chicago-Sun Times: "The Da Vinci Code is only the latest crude assault, as frightening in its own way as were recent demonstrations by mobs at Catholic cathedrals in New York City and Montreal (no ''hate crime'' sanctions were invoked there). That this erratic tale will soon fade away will be fitting justification for a church whose founder died, out of love, for man's redemption and prophesied its unending persecution -- but also that will endure to the end of time".
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Summary: Its popularity frightens me
Review: Scary, very scary. I don't mean to be nasty or holier than thou--I'm a guy who fully agrees with King about "get over intellectual snobbery in writing"--but holy cow. Its scary how many copies of this book have been sold by word of mouth. It's got a mediocre-at-best concept ripped off from mid-80s conspiracy theories, and is absolutely, positively, and incredibly horribly written. For example, in one passage, a cargo truck's tires "hum" quietly. But the very next paragraph describes "the truck roaring down the highway." Next paragraph: back to a gentle hum. One character speaks a select phrase into a phone quickly---it says she "knows how to be precise"....for its time saving virtue. But when she speaks again, she pauses....for Brown to ramble on about some fact he almost left out. This is what I mean...the book is so poorly written that the author often contradicts himself in successive sentences. The characters are laughably flat. The plot is so ridiculous it would rejected as sotry for a comic book. I really just don't understand why it is so wildly popular...do people really enjoy being treated like idiots? The book really does sound like it was written by an adolescent and intended for 6th graders. Do yourself a favor...pick up some King, Steinbeck, or Tartt instead. And don't go see it when it graces your local theater either...it has already been optioned--go figure. Hollywood wants to make another brain dead thriller.
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Summary: Denial Ain't Just a River in Egypt
Review: I have never encountered someone who has gone to greater lengths to deny the deity of Christ in order to justify his own misguided morality, or lack thereof. Under the guise of fiction, Brown would have us believe that Jesus Christ was just a man like any other, but his "wife," is someone to be worshipped. Why should she be worshipped? Because she's the woman who was married to Jesus, who wasn't divine. However, Jesus had [intercourse] with her,...so when he joined with this woman, he was able to see God. That's it! All men, except men like his hero (a.k.a. Dan Brown), are unenlightened and/or evil; Women are divine. I'm sure that while Mr. Brown is raking in the dough, he thinks he's helping those women whom he thinks are uptight, endoctrinated, oppressed, and Christian, but most Christian women I know don't need his manly powers. Actually, most of us feel loved--by our friends, our families, and our God. Furthermore, some of us resent Brown's exploitation of women who do feel endoctrinated and oppressed, women who feel they should be honored above others simply on the basis of gender. Isn't Brown fostering sexual discrimination against his own sex so that he can sell books primarily to women? Put all that beside poorly drawn characters, a weak plot, superficial theological research, and abundant anti-Christian rhetoric and you've got one, very human, feminine thumb down.
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Summary: An action movie without the special effects
Review: This book reads like an action movie but without the benefit of any special effects to keep your attention. The concept of the plot is novel but the writing is poor and descriptions are lacking. Be sure to read this as long as you have nothing better to do.
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Summary: Did not want to put it down
Review: I did not want to put this book down. For four day's, when ever I had a minute, this book was in my hand. It makes you think, it makes you wonder. Is it all possible? Could all of this be true?
I first heard of this book on the special that ABC did. I was born and raised Catholic. Raised to believe what my parents, grandmother and church taught me was the truth. I'm still Catholic but I am old enough now to question things. Doesn't make me a bad catholic, just an inqusitive one. I never knew that Mary Magdalen was considered the holy grail. Not until the ABC special, did I even hear of the posibility.
The book mixes historical "fact/folklore" w/ intrigue, deception and murder. It keeps you on your toes, trying to figure out the little clues before you get to the answers, and trying to figure out what's going to happen, before it even does.
The mark of an amazing book, is when more than one person in your household wants to read it, and can't put it down when they are.
Not only a must read, but a must have!
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Summary: Great Book, But Don't Believe Everything You Read
Review: I loved this book and, like many people, I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend reading it. It is a thoughtful, well written, intelligently constructed novel. Dan Brown is either a genius, or had a great deal of help constructing the cryptography of this book. To those who view it with religious disdain I say this: It is a work of fiction and you know it. To create this world, Dan Brown has included some not quite truths that work with the internal logic of the story. That is fine, we expect that of an author. To those who disbelieve him, I say this: It is possible. Highly bloody unlikely, but possible. This is an incredible book-read it and judge it on its merits, but do not judge it without reading it.
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