Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Spectacular!
Review: This book was fantastic! I bought it and it sat on my shelf for almost a month before I started reading. After that, I couldn't put it down! The information and research woven into the plot made it seem very realistic and intriguing. I recommend this book very highly!
Rating: 
Summary: Rather disappointing for all the hype
Review: I had my doubts about this book, but I enjoyed it. I'm grateful that I got it from the library rather than paying a ridiculous hardcover price for it. It's entertaining, but certainly not worth the money. "The DaVinci Code" is a quick read. The writing is not at all challenging, which makes it a good bedside book. The characters each have their interesting qualities, although none is fully developed. My two biggest disappointments with this book were the tricks used to throw the reader off from guessing who the bad guy is, (apparently this is common in mysteries -- I don't generally read them so I was peeved,) and the failure of some of the more historically interesting passages to deliver in any way that transcends the book. Each piece of information works within the story, though, which I suppose is all any reader ought to expect. It's an entertaining book, but I really can't comprehend the excitement around it. It's got average writing and average storytelling. The subject -- the possibility of a secret society protecting actual descendants of Jesus Christ -- is stimulating, but ultimately not very well explored. For those of you still on the fence, get it from the library or wait for the mass-market paperback edition.
Rating:
Summary: Great beginning, soap opera ending
Review: The Da Vinci Code got off to a great start and made for a gripping read for the first hundred pages. However, after that it became a little "same old twist-ish". After developing a wonderful plot around a very believable alternate history, it seems Brown got tired and just decided to quickly tie up some loose ends. Without giving any names or giving away the ending, my major gripe is that, there was no explanation for why those characters who had been painted as potential "behind the scenes" masterminds were suddenly the good guys at the end. The ending (all of twenty pages) seemed to be a "let me just finish this book". The entire story could have been condensed to half its current size in which case the ending may not have seemed like such an implausible soap opera. After developing a whole host of characters in the first two hundred plus pages, he suddenly needs two new characters to finish off the story! Quite disappointing for a book that could have been filled with intrigue.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Read with an Open Mind
Review: One of the members of my book club recommended this book and I purchased it, aware of some of the things revealed within this mystery/thriller. But not all of them - I had never heard of the Priory of Sion. It's a good read - quite revealing. As someone who appreciates the artwork of Leonardo DaVinci, I found the information about the "secrets" behind his paintings very interesting. "The DaVinci Code" is best read with an open mind. Believe it or not - or choose to simply look at it as a fictional book wrapped in what some claim to be historical fact. It's worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Grail Lite
Review: Dan Brown must be doing something right for this novel to be a best-seller. Everyone I know is raving about it. So I read it. But, having read Holy Blood, Holy Grail 20 years ago, the DaVinci Code is like a small appetizer after a large, gourmet meal. Dan Brown is credited with extensive research, but it seems to me that he merely skimmed HB,HG. Character names reflect this. The British Royal Historian, Sir Leigh Teabing? The three authors of HB,HG are historians Lincoln, Leigh and Baigent, an anagram of Teabing. The murder victim Jaques Sauniere? The real-life priest who discovers the "secret" in HB,HG is Berenger Sauniere. Bezu is the name of a Templars' castle. But that's enough.
The characters seem to be linguistically challenged in figuring out the word puzzles. I can't imagine a French woman not knowing that her name, Sophie, means wisdom. The foreigners just seemed to be Americans with funny accents.
As for the pay-off, is a 2,000-year-old "secret" really a motive for murder?
That said, perhaps the subject of this novel will open up a few more minds.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting and enjoyable
Review: Interesting and enjoyable if you have a taste for historical mystery and drama. Read it straight thru until 3am which is a good sign - I didn't want to put it down. Reminded me of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum (which was way too long). And to R. Posey from New York, WTF? Anyone who writes a 5 paragraph review about a book they did not like - including this nonsense: "How did it cross the equinoctial border that divides summer reading from autumnal brooding?" probably shouldn't be ripping on the writing skills of a best selling author.
Rating:
Summary: if there is a film version, it will be great entertainment
Review: I finally read THE DA VINCI CODE after hearing so many superlatives about it from friends and coworkers. While it was a really quick read, and very entertaining for a novel, I couldn't say it was a great book. The one complaint or negative is the length of the chapters. They were in general too short, setting you up for the next plot twist, some of which were exciting enough to start another chapter, while some were just average. I am looking forward to the upcoming film of the book. The film could make for great moviewatching--perhaps the author had a movie in mind when he was putting the story together. I have to give the author credit where it's due: I am most interested now in the hidden history of Jesus as the book mentions several real books written about the supposed true life of Christ. I am not a particularly religious person, but the Da Vinci Code has piqued my interest in reading further about man's quest for the Holy Grail. If you pick up the Da Vinci Code, do plan on spending several uninterrupted hours plowing through it rather quickly. Recommended reading even if the ending was abrupt and formulaic.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely stunning!
Review: This is a rock solid book, filled with historical facts, trivia, and information. Beautifully written, grips one from the first few pages and doesn't let go till the end! I recommend this to anyone with an open mind.
Rating:
Summary: People May Love or Hate the Fictional Narrative, But...
Review: The research is astoundingly thorough. You'll learn things about Catholicism, Paganism, the Bible and more that you've probably never heard. The "shock" here is that the story of Christ is not exactly as it was laid out in the bible. To some of us, that's not exactly a shock, but those more orthodox who interpret the Bible literally--this book must seem like the biggest heresy of all. But the history is dead-on, and you're going to be surprised at how what you've been told for so long is not factually correct. Even more cynical is why it came to be that way (although predictable). Definitely worth reading. A quick read, too.
Rating:
Summary: Da Vinci Code is a Goose Chase
Review: Unfortunately, Mr. Cook is very good at puzzles and very poor at ending an otherwise good story. If you have a liberal arts degree, or have read literature instead of pop culture story tellers much of your life, don't read this book. Well, at least only read it until the last ten pages then throw it across the room (to paraphase Dorothy Parker). That way you'll at least get more pleasure than waiting until after the last ten pages when you are so dissatisfied that you throw the book at a nice vase in your house. You will get all hot and bothered expecting a real, insightful, clever and satisfying ending. Instead you'll feel like someone got you all hot and bothered...then threw you into a cold shower.
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