Rating: 
Summary: Poor presentation
Review: I didn't read "The Da Vinci Code." I was about to when I read the FAQ on the book's website and was appalled by the shallowness of Dan Brown's answers. It was his answer to, "HOW MUCH OF THIS NOVEL IS BASED ON FACT?," which really disappointed me. The bulk of his response was, "The paintings, locations, historical documents, and organizations described in the novel all exist." Thriller or not, this book is passed off as being historically accurate and full of facts (which has been been commented on by numerous reviewers here and elsewhere). I expect a lot more information regarding his sources and research when he has unlimited space on the net (I didn't notice a bibliography in the back of the book either).I would probably enjoy this book as a mystery, but the way he presents this book seems devious and unethical which is why I chose not to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Decent Read
Review: The plot is not as good as one would hope. The best part about this book is that the theories about the Holy Grail, whether they are true or not, are interesting to read.
There is a lot of insight to how references to the Grail and the lost feminine are hidden in art, like Da Vinci's and other painters. The facts are interesting to read, but sometimes Brown's history lesson takes away from the story. At points in the book he goes on for pages that are just about religious history. The result is the story was not as good as it could have been.
Rating: 
Summary: Just not a good story
Review: Ok, Dan Brown, we know you're smart; stop hitting us over the head with it! Why don't we use some of that energy that was used in all those puzzles and plot twist to make some likable characters. Heck, I'd settle for un-likable characters over these flat stereotypes. There was a very smart idea in this book. But instead of letting it shine dully through a well crafted novel, Brown lets it blind blatantly without any sort of veil. I felt like I was at a lecture at some points in this book. And when it did that, this novel lost any saving grace. I love learning new things when I read fiction, but more than anything I love a good story and the Da Vinci code was severly lacking in that department. Online customer, save yourself the hassle; I'm sure a movie is on the way, save the time and fork up the 7.50.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Info!
Review: A book filled with great information! The plot is simply designed to parcel out all of this fascinating stuff!
Rating:
Summary: Impossible-to-put-down thriller!!!
Review: It's been years since I encounter a book which I simply can't put down... until my father in law surprised me with this gem. I won't talk about the story's plot or even try to go into wether I believe there might be some truth to it.... all I can say is that in a world where nothing is what it seems, you can never dismiss theories, no matter how far fetched they might seem. This is definately a book for the open minded... religious fanatics, stay away or your sensitivity will be hurt.
Rating:
Summary: good reads come in all shapes and sizes
Review: Reading the reviews of The Da Vinci Code has been almost entertaining as reading the book. However, it's troubling to read the comments from reviewers insulting those who enjoyed the book. As we all have something in common (we actually read books), can't we agree to disagree? Much of the vitriol directed at the book can be divided into two camps: 1) those who think Brown's research is either suspect or based on a heretic viewpoint, and 2) those who think Brown is a terrible writer. As a reviewer pointed out, if a book makes a person think and want to research its ideas further, then that piece of literature has merit. As E.L. Doctorow wrote in his essay The Importance of Fiction, "Fiction is democratic; it reasserts the authority of the single mind to make and remake the world" (1986). To be sure, Brown is no Hemingway, Faulkner or even Stephen King. He is a creative writer who has created a thought-proking thriller. The best advice/recommendation is to read the book and form your own opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Langdon is no Indiana Jones
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a fun, obscure facts-filled read. This is one very entertaining novel. I didn't give this book a five-star review because I felt that the characters could have been more fully developed. I could never feel any identification with any of them. As a reader, I like to be touched emotionally by the characters in a novel, especially the main protagonist. Robert Langdon appears just too Milquetoast for my liking. The story, however, was captivating and exciting. If you would like to get into a character in an action thriller, check out EVIL, BE GONE (available on Amazon.com) by Robert John Estko. John "Lilly" Lelankevitch may very well be the next Jason Bourne, Jack Ryan or Jack Reacher. Lilly is a hero with psychological struggles that call out for your empathy.
Rating:
Summary: I have to review the triller and the basis separately....
Review: To be fair, I cannot review this book as one cohesive work. Rather, it is two works. One is an adventure thriller, and the other is a persuasive essay on historical conspiracy. So here goes: THE THRILLER is fairly written. The plot (in terms of character movements) is extremely paint-by-numbers, and the characters are a tad one-dimensional in the sense that they tend to be melodramatic extremes, almost comic-booky at times. In that sense, the Da Vinci Code is to it's genre what LEFT BEHIND was to another, or any TOM CLANCY book to yet another. It's selling point is the background, and divorced of that, the actual story is very mundane. Few people would enjoy this book without being interested in the conspiracy theories, in the same way you have to believe and accept the Rapture to "get" Left Behind or you have to believe Tom Clancy's military expertise to totally accept his stories. It is the conspiracy that sells an otherwise uninteresting and unexceptional thriller. THE CONSPIRACY aspect is hard to review. I mean, what good does it do even attempt to review it? The kinds of people who believe this sort of thing, be it this sort of anti-Christian bigotry, or similar agenda-driven theories such as holocaust denying, believe what they do because of issues in their own lives. Facts don't matter to them. So I won't touch on it. I'll simply dismiss it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good mystery-questionable history
Review: The secret to good history-based fiction lies in the inability of the reader to detect what information is fact and what is fiction. One glaring error and the entire historical foundation immediately becomes open to question. An error of that magnitude occurs early in this book and caused me to laugh my way through the remainder. Mr. Brown's protagonist claims (in one of his many lectures disguised as dialog) that 5,000,000 women died in the witch hunts of the Middle Ages. The highest number ever calculated by experts was 100,000. Even that number has since been downgraded to 50,000 and while most were women (15% were men), the church had little to do directly with the trials and executions, except to encourage prosecutors and judges. Much of the remaining history can be found in other sources, many of which are fringe historians and/or conspiracy buffs. The plot is not bad if you accept the existence of centuries old secret societies and global conspiracies. If you don't; well there is no plot without those. Ultimately, this is simply more fuel for those intoxicated with conspiracy paranoia.
Rating:
Summary: Properties of the Fibonacci numbers are CORRECT.
Review: Just enjoy this erudite journey (although at last the journey seems to be an itinerary and somewhat a waste of time, alas.) But this is indeed a pageturner, once you begin reading and you can not put it down. And, relax, this is a popular fiction. And a very fun and gripping fiction, with many extraordinary knowledge. And since it is a fiction, never mind unavoidable occurence of inaccuracies and exaggerations. However, being a mathematician, at least I confirm that those properties of the Fibonacci numbers mentioned in the book are CORRECT.
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