Rating: 
Summary: Good page turner
Review: The Da Vinci Code is an enjoyable thriller, and includes a number of interesting alternative historical tidbits. Unfortunately, Brown is no Umberto Eco, who could have done much more with the subject matter. The characters are wooden, and the plot depends too much on explication through unrealistic dialogue (including a number of long discussions in dangerous situations). The short chapters punctuated by cliffhangers seem to form a bit of a rhythm after a while. All in all, though, it is a good and interesting read.
Rating: 
Summary: As Novels Go, It Would Make a Great Screen-play
Review: Harvard professor Robert Langdon is awoken in the middle of the night and asked to use his specialized knowledge for a murder investigation. In a short matter of time, he will become the main suspect, and hit the road with the victim's granddaughter in the attempt to unravel a mystery and clear his name. Dan Brown deserves major kudos for taking the far-flung elements of a popular conspiracy theory and putting them together into an engrossing page-turner and weaving a cohesive plot. But ... Maybe because I was already primed for the material, and didn't have to spend anytime pondering it, the novel's faults seemed glaring. Lack of character development. With perhaps two exceptions - and minor players at that - the characters were nowhere near approaching fully "drawn." Everyone is either "good guy," "bad guy," "bad guy with flair," or "truth-seeking gal." "Show, don't tell." Probably the biggest reason I never got into mystery novels is all the exposition at the end. Maybe because DaVC tries to be both a thriller/adventure and mystery, there's exposition throughout. Recurring references to the protagonist's previous Vatican escapade. If Brown wasn't going to tell us what that was all about, why even mention it, except perhaps, to try to sell another book in the Langdon series? He could have at least put in a brief overview of what had gone on, other than "something very, very bad went down." As compelling and lively as Brown's prose is, The DaVinci Code is a bit like stopping in at Burger King when you're really hoping for prime rib. It'll do in a pinch.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best of Religious Thrillers ... Very Highly Recommended!
Review: An eternal secret has to be learned for that its keepers are being systematically murdered by sacred forces. The last of those murdered, a prominent curator at the Louvre, decides to set a French cryptographer (his granddaughter to whom he never spoke in 10 years) and an American symbologist on a journey that, granting their skills, would eventually lead them to the knowledge of that 2000-year-old secret. The sacred forces learn about the late curator's plan and decide to join in on the hunt for the most controversial secret of all time. This has got to be the best thriller I have read! I completely enjoyed the vast amount of religious and aesthetic information provided throughout the book. Sometimes it feels that all of this could be true, but then you realize that this is a work of fiction! I love religious novels and this one hit the spot. I am impressed with the writing style, character and suspense development. The secret brotherhood, the Holy Grail, the Church's secrets and dark history and the very concept of divinity are but a taste of what this novel offers its readers. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys religious thrillers and thought-provoking stories about Christ and his legacy. This is definitely one novel I will reread time and again. It's that riveting!
Rating:
Summary: Everyone loves a conspiracy ...
Review: The da Vinci Code is a remarkable book - I litterally could not put it down, the plot was so gripping. The story revolves around an ancient secret society whose secret threatens the very foundations of Christianity and the Catholic church. Suspense and mystery ensue as the "da Vinci Code" is attempted to be broken. In the midst of its gripping story line are fascinating nuggets of trivia ("the divine number" for example), allusions, double-entendres, histograms, puzzles, riddles and numerous twists and turns. It has been quite a while since I have read a book that I have enjoyed as thoroughly as this. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A Heretical Book to be Avoided by Christians
Review: In my opinion, this is a heretical book to be avoided by Christians. If anyone read this book and thinks that it holds any answers to life, I strongly encourage you to read the bible for yourself and see that the Dan Brown's words are like an open grave. Dan's main purpose is to cast doubt on the validity of the Christian faith. He does so by attacking the authenticity of the bible, casting doubt on the Church, and suggesting an alternative spiritual philosophy to Christianity. In his attempt to attack the authenticity of the bible, Dan ridicules the canonization process, making it seem that a group of men came together and picked their favorite four gospels while they discarded over 40 other candidates. This is completely inaccurate, and it is only in a work of fiction that these lies can be presented as truth. In reality, the canonization process took many years, and the ones selected were chosen on three important tenants. 1) The book must have been written by or sponsored by the 12 Apostles of Christ. 2) The content should not contradict the teachings of Christ and 3) It must have been accepted by and widely used by many Churches. Dan also claims that Emperor Constantine heavily influenced the canonization of the Bible. In fact, he had nothing to do with their canonization, and there is sufficient historical documentation to support that assertion. Why would Dan make these outrageous claims if they are completely false? Dan does not believe as Jewish and Christian scholars believe that God has worked through his faithful people to evaluate, treasure, and collect the Sacred Writings that manifest God's will and purpose into Sacred Collections. Dan's second purpose is to cast doubt on the Christian Church. He does so by picking on a very vulnerable denomination, the Catholic Church. While a few individuals in the Catholic church have been guilty of wrongs, largely publicized, and denounced by the body as a whole, even he is not able to completely vilify the Church because the acts represent less than one thousandth of one percent of faithful and Godly men of the Church through out the ages. So Dan has to pick on one fringe group of the Church, which is not at all representative of the body as a whole. In the end, Dan decides to exonerate his characters and the Church, but not after trashing them for over 420 pages. Dan cites wrongs the Church committed throughout history (his charges again inaccurate and unsubstantiated). Claiming the Church was so powerful in the First Century they were able to stamp out anything they didn't agree with, including "divine femininity." In reality, the Church suffered horrible persecution with its members subjected to torture and every horrible painful death imaginable. Yet the church continued to flourish, deeply rooted in the doctrine of the Apostles, and watered with the blood of millions of members. With all this repression, why would such a practice grow if it were not fulfilling? If you have never explored Christianity with an open mind, I invite you to set aside your prejudices and do so. The books final point, after casting doubt on the authenticity of the Bible and vilifying the Church is to promote an alternative spiritual path. To me, this "sacred femininity" is the most disturbing aspect of this book. Dan suggests that orgy sex, astrology, tarot cards and the worship of other human beings, as gods is as acceptable of a practice for gaining spirituality as the Christian faith. He suggests that sexuality between men and women was an acceptable way of worshiping God before Christ came along, and that Christ participated in this practice, and it was the Church that stamped out this practice because they wanted to suppress the power of women. This is complete and utter nonsense! The Bible makes a reference to Dan's "sacred femininity," warning us not to have anything to do with the practice: I have this against you: You tolerate that woman, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Revelation 2:20-23 (NIV) According to the Bible, the reason the teachings of the "divine femininity" have not survived is because God finds it detestable and wiped out the practice. Dan would have us believe it was the Church who eliminated the practice, but clearly that is not the case. In summary, this is a trashy book with thin character development and a difficult to follow story line. It's your traditional boy meets girl, boy and girl get in trouble, and boy gets girl plot. The story is just a thin cover for Dan's pulpit of presenting his agnostic views and casting doubt on the Christian faith. Only in a fiction book could he get away with his outrageous claims, and only in these days would people read this filth and swallow it as truth. Christians, I urge you to skip reading this book, Dan should not receive any support from the Saints for his heretical views. If you did read this book and were intrigued by his philosophy, I urge you to read the New Testament of the Bible and make an informed decision for yourself. Dan himself even says that Jesus was an important spiritual leader. The problem in Dan's statement is Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the light, no man may come before God the Father except through ME." Either Jesus was a complete liar, or he was the Son of God. Jesus doesn't leave any room for a middle ground.
Rating:
Summary: A Blasphemous Mystery
Review: I love mysteries and thought that this would be a good one since it starts in the Louvre. Was I wrong. As a Christian I take exception with the author making Jesus a mere mortal and saying that his divinity was made up by the Catholic church. Also what was all that junk about Mary Magdalene being a goddess and the wife of Jesus. There is only one God and the goddess bit is just new age stuff. Is the author a new age junkie? I wish someone would explain why Christianity is the only religion debunked and belittled in books. I gave it one star because it could have been a good mystery. But this will be the last book I will ever read by Dan Brown. I am glad I didn't waste the money on it. Thank God for libraries.
Rating:
Summary: Major disappointment + Poor narration = 1 star
Review: I bought into the hype over this book and approached it quite eagerly as it promised intrigue and devious puzzles and carefully researched history. Boy, was I disappointed! Dan Brown's writing is annoyingly repetitious (how many times does he use the phrase "the sacred feminine"?) He also has the irritating habit of telling the reader that he is withholding information just to make the reader wait. It's one thing to withhold information; it;s another to tell you it's happening. The former can lead to well-crafted suspense. The latter is just a crude attempt to be suspenseful. And the puzzles that are supposed to be so clever are pretty obvious - simple anagrams and basic ciphers. This is all compounded by the awful narration of Paul Michael who drones on and on with but a modicum of inflection. Even at the most harrowing moments (there are a few anyway) he never communicates any sense of danger or excitement; just a matter-of-fact recitation of Brown's prose.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: This was one of the best, if not THE best book, I've ever read! Mr. Brown has obviously done his research. The book is VERY interesting and thought-provoking as well as just being a good read. I've loaned my book out to my friends and they've commented on just how good of a book it is and how much they enjoy it. You don't want to put the book down! I HIGHLY recommend this book. You won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Stunning!
Review: The real DaVinci is nothing compared to Dan Brown and his masterpiece! All I can say is read it now!
Rating:
Summary: Let,'s Chase People Around Paris for 75% of the Book!
Review: I enjoyed this book, but I did not take it seriously. The chapters are too short, and most of the book is just one breathtaking climactic leap to the next. It's pretty easy to figure out who the real villain is after we meet him or her, and it's not that hard to understand why the ending is the way it is. Do not pay full price for this book. Borrow it. Buy it very cheaply--under $10. Could I put the book down, yes. Did I want the book to end. Yes. Now the only question is....uhm...who are going to play the leads when Hollywood gets hold of the rights--Anthony Hopkins is a shoe-in for sure!
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