Rating: 
Summary: Puzzled at the hype
Review: Being a writer myself, I can only surmise that after reading this, and listening to it as an audio book just to make sure I wasn't being unfair, that Dan Brown must have a huge following of fans. It reads like a first novel, and I am surprised that so many people find it "enthralling". The dialogue is horrendous, the narrative is pedestrian, and the writing overall seems remarkably amateurish for a celebrated novelist. It reads like a book he wrote years ago, hid in a closet, got well known, then brought it out and dusted it off to present it to his agent and publisher. I wrote better than this when I was in the 3rd grade. His prediliction to repeat sentences and phrases over and over again is annoying, as if the reader is mentally challenged and didn't get it the first time. It is an insult to a reader to "write down" to your audience. It just goes to show that perserverance pays off in the publishing world. If any other writer had tried to peddle this manuscript, they would have racked up truckloads of rejection slips, and been told to take elementary writing classes, in addition to "get an imagination". This writing is almost as bad as Danielle Steele, another publishing miracle.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT BOOK UNTIL ABOUT PAGE 405
Review: Once you begin THE DAVINCI CODE you will not be able to put it down. The story grabs you by the collar and drags you along at a brisk pace. Dan Brown gives you everything; an albino, monk hitman; a brilliant art historian; a beautiful French detective with a specialty in cryptology; a secret society called the Knights Templar; and a substantive search for the Holy Grail. What places this book a cut above the rest is the layering of art history and religious history integral to the story. You read the factoids Brown sprinkles here and there and you wonder, "Is that true?" If any of it is true, Brown has made some pretty controversial statements regarding the foundations of Christian beliefs and traditions. But that makes it all the more delicious to read. For those reasons THE DAVINCI CODE is better than your run of the mill cops and robbers mystery/thrillers. The book begins with murder at the Louvre Museum near the Mona Lisa. Clues are left everywhere and everything written has meaning and will be referred to later in the book. The characters are very clearly delineated and do not melt into one another. I was stunned by how breezily this book reads and how many twists and turns Brown threw into the mix. Then I got to page 405 and became very disappointed. At that point I found the book a bit unbelievable. Up to page 405 everything seemed plausible. But the book had a heavy head of steam up to that revelation. The very end was a bit underwhelming, as the first 400 pages promised much more. I highly recommend this read, but the conclusions to all the characters were a little too pat and easy. There is no big shoot out at the end, but I expected something a bit more exciting than what I received.
Rating: 
Summary: Over-hyped
Review: I listened to this book on CD because so many friends recommended the book. I'm not a mystery reader but thought I'd give it a try. Why all the hype? The book includes one tired cliché after another (His blood ran cold. No wait! Now his blood is boiling!). And somehow at just the right time the main characters stumble across exactly what they need to advance their investigation. And the audio recording? Egad. The reader outdoes Inspector Clouseau with the phony French accent, but this isn't supposed to be funny. My advice: Skip it.
Rating:
Summary: The Duuuuh Vinci Code
Review: If you couldn't figure out the codes in this book within seconds, I have one word (if it is a word) to say to you: DUUUUUHHH!!!!! I felt that Brown insulted my intelligence all the way through this book, not to mention that he cribbed all his 'conspiracy theory' plot lines from two books, "The Templar Revelation" and "Holy Blood, Holy Grail." The characters are third-rate stale mystery stereotypes: the studious yet manly professor type (hello Indiana Jones?) the bereft yet beautiful French orphan girl (who is supposed to be a London-trained cryptologist but can't solve even the simplest backwards-writing code), the albino monk (haven't we picked on albinos enough?), the diabolical Catholic Church officials, honest to God this is character/plot workmanship right out of Mystery Writing 102-- Course Designed for Pretentious Art History Geeks. If you want to get your jollies from some REAL Art History Porn, go for Simon Schama's "Rembrandt's Eyes." It's the real deal. The only reason I'm getting so excercised about this is because this book is a bestseller and some people actually think it's good. Have we lost all sense of incisive criticism? Liberal Arts majors -- speak out against this travesty. Take back the historical novel, and preserve its integrity for future generations! Tell people the truth -- this book is rank. Thank you. Oh, I did get past the first 10 pages because the author mentioned my alma mater, American University in Paris. But that's the only good thing...
Rating:
Summary: rated four stars because i like the genre
Review: a much better book though is eco's "foucalt's pendulum".
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating page-turning mystery, but is it historical?
Review: I like to work logic puzzles and I love a good plot-filled mystery with lots of surprises, and this one had them in abundance. And the city of Paris in general and the Louvre museum in particular are made to order for heart-pounding thrillers, and this book is no exception. The symbolism is wildly fascinating,the characterizations are good, the pace is fast, and the twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. However, I had two problems with the book -- or maybe I can say ONE objection with two aspects, and each objection cost it one star in my evaluation. 1. There are a lot of historical "facts" given here that challenge the teachings of Orthodox Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant). I won't go into detail about them here, but I'll say this: I wish the author had given some good, solid sources so that we, the readers, could have checked on the sources ourselves. One of the characters in the story states that many "respected" historian-scholars could corroborate the view about the "real" meaning of the Holy Grail and the "real" history of Christ. I would have liked to know who they were. I also would like to have known if the story's take on the life of Christ, the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail legend was an honest-to-goodness historical view or one invented by the author for the story's purpose. 2. I also felt like the author was "blaming" Christianity for the bad treatment of women. Maybe he wasn't, and I misunderstood him. But I feel it is important to mention that the church did not invent the bad treatment of women. This is important to know, because while the church(both Catholic and Protestant) has left a lot to be desired in its treatment of women, the view of women as inferiors (which is unBiblical, by the way) was in existence long before the church ever came into being. Anyone who has studied Western Civilization and/or Far Eastern history will know that ancient cultures, many of whom had a plethora of female deities, still treated their women like dirt. The ancient Greeks held women in contempt -- just read Aristotle, who lived before Christ. Ancient and not-so-ancient India and China have historically mopped up the floor with women, female deities in their culture notwithstanding. I know what an extreme patriarchal mindset some churches have -- as a woman I have been on the receiving end of it. But let's not blame Christianity in general and the Catholic Church in particular for causing it. Misogyny is extremely ancient! The book is worth reading, but before taking any of its claims as truly historical, it behooves us all to check out our facts!
Rating:
Summary: Pseudohistory and pseudofeminism
Review: After giving in to the hype and reading this book, I frankly don't understand what all the fuss was about. The allegations about the Catholic Church aren't shocking to anyone who's read _Holy Blood, Holy Grail_, or the better follow-up _The Woman with the Alabaster Jar_; what *is* shocking is that Brown presents this interesting if flawed speculative history as if it were verified fact. There's enough actual evidence of the Church's ugly political machinations and lethal intolerance and misogyny to power any number of thrillers without having to resort to invention, but I digress. Brown seeds the story with just enough facts that the half-truths, misleading statements, and pure fictions go down in the same gulp, and while that's certainly no crime -- this is a suspense novel, after all -- he then tries to endow it all with the odor of historical sanctity, but there's another aroma overpowering. As for the story itself... eh. It clipped along at a decent pace, but again, knowing the conspiracy theory in advance rendered the plot utterly predictable. Then there's Brown's gifts as a prose stylist, which are, to be charitable, crushingly mediocre. But by far the most irritating aspect of the book, for me, was Brown's treatment of Sophie. After a promising entrance (springing Langdon from a trap in the Louvre), she becomes no more than a listening post and token love interest. The scenes where she sits around, silent, while a bunch of *men* lecture her about The Suppression of the Divine Feminine were unintentionally hilarious. In fact, were there any other women in this novel? Liberate the Mother, indeed.
Rating: 
Summary: First rate historical thriller
Review: This book is topnotch, although a bit laden with schmaltz. I loved it anyways.
Rating:
Summary: Spare me the pompous nitpicking; this is a good yarn.
Review: It's been awhile since I wrote an Amazon review, but after reading some of the hundreds of reviews of this book I'm compelled to respond on behalf of the vast unwashed masses to which I belong. First, this book is found in the "fiction" section. If you don't want challenges to documented historical fact, Amazon sells thousands of books on art and religious history. Knock yourself out. At its essence, this book is a better-than-average mystery thriller, with all of the typical plot devices you'd expect from the Grishams, Kings, and Pattersons of the world. It's not particularly well-written, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to read, if you're just an average schmoe like myself who likes a deft plot twist. To be sure, some of the developments in the book are far-fetched. For example, I have no problem with one or two scenarios in which the protagonists face certain capture by the bad guys, only to escape by some implausible development. After this happens a half-dozen times or so, you feel like Clark Griswold staring at the Grand Canyon. Yep; been there, done that; let's move on. So, what is it about this unremarkable book that seems to have inspired so many remarks? That's easy. It's about art, which brings all sorts of snooty bookish types out of the woodwork to nitpick; and it also delves into Christian conspiracy theories. It doesn't flatter the church, especially the Catholic church, but that's nothing new in modern fiction. But Brown's characters challenge the biblical accountings of Christ's life. They also "uncover" thousand-year old religious conspiracies which changed the way people think about physical relationships. These are sensitive issues, and a lot of linear thinkers don't like to have their fundamental beliefs challenged, even in fiction. So no one should be surprised that so many of them have shown up to point fingers at this book because they spot a historical inconsistency or implausible conclusion about religion or art. You're messing with some of the most pompous and arrogant people in the world, Mr. Brown. The lightning bolt is surely on its way. But from down here, among the vast majority of people who just want to sit down in a comfortable chair with a cool drink and escape into an interesting book for awhile, this one is pretty good. If you have any interest at all in art history, or cryptology, or the early years of Christian religion, this one should hold your interest, but be warned. If even a fictional challenge to your beliefs about Christianity or art history is going to offend you, move along.
Rating:
Summary: Get Over It
Review: For anyone who doesn't rate this book 5 stars, get over it. I read the books months ago in the first printing and immediately told everyone I knew to read it. Its simply the most entertaining book of the year. Is it accurate? Not 100%, but then again Eco's works on the history of the church while far more tedious are not 100% accurate either. If anyone had bothered to read any other works by Brown they would know that being 100% accurate loses out to entertainment at times. This is a work of fiction. That means he made it up. As Gore Vidal says, you can do and say anything in fiction because its not real. If you want to battle through tedium (I have) read Eco, but don't beieve all of it. If you want entertainment read Brown. Read his other works too, but for God's sake don't begin to think this is hitorically accurate, its fiction!
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