The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: A Clever and Exciting Novel Injected w/ Historical Research
Review: Brown has done his homework on this one. With a conspiracy eminating from the earliest days of the Catholic eclesiastic governing body that trumps down on present day. His story has plenty of factual historical research that is infused with his fantastic ability to carve a heart-pounding thriller. Simply put, if you enjoy reading, you'll enjoy The Da Vinci Code.

Rating:
Summary: Ruined
Review: This fine book was ruined for me from the first. Dan Brown should have been told that Da Vinci is not a part of Leonardo's name, but only signifies his city of origin. To refer to Leonardo simply as Da Vinci is a serious misnomer which succeeded in spoiling the story for me.

Rating:
Summary: About Daughter of God
Review: While Da Vinci code definitely lives up to its hype, customers ought to know that a large portion of the novel's plot concepts were lifted from Lewis Perdue's Daughter of God, including the female lead, the Vatican secret society, Magdalene as the Chalice of Christ, and a number of other "coincidences" as listed by Perdue at his website for Daughter of God.

However, in defense of Brown, several reviews attempt to muddle the revelatory ideas proposed by the Da Vinci code throughout the course of the book. While the book's premises are fiction, Brown's preface about the authenticity/historical accuracy of the content is legitimately posted, as the Merovingian order is a moot subject.

For example: someone said earlier that Brown says DaVinci's Mona Lisa was a self-portrait via Langdon, the main character. Apparently, this person didn't read the entire book. Later, Langdon points out that contrary to the rumor that Leonardo created Mona Lisa to represent himself "in drag," Leonardo as a member of the pagan cult involved in the book created Mona Lisa to symbolize the androgynous unity of male/female in the Sacred Feminine.

Rating:
Summary: Charming plot for non-mystery buffs
Review: The writing style is a little plodding, but the plot is charming in many places. Mystery buffs will find his abuse of cliches and conventions distracting. There isn't much that's original in the plot. For a great historical thriller, Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose is far superior. Even so, it's not a BAD book. It has pleasant moments and for readers, is a good way to spend a few nights.

Rating:
Summary: Who cares if you agree with his theory...its a GREAT book
Review: it's stupid that people criticize this book because they disagree with the point made by the main characters. Either way it's a thriller...shock after shock it will keep you enthralled. You don't have to agree with the rather revolutionary point (although somewhat ficticious) presented...it's fantastically written...meticulously edited...and an absolute joy to read.

Rating:
Summary: Absurd!
Review: Nothing about this book was believable: not the characters,
not the plot. This reader got the impression that the
author was writing it with a movie in mind. On film, he
might have a winner because the artwork and scenery would
detract from the fact that the plot is absurd. If the action
were speeded up, people who like adventure films starring Stalone
and Arnold whats-his-name would probably eat it up.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as I expected
Review: At the beginning I was enthralled....then, being a -dyed- in- the- wool Christian, I found Langdon's( the main character) revelations disturbing. Am I lost here? or what? I know lots of people have trouble with the whole Christian doctrine...the virgin Mary, Jesus, Son of God, died, rose to everlasting life,and Savior from our sins, but either we have all been duped, making our faith an exercise in futility, or I just fell for a fictional story that seemed so real! I have to give Mr. Brown credit for creating such a story. He sure had me feeling confused- (I am still trying to find a picture of "The Last Supper" to see if there is a woman at Jesus'right!!) I read on to the end, but still felt unsettled, thinking many people in the world actually believe the explanation about Mary Magdelene being the wife/lover of Christ. Anyway, it's not the questions/details/facts that make the Christian message so powerful, but the fact that all that Christ did and said was meant to improve the quality of life for all people and a wonderful guideline for life, both for the doer of right and those to whom right should be done.

Rating:
Summary: Fiction, not nonfiction
Review: I'm glad I read on after the first review to find other people did not take this to be a possible true revelation of biblical fact. This is indeed a suspense thriller but nothing more. Read and enjoy, but if you put any belief in this as the true answer to the Holy Grail I have some swampland in Florida to sell you.

Rating:
Summary: A book that would leave you breathless with delight!!!
Review: An exceptional book of immense dimensions....truly a must read....a well researched , highly engrossing , intelctually stimulating , a fast paced thriller delving into forgotten history...... words cannot describe how fascinating a book this is!!!

Rating:
Summary: I hate this book! Caveat lector!
Review: While the conspiracy theory piece of the novel is well researched and interesting, it cannot make up for such egregious stylistic faults as the over-use of the verb 'grin', eyes constantly described as 'twinkling', and the author's inability to trust either his characters or his reader. Everything is over-explained to a fault, and the two page chapters go from annoying at the beginning to insulting by the end. One of his characters is a French woman, but her dialogue reads like a first year French student. To get around the fact that he obviously does not speak French, Mr. Brown uses the completely unbelievable tool of making English part of her personal history. Her flashbacks inevitably begin with an insipid, childlike question in French, countered by the admonition "English in the home!" from her grandfather. Anyone who has ever lived amongst the French will recognize immediately how completely implausible this scenario is. Why not italicize her speech so that the reader knows that it has been translated for his or her benefit? There are many other ways to accomplish a bilingual novel that respect the intelligence of the reader and make the characters believable. There is not enough space provided here to detail all the flaws in this book. But I can say this: I gobble up trashy mystery novels and sophisticated literature alike (and everything in between) - I love to read and will read almost anything - but this book made me regret having learned to read. I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. Had I not been on an airplane when I finished it, I would have thown against the wall! If you're interested in the history of Da Vinci and the Mona Lisa, this is not the place to get that information. Mr. Brown did do a fine piece of research. The history of the Priory and Opus Dei was truly interesting. It is unfortunate that he chose to write "The Da Vinci Code" rather than a non-fiction piece. Suffering through the plot is too high a price for knowledge that could easily been found in some other, better book. Dan Brown successfully did this research, and I advise that you do the same.