Rating: 
Summary: Boring mumbo jumbo
Review: Started very interesting, has too many boring, dull, ridiculous details that go on and on unnecessarily. Has a good ending, but the middle was so full of bull, I didn't think it would ever end.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Rich in Plot And Interesting Research!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a fast-paced, exciting thriller that will hold your interest from the opening pages to the final page. Brown, in his latest thriller, starts you off with a vicious murder in the Louvre and takes you on a search for the Holy Grail. What makes The Da Vinci Code several levels above the average thriller is Brown's ability to use the impeccable research he did to provide a fascinating interpretation of Western history and to describe historical events that are as interesting as the suspenseful murder investigation itself. I think that if you can put aside whatever your strong personal beliefs are about "the Truth" and not take the book too seriously, you'll consider The Da Vinci Code to be among the most interesting and entertaining novels you've read in a long time. The one flaw in this book for me -- and it's a very minor one -- is that Brown could have been more descriptive about the physical appearances of the hero and heroine to enable you to have good picture in your mind about what they looked like. I highly recommend The Da Vinci Code to you. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: I learned a lot!
Review: I absolutely loved this book. I loved that "all the descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." This book is a page turner from the very first page and does not stop. The explanations of secret societies, religious theories, etc. are so interesting and were explained fully without getting boring. Just a really, really exceptionally written book! I couldn't believe the way this story turned out! You will not be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Promise, Fizzled Story
Review: A murder victim's last desperate effort to pass along an ancient secret kicks off a real page-turner of a thriller. Dan Brown does a masterful job of weaving art history, symbology, and ancient Christian rumors and conspiracy theories into a compelling murder mystery. The rich detail built into each chapter has the reader all but booking travel to Paris and London to experience the settings and the history; the provocative thesis surrounding the Holy Grail will have the reader searching the web and amazon.com for additional information.So why only 3 stars? Other critical reviewers have correctly blasted the way Brown hits the reader over the head Heinlein-style with his lectures and theories-as-fact. As the plot progresses talk supplants action (a huge no-no for murder mysteries); the story timeline is actually faster than the elapsed time required to read the book. Robert Langdon goes from professor to suspect-on-the-run back to professor, and the book grinds to a monotonous crawl as a result. In addition Brown asks the reader to suspend belief too many times. In the opening scene a masterpiece is ripped from the wall of the Louvre, followed by approximately 15-20 minutes of (implied) dialog, a shooting, and some fancy multi-layered puzzle set-up. Reality would seem to dictate that half the Paris police would arrive within 90 seconds of the alarm going off. Later police let Langdon, now a suspected high-profile mass murderer, escape not once but twice, and still later police let a hulking albino shoot his way out of a trap and, while seriously wounded, carry an injured bystander into a hospital and then walk out. Yeah right. And don't even get me started about "The Teacher". Perhaps the most serious fault, however, is the lack of character development. As implausible as it sounds, we learn more about the albino assassin than anyone else. In a normal murder mystery this wouldn't be an issue, but given the nature of Brown's central thesis character development is an absolute must. Without giving too much away, the ending only makes sense (and, in hindsight, the book is only satisfying) if we learn far more about the character with the famous lineage. Instead that character is vapid and one dimensional, a true throw-away caricature found in any Mickey Spillane whodunit or even, dare I say it, certain late-night Cinemax productions. By all means, pick up a copy of The Da Vinci Code, spend several nights reading it, and then spend a few more nights researching the Holy Grail. It's a best seller, so you should be able to borrow a friend's copy. When you're done you'll probably return to bookmarked Holy Grail "Favorites" on your web browser rather than the book itself, so I don't recommend that you actually buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful read!
Review: This is one of the better books I have read in many a year. It is a mystery thriller, a fascinating detective story, and is based upon history. All women will be delighted with the ending.
Rating:
Summary: It's Fiction, ladies and gentlemen
Review: Other reviewers hereabouts seem to be irate about the book's "research". For me Dan Brown has taken some readings of esoteric texts, various gospels etc. and woven a reasonably fun story of conspiracy and intrigue, not far removed from, say, an "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" which, incidentally, few confused with real history. Some might take the research herein seriously and feel challenged or threatened.
I would like to think, though, that most would regard this as airport blockbuster, leave your brain at the door fare. Or at least that readers might make some attempt to find out more. In which case they will come across, for instance, many online articles on the Priory of Sion and learn that there is much to suggest that this was a hoax. They would find all sorts of re-interpretations of who, or what, Jesus was - including a warrior, a rehash of previous myth elements, or even some sort of metaphor for magic mushrooms (I kid you not) as well as endless speculations as to His life and times. It's an endlessly ripe field, muddied by language and history, by what is included and what is excluded, historical accuracies and inaccuracies: a field in which the whole re-interpeting of ancient texts in order to support strange ideas was gently lampooned by Umberto Eco.
As for plotting - yup it's a rehash of all sorts of cliches - the albino assassin, the hero and heroine on the run, the aged male academic mentor who may or may not be what he seems. But maybe that is itself a use of traditional fictional signifiers in order to build a storyline. Or maybe not. Certainly a few cliches don't bother me - if they bother you what are you picking up this sort of blockbuster book for? There's enough facts and speculation here to keep me amused and make me want to know more, it whiled away a few pleasant hours and then I moved on.
Rating:
Summary: Each Page Left Me Hungry For The Next
Review: The book had me hooked after only a few pages. Dan Brown has a way of giving you just enought information to keep you wildly interested without giving away the plot. Most books are very perdictable, but not this one. The revelations kept coming up to the last page.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Thrill Ride for the Mind
Review: I've read thousands of thirllers but this one set itself apart by not just feeding my mind with twists and turns of a plot line, but with a truly interesting underlying story. I do not fancy myself a conspiracy theory fan, but I have to admit this one lit my fire. The author keeps us interested by feeding us his story on three different levels. There is the mystery of the past, the puzzles left by the victim found in the early pages, and the chase for our heros lives throughout the book. The book takes us through the ages, in and out of the church, through cities and countries. Rarely has a book so peaked my interest. In the end, I found myself on the internet doing research about DaVinci and the Holy Grail - not something I have ever thought about before. I seriously recomend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: a pretty good read...
Review: This book was very engaging and interesting. It is definitely not your typical suspense thriller. Although it did tend to get a little slow during the middle part of the book, the ending had a nice twist. The detail that the author goes into with respect to the secret societies and art history was very very interesting. These inclusions made for a much more interesting book - especially for someone who is interested in art history or history in any capacity. I would have liked to have known how much of the details and story is true, however, because at some points in the story the claims that the author makes seem completely unreal. All in all, this was an excellent quick read and I would recommend it to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: In search of the Holy Grail
Review: This book is certainly filled with all the twists and turns, plots and subplots, and strange alliances which make it a page-turning best-seller. The murder of a museum curator occurs in the Louvre during the first chapter. As the man is dying, he leaves a series of convoluted clues which his granddaughter Sophie and an historical symbologist named Robert Landgon, spend the rest of the book trying to follow. What is their objective? The Holy Grail, which is given a different spin in this book. While there are historical rumors about the nature of the Grail, not as the chalice used by Christ at the Last Supper but as something quite different, this book's fictional plot is based on shaky conjecture. It is well-written and the plots weaves deliciously around so that yesterday's allies are today's enemies. Despite its strengths, this book is on shaky ground and it was hard for me, as a Christian, to accept the basic premise.
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