Rating: 
Summary: Definitely read, but don't believe.
Review: This is a fun read with lots of puzzles, ciphers and references to art history, and I completely recommend it. My copy is making its way through my office. The only place where this book goes astray is when it tries to come up with a good conspiracy theory. Suppression of the mother cult started long before Constantine (a good starting point is "When God was a Woman" by Stone). Constantine also probably got a good dose of Christianity from his mother, St. Helen. The Knights Templar were a threat to the consolidation of power of Philip IV of France not pope Clement V or the Catholic Church. In fact there was a power struggle between the two and Philip decided the "Bishop of Rome" would be better quartered in Avigon France, under "French protection". In fact the knights were tried in French courts, for religious crimes by an inquisitor who was excommunicated! Something the pope objected to but Philip ignored. Good sources are "The Templars" by Read and "The Knights Templar: A New History" by Nicholson. In "The Templars and the Grail" Ralls points out that the trials were politically motivated and pretty much a kangaroo court. Whenever the Templars were brought before the inquisitors they were acquitted except when brutally tortured. Which meant everywhere in Europe except France and Naples (Charles II of Naples was Philip's uncle..go figure). The outcome is the Templars were only guilty of supporting the church, defending pilgrams, being prosperous and being in Philips way. In an unusual act of defiance Clement transferred the Templar's holdings to the other religious orders primarily the Order of St. John (Knights Hospitallers) keeping them out of Philips hands. A lot of the myths and legends used in the book belong in the "El Dorado" category but it lends an air of mystery to the work. The work has a lot of the spirit of Umberto Eco but without the tedium and academic rigor and is a great summer read.
Rating: 
Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: I guess I am alone in my opinion. I thought the book
got off to a great beginning, and that I was really going
to love it. I was learning a ton about Opus Dei, the Templer
Knights ect.Then it got "silly". One moment I thought,"I've had enough
of the divine feminism bit", and the next moment after one more
"escape" excuse me they get out of the limo at the airport with
the bound albino without being seen (?) I could see the promo
---and starring Harrison Ford. My daughters and I had selected the book for our annual wine and
book discussion summer visit. I hope they liked it better than
I did. If I hadn't committed myself to the evening, I wouldn't
have finished it.
Rating: 
Summary: Make Sure You Have The Time... you won't put it down!
Review: Loved it from beginning to end. One of the best books I've read in years! Now I've got to go back and read Dan Brown's earlier works, too.
Rating:
Summary: Wow--Fun & Interesting
Review: The first quesiton I asked myself on finishing this book was: how did I miss Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's first book featuring Robert Langdon, the protagonist of The Da Vinci Code? I enjoyed this novel so much--more than I expected to--that I was disappointed that I didn't have all the background. Seriously, what's not to like about this book?--a smart and engaging main character surrounded by a cast of equally engaging friends and enemies; secret societies and the secret lives of historical figures like Newton and Victor Hugo; a plot pushed forward by decipherable clues as simple as anagrams and as complex as the hidden meaning of Da Vinci art; the meaning of religious "artifacts" like the Holy Grail; the meaning of religion itself. It all makes for an irresistible combination. And Brown, though not perhaps the most adept prose stylist, does a good job of getting us through the twists and turns in an enjoyable fashion. Of course, comfortable in my catholicism, I enjoy speculative novels like this. I can wonder about the truth of religion without feeling my religion or myself is being attacked. Plus, my reading has made me familiar already with many of the arguments Brown makes. But if you are the type of person who is uncomfortable with writing that brings into question some of the basic tenets of Christianity, stay away from this novel. You will not enjoy it. But if you want a thrilling ride that also will make you stop and think about some things you thought you knew, this is a book to be read.
Rating:
Summary: A guide to greater pleasures
Review: I almost quit reading the book after reading the first chapter - it started off slow - but given the reviews I stuck with it and LOVED it. I read the book in one sitting, all the while researching the works of arts described. Here's a tip: find the web site for the Louvre and you will be richly rewarded with virtual tours of its galleries and detailed close ups of most of the paintings described. If ever a fiction book needed illustrations, this one does! I have no doubt that this book can be made into a great movie along the lines of "The Thomas Crowne Affair", which I also loved. As to what is fact, and what is fiction, the author toys with us, making us second guess some of our firmest beliefs. Is what we have held as the truth all our lives just fiction? Or does this fictional book hold the key to the truth? In the end, Dan Brown proves to be the master of double-entendres.
Rating: 
Summary: Umberto Eco for Dummies
Review: This was Umberto's "Foucault's Pendulum" light. There are stories of the Templars, ancient secrets protected over thousands of years, but there is no depth or weight. I would compare this book to reading the back flap of "Lempriere's Dictionary" by Norfolk, which is a much better read and would take about the same time too.
Rating:
Summary: Astounding piece of Literature
Review: Dan Brown's The Davinci Code is one of the finest books I've read in a while. Completely enthralling, I found it impossible to put the book down. Twists and turns a plenty are found in this historical treasure hunt. Completely turned my opinion of the Bible and the Catholic Church upside down. A fascinating read that anyone would enjoy. A virtual must read.
Rating:
Summary: Da Vinci Code warning label
Review: I enjoy well written novels. This one was well written for the first 100+ pages. But faltered with the action and chase scenarios. When the plot was developed I found myself not caring about it and lost the interest I had developed in the early stages of the novel. A word of warning: the book should be previewed before purchase. I would recommend reading pages 119-121, 124-126, and pages 231-233 to see if you are comfortable with the author's theme. For those who are not, it would be a waste to purchase this book.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-Paced Narrative Leads Reader on Thrilling Search
Review: I love a good mystery---and this was one of the best---with all the added suspense of hidden clues, secret societies, and people who are not what they appear to be. The writing was fast-paced, intriguing, and had me breathlessly turning the pages hoping to discover what our hero and heroine were trying to discover---the Holy Grail. Beginning with a grisly murder at the Louvre Museum, the reader is tantalized by clues hidden in poems, numbers, and various designs. Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu are never fully developed as characters, but it's all right because in this book, the chase is everything. The chase to find the Holy Grail and discover its secret is paramount. My only complaint with the book is that it fictionalizes real people and real events and rewrites history in such a way to attempt to undermine Christianity. While most readers are smart enough to distinguish between fact and fiction, this does plant a lot of innuendo, legend, and rumor masquerading as fact. My advice is to take it for what it's worth...an exceptionally good thriller...and not to take too seriously its rewriting of historical and Biblical fact. On the upside, this book had me searching websites for factual information moreso than any book I've ever read. I have also learned more about the works of Leonardo Da Vinci than I ever knew before and finally think I know why the Mona Lisa is smiling.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific, Smart Thriller
Review: Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is an excellent, compelling, intelligent thriller, one that grabs you from the first page, one that you won't be able to put down. Robert Langdon is called in for questioning regarding a violent murder at the Lourvre one night. The clues left by the victim, the museum's curator send Langdon and the victim's granddaughter, Sophie, on a quest to solve both the murder and the story behind the clues the curator has left. The story is smart and well-paced and it will keep you guessing. An excellent, thrilling read. Enjoy.
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