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Summary: A Cryptex in Its Own Right
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a brilliant masterpiece which cleverly combines history, religion, and modern times, and ties them together in a speedy thriller.
It begins when a renowned symbologist named Robert Langdon is called to the scene of a crime in the Paris Louvre museum. He is told he was brought here so he can decipher a puzzle made with the body of the curator.
Robert is shocked because of this alone but withing minutes he is racing away from the police he just helped.
At the same, time he is learning of a dark secret which is slowly binding him to a conspiracy with the least likely person at its head.
Wonderful book which I recommend for anyone older than 9
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Summary: A brilliant story!
Review: I just finished "The Da Vinci Code" today, and it would not have taken me so long if I had had the time to just read it straight through. Dan Brown knows the secret to constructing a real page turner, and I hold him personally responsible for my lack of sleep. This is a masterpiece of suspense and nonfiction conspiracy theory that will leave you with a number of unanswered questions. I loved it, and will no doubt read it again. As advice to anyone looking into this title, get a book of Da Vinci's paintings. You will not regret it. In fact, the only true reason I ever put this book down was to check to see if the clues were really true. They were. Only "Jurassic Park" and "Conquest of Paradise", with their similar levels of heightened suspense, have ever moved me so far to the edge of my seat. Dan Brown is certainly someone to be celebrated!
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Summary: You Can't Put it Down
Review: I received this book on Friday and finished reading it by Sunday morning. It is one of the best page turners I have come across in a long time. I can't remember when I have been so entertained, enlightened, and engaged in a while. It has all the things that I love in a book: mystery, suspense, a good education, and art!Other reviewers have commented on avoiding this book if you are Catholic. I am Catholic and as long as you are open to hearing about some alternative explanations, whether or not you embrace the ideology, then you will enjoy it. I found the concepts interesting and appreciated the authors use of them in context. While the end is a bit too tidy for my tastes, I can't think of any ending that I would be satisfied wit, especially because I didn't want it to end.
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Summary: An eye opener!
Review: What an astounding book! It grabbed me from page 1 and never let go. Dan Brown has truly written a masterpiece.
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Summary: Controversial, but Fun
Review: A remarkable book, reminiscent of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum and also Eco's Name of the Rose. A Havard symbologist, Robert Langdon, is summoned by French police to the Louvre, where the chief curator has been murdered. Langdon initially believes that the police are looking for his help, but with the help of French cryptologist Sophie Neveu, realizes that he is a suspect, and has unwittingly stumbled onto an age-old mystey -- and to solve the murder and prove his innocence, he must do no less than find the Holy Grail. The book has numerous word puzzles that Robert and Sophie must solve enroute to finding the grail, with the assistance of a rather eccentric British grail enthusiast. The book hits much of the ground covered by Baigent and Leigh in their conspiracy classic, "Holy Blood, Holy Grail", as the two race to discover the secret of the grail and its mysterious guardians, the Prieur de Sion, ahead of ruthless rivals including a devout, yet murderous, albino monk from the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. Many people consider the book anti-Catholic, and one wonders why Brown felt he had to single out a real Catholic organization to provide his villains, but Brown does carefully exculpate the organizations in the end through a series of plot twists, preventing serious religious fury, and no doubt, some lawsuits. Nevertheless, the book is a rich tapestry of fascinating facts about Leonardo da Vinci, several of whose works figure in the plot clues, as well as taking a stroll through ground Grail conspiracy researchers know well -- the Louvre, St. Sulpice Cathedral, the Temple Church in London, and Rosslyn Chapel. Devout Catholics will no doubt find the book disturbing, for it is not sympathetic to the church. It is, however, a fascinating mystery, and lot of fun for those who love conspiracies.
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Summary: This is a must read
Review: I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of this fact based fiction book but it fast paced, exciting read. The story is immediately grabbing and the chapters are short enough to pull you right through the book. One intersting thought is that the story is so intriguining that the characters are secondary to the quest they are on. I could not put it down and read this one in one day! Enjo
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Summary: A fun exercise in creative history and theology
Review: Dan Brown proves that a little bit of heresy, a little bit of history and some imagination make for a intriguing story. This book is a good, amazingly quick read for its size. While historians and theologians would quickly point out that some of the theories, history and theology Brown is drawing on wasn't quite represented precisely -- that's not necessarily the point. Brown is exploring themes that are amazingly contemporary yet inextricably linked to controversial history.He certainly adds a unique, challenging and maybe accurate account in some ways. For example, a group like the Templars, Opus Dei, or a topic such as the historical Jesus have all managed to stir up their fair share of controversy in recent times. Unlike a more challenging title like "The Last Temptation of Christ," the Da Vinci Code manages to build a fictitious world, and tackles these groups and issues in a less head-on way, making it less threatening to readers who may be uncomfortable with long, technical non-fiction books related to these topics and those who are unwilling to tackle Kazantztakis. Brown's world is decidely a work of fiction, making readers who are put off by his premises, comfortable enough to dismiss it as fiction. This book is a fun read, if even at times predictable. Some of the characters are a bit formulaic at times, but the overall plot of the book advances quickly enough that those are momentary bumps. The Da Vinci code also superbly manages to play with your mind along the way, challenging the reader to break codes and mysteries, most of which are not so complex to be frustrating or to be entirely implausible.
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Summary: An Amazing Adventure
Review: Attracted by the window display at Borders Michigan Avenue in Chicago ..., I ventured into the store not knowing that I was in for four nights of sleeplessness. For an art aficionado like myself (though not particularly crazy about the Mona Lisa or da Vinci), the plot was a definite hook. And after reading a similarly riveting religious thriller, "Conquest of Paradise", I was intrigued to delve further into the genre. The very first page of "The Da Vinci Code" reels you into its grasp to embark on a journey much like peeling away layers upon layers of mysteries and clues. The prose is taut, the dialogue crisp, and the narrative tight, encouraging you to turn page after page. You've heard it said before, but the writing makes you feel as if you are part of the scene, witnessing - albeit silently and anonymously from some dusty, shadowy corner - the world in which the characters roam. Sensational stuff, though the ending leaves me wanting to write an additional chapter or two to satisfy the urge to see what the Da Vinci Code fuss is all about, I am nevertheless looking forward to Dan Brown's next novel. Bravo!
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Summary: Don't Even think Twice!!!
Review: BUY IT! I couldn't put it down...It will make you question whatever Christian beliefs you have...Absolutely the best thing I've read in years...Boot up the 'puter because you'll be searching for so much stuff you're head will spin.
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Summary: Take an alternative view
Review: Besides the story in this book was about christianity , I found the symbols described in the book are both informative and fascinating. The author provided elaborate details on many symbols that we all familiar with. I was amazed to learn the meanings of so many interesting and famous symbols that I was unable to decode before. As for the facts about religion mentioned in this book, they are certainly constroversial. I think the author was inclined to do this. He provided facts that he found from researches, and he included a lot of his own perspective and opinons. Then, he left them for the reader to think about them. Overall, I think the book was absolutely worth reading. Not only the story is fascinating, but also it allow me to gain a whole new insight of the world surrounding us. I do agreed one thing. When the first scientist (human) said that the earth was a round,circle shape, all the people thought that person was insane. No one believed him at the time because people were told by what should be believed in and what shouldn't. In other words, we are often influence by what our society wants us to believe. What I am trying to say is, something that we think does not exist today, its existence might be proven some time later. I hope anyone who read this book will enjoy as much as I do.
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