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The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code

List Price: $39.95
Your Price: $26.37
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: So Much Information, So Little Said
Review: For a novel as highly touted as The Da Vinci Code, one might expect more than an exclusively plot-driven story rife with factoids instead of compelling nuance. The characters are so boring as be unlikable after a few chapters, and the author's voice is far too intrusive - condescending rather than engaging. There is a great deal of interesting (if subjective) information here, though it reads as if it had been lifted paragraph by paragraph from non-fiction texts or commentaries instead of being woven with a skilled hand into the plot. Early on, readers may feel empowered by the little morsels of history the author spoon-feeds them, however one is more than sated and drowsy half-way through the book, longing for a real story and characters with some depth. It is easy to turn pages until the end, hoping that a novel with such possibility will redeem itself - but unfortunately, it does not. The Da Vinci Code is not worth the hours one might spend reading it; better to spend the time at your local museum, or out walking the dog.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic Book!
Review: The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, is a Must Read novel. The characters are wonderful, the dialogue lively, and the plot, a real edge of your seat read. A very appealing combination!

John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures INC.
Beverly Hills, California

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: good pageturner
Review: Dan Brown has written in my opinion his best novel to date. It is an interesting subject that is also a page turning thriller. But is it just me or do some of the reviewers think they are the smartest people on the planet?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not what I expected, I was surprised where this book took me
Review: I found this book to be a quick and compelling read. It is a murder mystery that links events in the novel back to early Christian church events in an unusual way. If you are overly-senstive to controversial issues around Christianity this book may not be for you. If you like to explore ideas surrounding the historical context of religion and art you may enjoy it as I did. My only regret was that I was reading this on a plane, and I would have prefered to have internet access to examine some of the works of art that were being discussed as I was reading!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I Feel Cheated
Review: I feel cheated,any amount paid for this is robbery!!!This is the worst book and storyline I've ever read.I tried to finish it but with little or no value in his story I couldn't stomach any more!Some of his ideas border on the insane,others demand you park your brain outside the door.
Save your money don't buy this book.I wish I hadn't.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: interesting premise, perhaps dangerous
Review: As a published author myself (www.booksbybrooks.com), I must be careful when reviewing the work of other authors. From that context, I was blown away at the depth of treatment Dan Brown gave to this wild premise, which is nothing if not compelling. It showcases the power of fiction, in that this story might actually sway the religous beliefs of some readers (it shouldn't, by the way), in that it reflects doubts and questions many harbor, which is a credit to the author. While impressed (indeed, intimidated) by the conceptual execution, I found the writing somewhat less than intimidating, at times eloquent, at other times pedestrian, though never as bad as some other reviewers have said. This is yet another example (along with "Derailed" by James Seigel) of what happens when a publisher decides to push a book onto the lists (as opposed to "The Lovely Bones," which was "pulled" onto the lists by its readers). I hope for such a push myself, someday. I'm glad my [purchase price]is tax deductible, as I found myself reading it for research as much as pleasure. This is a #1 bestseller... and in that, I find great hope.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Reader's Paradox....
Review: You can't put it down, but you hate to see it end. At least, that's how it was for me. My first exposure to Dan Brown...I loved this book. It taught me things as it entertained me... yes, the ending came on a bit quick, but it still "got me"...
I have since purchased a couple of his other books and can't wait to jump back into this gentleman's mindset.

Entertains & makes ya think. My kinda book!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Stars with a bang, ends with a whimper
Review: I found the first half of the book extremely captivating due to its many twists and unusual subject matter. As a Catholic, I was intrigued rather than upset about the plot's hypothesis regarding the Holy Grail. However, I believe the ending was far too predictable; a real disappointment based upon the intriguing and well conceived "puzzles" up to that point. If you want to read a real page turner from beginning to end I would recommend "The Eight" by Katherine Neville.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Entertaining Fast read Thriller
Review: What a great book. Add "Brown" to your reading list. If you like Cussler, Reilly, and the like, you will love Brown's new book and rising protaganist star "Robert Langdon" in this story of ancient brotherhoods, symbology, and fast-paced action through Europe. As a result of this book we want to explore some new areas in Europe. His story has some interesting turns and twists, but you will also find yourself going to the encyclopedia or Google to see if what he is saying is true, and sometimes it is! Opus Dei, the Merovingians, The Last Supper, Secret Brotherhoods, and more. He takes real facts and events and weaves a wonderful action adventure story of an unassuming Harvard professor who goes to Paris to meet the curator of the Louvre, only to find him murdered with all kinds of symbolic messages that he can read. Once you start, you cannot put this one down.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: How to Write Your Very Own International Bestseller:
Review: Take one handsome, brilliant, and embarassingly humble college professor who has achieved celebrity despite the obscurity of his chosen area of study; add one beautiful and equally brilliant female counterpart integral to the male's progression through the story; drop in one phyical freak of nature hell-bent on destroying . . . anything; mix well with a healthy disregard of character, dialogue, and scene; stir with a plot that threatens the world or at least our perception of reality. A shakey grasp of what constitutes prose and an ulterior motive behind conveying the story is a must.

I have read a half-dozen books in the past few years that follow this recipe to the letter. It's an insult to completely ignore any attempt at originality. I might have been more forgiving, a summer blockbuster in book form, had it not been for the blatant stupidity of the main characters and of the story itself. As an example, the two main characters are scampering around the Louvre, searching for clues to a message that was left to them by the dying curator, who is also the woman's grandfather. Within a few pages, each figures out a clue that should have been obvious to both of them. Their opposite then says some variation of: "I should have seen that!" Infuriating.

To his credit, the author has created a page-turner. Unfortunately, after a hundred pages and thinner wallet, you won't care enough to finish it.


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