The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: hokey fun
Review: I had a lot of fun reading this book -- but reviews to the contrary, it's not erudite.

Brown makes many gaffes. He believes, for example, that the golden ratio, or phi (a number which fascinated Greek philosophers and mathematicians because it was the first known instance of an irrational number -- the existence of which contradicted all their theories of the orderly and explainable foundations of the world), was "derived" from the Fibonacci series. He also seems to think that a codex is a scroll. (A codex is, of course, a manuscript volume, or book. Think of the early illuminated gospels.)

There are many similar confusions, but it would be churlish to list them because that's not the point. No one buys this kind of book to understand math or learn art history, they buy it because it's a blast. Two-thousand year-old onspiracies, religion, romance, betrayal (though anyone who is suprised by the identity of the betrayer should probably go back to reading Dick and Jane), mixed with sketchy, pseudo-exotic European locations, and leavened with a dash of stock characters. The prose is servicable, mostly -- a few grammatical horrors don't get in the way of being able to visualize the action -- and the plot gallops along. A pure pedigree bestseller.

Rating:
Summary: Like "Angels and Demons" sideways
Review: If you've read one, you've read 'em both! That's how I feel about "The Da Vinci Code" and Dan Brown's similar "Angels and Demons." These books are parallel in so many ways that it is almost ridiculous: an "expert" gets murdered in a bizarre, cruel fashion; the beautiful daughter of the "expert" searches for the killer by hooking up with a Harvard professor; there is much religious symbolism; there is a cruel, unstoppable assassin who takes orders from a cruel, all-knowing unidentified director; there are challenging puzzles for the protagonaist to solve (in "Da Vinci" at least the reader gets to play along); there is cliffhanger after improbable cliffhanger; etc.; etc.; etc.

However, all this is not to say that both books are not great reads, wildly entertaining, and frankly, very interesting, in their revelations about the Holy Grail and the Knights Templar("Da Vinci") and the Illuminati ("Angels"). I recommend both books, but you really only have to read one

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat predicable, having read Angels and Demons first
Review: I agree that the DaVinci code is a fun thriller that is hard to put down. I was so intrigued by the review (especially a positive comparison to Katherine Neville's "The Eight"--one of my favorite books which I am now re-reading) that I decided to read "Angels and Demons" first. That was probably a mistake, since many of the plot elements in DaVinci code mirror those in his earlier book. "The DaVinci Code" is a much better book than "Angels and Demons",but I was able to guess things about what was going to happen based on my reading of the previous book. This only could occur because of the very strong reliance on the same plot elements from the very first scene with the hero getting a nocturnal call to immediatly view a dead body mired in symbolism, his meeting a young women who turns out to be related to the murder victim (grandaughter, vs adopted daughter) and so on. I don't want to mention any others since they might give away the plot.

Rating:
Summary: Conservative Christians will hate this book.
Review: If you feel strongly about your Christian beliefs, you won't like this book. It contains a major plot point that mocks basic doctrines of Christianity, such as the authenticity of the gospel and the resurrection and diety of Jesus Christ. I put the book down for good at the halfway mark.

Personal beliefs aside, I thought the book was slow. The short chapters made the book seem fast-paced at first, but you begin to see through this trick as you find yourself wading through redundant flashbacks and unnecessary exposition.

I also found Robert Langdon, the lead character, way too passive for my taste. In a story like this, I expect the lead character to be assertive, charismatic, clever, and resourceful. Robert Langdon came across as a sleepy bookworm stuck in the backseat of a chase scene.

The puzzles in the book were a creative idea, but when the riddle of the Holy Grail was "revealed," I lost interest in the book altogether. Maybe I'll find a more appealing and less offensive mystery on my next trip to the bookstore.

Rating:
Summary: Faith meets Secrecy
Review: Dan Brown has crafted a good page turner. Though burdened a bit with loads of historical and cryptographic references, it is nonetheless a fairly brisk read. Dragging the reader through breathless chases around Paris and London, the author has obviously done his homework and keeps the reader engaged by cleverly switching through multiple intertwined story lines. I have to admit the identity of the main culprit was rather surprising, but the ending left me a little disappointed. Bringing closure to such a sensitive subject probably makes the chosen ending an obvious conclusion. The questions explored in the novel are not for the religiously narrow minded. Overall, a good work.

Rating:
Summary: information - internet
Review: I have never accessed the internet as much to find out about a book I was reading. The "Da Vinci Code" caused me to look up the following key words..."opus dei", "priory of sion", "Da Vinci", and others. I loved the fact that there were key words
that I could find out about. I also found it exciting that the
author, Dan Brown, had asked me to write a review of his first
book, "Digital Fortress", back in 1988. I never wrote that review because I didn't really like the book.
I have passed "The Da Vinci Code" onto my friend. This book is totally awesome. Dan Brown has found a wonderful vehicle.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book But.......
Review: This is a riveting story from the first page, or in my case, the first word. I'm listening to the CD version in my car, and have already missed a few turns down famliar roads. But the reader has the worst faux-French accent I've heard since Peter Sellers, and he assigns it to every French character in the book; male or female. If the story wasn't so compelling I'd have tossed the five disc set out the window (even though it's a rental). The fact that I will hang on every word is a tribute to Brown, who keeps getting better.

Rating:
Summary: Robustly corny hootfest
Review: Practically unreadable, this overhyped chuckleworthy book seems to parody the genre. Every paragraph is packed with cliches, and every aspect of the novel, from characterization to plot to language, has a wide silly streak. Read aloud to provoke a giggle fit.
The above may sound mean-spirited, and is partially a reaction to the disconnect between the quality of this book and avid, glowing reviews from Salon and the New York Times (both by film critics; what's up with that? Do film critics not normally read?).
If this sentence from an early chapter sounds "gleefully erudite" (jesus h, Janet Maslin!) to you, you'll probably love the Da Vinci Code:
"One mile away, the hulking albino named Silas limped through the front gate of the luxurious brownstone residence on Rue la Bruyere."
Hulking, limping albinos! Always an excellent choice when selecting an assassin.

Rating:
Summary: Lightweight but entertaining
Review: I found "The Da Vinci Code" to be an entertaining thriller based on the theories presented in "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln.

Brown's comments about the Louvre and Leonardo were the most interesting parts of the book for me. Having a man who studies symbols as his hero can lead to some intriguing puzzles to solve, as in "The DaVinci Code."

Brown's treatment of the Catholic Church, however, is shallow and predictable. It is as if Catholics are the only Christians. (They are not even the most anti-female Christians). And although the secret society presented in the book is known to have been a hoax, as a previous reviewer stated, it makes for a nice plot device. But Brown claims that its existence is a fact.

There also are times when the characters do some remarkably stupid things, just to move the plot along. For that reason, I have given the book three stars.

If you enjoy art, ancient religions, and code breaking, this book is for you. Just don't expect great literature.

Rating:
Summary: Big Time Fun To Read
Review: Dan Brown hit this one out of the park. Great read! Reading is supposed to be fun and informative. This one sure is. The plot twists are terrific and the characters are well constructed.