The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: Gripping and intriguing...
Review: The Da Vinci code ranks at the time of this review among the bestsellers of the world

As I began to read it, I found that the author strength lies more in his skills to develop a tight suspense fiction thriller than creative non fiction work, however, with the Da Vinci Code he had accomplished a work with a one of a kind subject immersed in a fast paced thriller full of interesting insights about the unofficial story of Jesus Christ Mary Magdalene and the Church involvement to cover it up.

The work is based on symbolic nature symbols, religion dogma and many riddles which the author obtained with external support and serious research.

The product resulted in an interesting and amusing novel, suitable for somebody who wishes to reflect and at the same time get full entertainment in exchange of its time spent reading

The contents of this book can also be employed to debate in any History of Civilization academic class

Rating:
Summary: A "Code" Worth Breaking
Review: Author Dan Brown's controversial novel is a sleek, intriguing, engaging and factual(?) thrill ride of a novel. Book discussion about the novel among friends didn't focus on the story of a modern day quest for the Holy Grail (with clues of course in Leonardo Da Vinci's art work). The discussion focused on the concepts and theories that were raised in the novel. For me, the main characters and places serve as backdrop for the ideas being raised by the novel.

In the novel the reader is taken on a electrifying roller coaster ride. From Leonardo Da Vinci's painted clues, pagan rituals, a true secret society (Opus Dei), modern day Knights, the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, the oppression and fear of the Divine Feminine and even a eye-opening insight into Disney's images, this book will raise more than few eyebrows and makes the reader think.

I can only image the amount of research Mr. Brown had to do with this novel. The author has done a breathtaking job of putting all the pieces of the puzzle together for you that will leave you in suspense, on the edge of your chair and in some cases up all night until the last page is turned. I will definitely read more work by Mr. Brown, I simply can't get enough of his Art!s

Rating:
Summary: What Makes a Thriller Thrill Us?
Review: I don't usually read "bestsellers" but my wife brought this home from the library and as an author myself, though not nearly so successful a one as Dan Brown (author of this book), I was moved to take a look. I started reading it and was swept right up. It was fast paced, polished and intriguing. In fact, I put down another book I was reading to finish this one, so it certainly worked for me at that level.

But it didn't work at a deeper level. In the end The Da Vinci Code seemed highly artificial in construction, with characters that were barely more than ciphers inserted in the plot to play their parts but capable of little more. They had no inner life to speak of and nothing about them to make me believe in their lives or experiences.

The plot itself hinges on an idea of conspiracies and secret societies that span millenia and involve a hidden history of Christianity. But the notions presented in relation to this are all relatively common place to anyone already familiar with the history of religion and do not suggest any real conspiracy of ancient secrets. I won't say too much here about them, for fear of giving away the story's thrust, which, after all, is its one real virtue. But suffice it to say that the endless puzzles within puzzles, the seemingly arcane expositions when individuals who should have a better handle on facts seemingly don't, the mystery of people who are not what they seem, the idea of hidden beliefs about a "sacred feminine" (whatever that is) that have been long suppressed by institutional religion, and the endless bait and switch tactics of the exposition begin to grate. It got to the point where I knew that, as soon as one thing was revealed to us, it would only prove another way-station in an intellectual treasure hunt that was seemingly premised on all sorts of forced allusions and esoteric interpretations that could not be guessed in advance (a rather unfair trick, it seems to me).

About two thirds of the way through, I did guess the identity of the hidden bad guy and after that it was just a matter of waiting to see how the author brought this to the surface. When he finally did, it proved an anti-climax that left me somewhat cold. And the book's final end, itself, which follows the revelation of the hero's antagonist, struck me as particularly forced and a let-down. There wasn't much of a secret there, when all the sound and fury had blown itself out.

Still, I have to acknowledge that the book kept me reading and was interesting. Is that enough to warrant bestseller status? Well, perhaps it is, when conjoined with a lot of pseudo-speculation about religion and belief. At the least the book entertained and that, I suppose, is why it sells. Mr. Brown has my admiration for that.

SWM

Rating:
Summary: I AM ENJOYING THE CDS!
Review: THis is a very good audiobook--i listen to it as i do things around my home. however, it has become so interesting as it progresses, that if i am in another room, i have my ear plugged very tightly to the sound and if something happens, i have to run back in to hear it--doesn't help when trying to get housework done! but who cares! i love the french accents and language--i love the ideas about some of the real truths about the catholic church and da vinci's ability to see that and have what seems to be a strong sense of self so that he allows himself to be a prankster and does not allow the church to oppress him as he SEEMINGLY does not in the book. growing up catholic, it is refreshing to see hear this. Plus i love when people stick their neck out not just for the sake of it, but because they see the truth in things, are brave and speak out when others won't. and, they may do it ALONE! i love hearing the history, the art information, the religious information--knowledge is freedom--this book has freed me in many ways--not because i buy 100% that everything written in this book is FACT, but because it gives me the framework to realize that many fears, suspicions and beliefs that i hold right now about people, ideas, things,etc., are simply cobwebs and i can clean them out right now...

Rating:
Summary: probably better if you read the book
Review: I read his other book "Angels And Demons" and thought it was okay so I thought I would check this one out. The library didn't have the book in so I checked the tapes out. The book probably would have held my interest more than the tapes did. As it was, I don't know how many times I stopped the tape because it didn't hold my interest and because I would find myself thinking about something else. It is natural for that to happen once in a while but it was continuous. Then when I got to the part of Mary Magdelene supposedly carrying Jesus's child, etc., I almost gave up listening to it completely, but I had to remind myself that it was just fiction. After that it did get a little more interesting (although I still had to stop the tape and rewind it because I missed something). During the last part of the last tape I fell asleep and gave up. The book just was not realistic or believable enough for me to enjoy. I am not sure why it has been so popular. If you are someone who enjoys farout whacko theories then you will probably enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: I don't get it
Review: This has been on the top seller's list for a while, everyone is talking about it, and I don't understand what the big fuss is.

I don't really see where the controversy comes in because people with at least some education or who do even the littlest amount of research (google, anyone?) will easily pick up on how genuinely ridiculous some of Dan Brown's "facts" are and understand that it is a work of fiction. But, I don't care about the factual validity to it because it *is* a fiction book. It looks to me that because he isn't the best writer, Dan Brown had to take (very) generous license to make everything to fall into place.

What I care about is that it isn't even incredibly entertaining. It has an extremely formulaic approach and is filled with little "puzzles" to solve throughout. Maybe it's just me, but I grew bored with puzzle-solving before I even hit high school, which worked out well because these puzzles seemed to be at junior high level in difficulty.

His main character, Robert Langdon, has more knowledge of what is going on than the reader, which always feels like a cop-out on the author's part. If an author won't reveal to the reader what the character already knows, it's usually due to an attempt to keep the reader turning the page to find out the tidbits that are kept secret since the story won't retain their attention; this does work, but it never makes a good book.

Dan Brown seems to excel in this technique and I must admit that I found his writing so mediocre that if it wasn't for my irrational desire to figure out certain plot points that Robert already knew and wouldn't tell us, then I would have stopped reading. A good book should be able to reveal everything to the reader that the main character knows and still keep the reader hooked, because otherwise, why bother telling Robert's story if the author's not even going to tell it?

Also, I hate chapters that end with "dun, dun, dun!" so you have to start the next chapter to see if the person really loses his or her head or if the hero really caught the bad guy only halfway through the book. Yet again, another writing stunt I thought I had left behind when I stopped reading Nancy Drew.

I did like the historical sites sprinkled throughout, from museums to cathedrals to chapels; it was fascinating to learn about some places I've never heard of. Again, he took great license with the historical facts, but at least, because of my curiosity, it led me to do research on the locations and find out some interesting facts about medieval landmarks.

The only reason I can figure that such a poorly written book is doing so well is because of all the publicity generated over the "controversy." The reason I picked up this book is because I bought into the "everyone is doing it, so it must be good" mentality. My recommendation? Don't bother.

Rating:
Summary: One of the 4 best books ever read.
Review: This book is definitaly on my "Top books" list. Probably as #2, only topped out by another of Dan Brown's novels. I have read this book multiple times, and still catch things that I havent previously noticed. I would not, however, suggest this book to anyone under the age of 15 (...), belong to Opus Dei, have a strong belief in christian faith, or someone eaily disturbed with the mention of Christian churches hiding many facts. If you do not fit in the above categories, and are still reading, very good! Buy this book! Yes, there are some exagerated parts, but it has to be this way. It's fiction.

I highly recommend this book, and if nothing else - it will hopefully open your narrow little mind to accept something different. (No offense intended)

Rating:
Summary: Efficiently written thriller
Review: While it is doubtful that The DaVinci Code will be revered alongside the likes of William Shakespeare, Dan Brown has crafted a fairly intricate and tight thriller. When reading this work, it is essential to remember this is a murder mystery at heart, not a volume on theology.

The fractured early history of Christianity, the Priory of Sion, Mary and the holy grail and numerous other concepts in this book are not original to the author, but have been freely available for numerous years. The author merely uses them to encapsulate his mystery and make it far more interesting. It is certainly not a book that should be criticized like a non fiction book. Authors are bound to take artistic license here and there to enhance the drama and action in the story.

That being said, the book is efficiently written and the action moves at an adequate pace to keep a reader interested through the 450+ pages. Dan Brown breaks the book into numerous short chapters allowing the reader to have a sense of accomplishment while reading it. Told in a linear fashion with numerous changes of scene, the reader can easily keep up with the plot and many characters. Character development could have been better as we don't really get to know what makes any of them tick. Exposition through narrative is minimal; used only when necessary. Most exposition is handled by the characters' interaction with each other. This is a very effective way to reveal the facts to the reader.

If you like a mystery and have a theological bent, you will probably enjoy this book. The proper midset is essential. If you read this book to criticize it, you will quickly sour on it. It's not very deep so lay back and have some fun.

Rating:
Summary: Ok But Not Revered
Review: Sometimes you wonder what makes a book such a best seller. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code has some suspense and intrigue. However the complicated symbols and coding does not come over too clearly. Also, it relates to a small audience.

Furthermore, the character development is mediocre at best. The reader gets a very basic idea of what makes each character tick.

I will admit that the ending is quite creative. There are a few interesting non-predictable moments as well. However, the scope seems for fans of mystery and intrigue. Nonetheless, there must be a lot of fans for that type of novel because this book is selling quite well.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing
Review: From the first page, the author--Dan Brown--hooked me in. I couldn't put the book down. True, the story plot was that of a captivating fiction. However, the symbolisms, theories, and facts were quite well researched. *applauses Dan Brown*

As a side note, I meant this review to be for the hardcover version, not the large print, but I imagine it's all the same. :)