Rating: Summary: Shocked by all the bad reviews! Review: I recently finished reading the Da Vinci Code and thought it would be fun to see what other readers thought about it. I personally felt that the novel was one of the best I've ever read. After viewing this page, I was shocked to see so many bad reviews were given to the novel. Most of the bad reviews sound like they were given by people who have never even read the novel. Like ceruleana, the novel opened new doors for me. I learned so many shocking things about the history of religion that I have begun passionately researching the topic. This novel is definitely worth reading!
Rating: Summary: Informative Read Review: After watching this book stay on the bestseller list for month after month, I decided to finally discover for myself what this book was about. And boy was I surprised. Although the characters are fictional, the historical events and people are real. This book allowed me to see Christianity in a different light. But I am skeptical as to how much of it is true. Many of the reviewers of this book complain that the book is full of inaccuracies and mistakes, but I thought it was a great read. It's fiction, albeit historical fiction, but what did some of the readers expect when they opened a work of fiction? Fact? I hope not. All I know is that I couldn't put this book down until I finished it. I found it interesting, informative, and suspensful. That is probably what Dan Brown intended the book to be and that is what I got from it. And for that, it was worth my time and money.
Rating: Summary: Review for the Da vinchi code Review: The da Vinci code is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read in my life. The book surpasses all off Dan Browns to date. I would recommend this book to any and all readers of fiction. If you don't read this book you are missing a real treat Overview: Da Vinci: Painter or Secret keeper. That is the plot behind behind The da Vinci code. Was da Vinci merely a painter or did he have a secret. The book starts out with the murder of the curator of the Louve, Jacques Sauniere. When the police finally locate the body, they discover a baffling set of symbols around the body. The police then call in Robert Langdon, one of the world's top symbolists to offer some explanation. The police also contact Sophie Nevu, a well known cryptographer. After learning he is the top suspect in the murder, Robert and Sophie flee. Now on the run from the police and a mysterious man who seems to be able to predict there every move, Sophie and Robert learn that Saunier was a member of the Priory of Sion-a secret brotherhood famous for being the keepers of an ancient secret so powerful it would destabilize Christianity as we know it... Now, I can't be giving too much away! If this has interested you read the book!I would give this book five stars because it combines a bit of everything. It has action, mystery, adventure and logic puzzles. It makes you think ahead and one you start it, you can't put it down! During the climax, you are trying to guess who is the antagonist is. This is difficult because all the characters give you reasons to suspect them. Here is a list of the main characters in the story, their personal traits and if I like them: Robert Langdon Robert is one of my favorite characters of any book I have ever read. He is everything that I want to be and have. He is very smart, he has a great job, big house, a girlfriend, and he goes on lots of adventures. Sophie Nevu I have some admiration for Sophie. She could be better in my opinion, but she does have some good characterticts. She has a well paying job and a big brain, but she does get oblivious questions wrong. Silas I do not like Silas very much. He is a creepy, god obsessed albino monk. He does what ever he is told without question even if it means risking his life. Leigh Teabing I admire Leigh for several reasons. He has been knighted by the queen, he is the world's top historian on the Holy Grail and he lives in a castle in France. Jacques Sauniere I do not know much about him, but I do admire his job: curator of the Louvre. One again I state that this is one of the best works of fiction ever written. If after reading it you find compelled to read other books by Dan Brown, here is a listing. • Digital Fortress • Deception Point • Angels and Demons (Also starring Robert Langdon)
Rating: Summary: If you're Twelve You'll LOVE IT! Review: Reads quite a bit like a "chose your own adventure novel"... Every chapter ends with some kind of predictable nonsense along the lines of: Robert stood there, marveling at the amazing thing on the floor, speechless. "That simply CANNOT be what I think it is!" said Sophie, her mouth struggling for the words, popping open and closed like a fish's "Yes it is!" exclaimed Robert, the excitement overtaking him. "YES YES YES! IT IS! What else can it be!" Sophie looked on silently, her eyes firmly locked on the incredible thing resting on the floor in front of them. "My GOD!" she said, shivering with excitement. "IT SIMPLY MUST BE!!!!!!!!!" End of Chapter WHAT IS IT! WHAT IN THE WORLD! WOW! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IT IS! sorry, you'll have to wait thirty five pages to discover that its a frog... and you won't mind that the frog has nothing to do with the story, because shortly afterwards Robert Langdon will look up in the sky and say, "OH MY GOD! Look SOPHIE! WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO! Is that what I think it is!???!!?!?!" "It must be! but it can't be!" said sophie, covering her face and crying. =>insert projective vomit here. Yeah.... that's right! He ends his CHAPTERS ON CLIFFHANGERS! And, by the way, his characters don't develop, in any WAY at all! Forget all the unfortunate nonsense about biblical misrepresentations and historical innacuracies... it doesn't matter, this is ridiculous! How could the Christians view this book as a threat? Who would take the hearsay reassurance of the introductory "all riturals described in this book are real" at face value? One of the most poorly written books I've ever made my way through, the novel constantly asserts facts as though they were truth, using fictional characters as resource material. The fact that people think they're being educated about ANYTHING by reading this pulp trash is hilarious. It's characters are architypal self-parodies. It's story is contrived and forced upon an interesting concept. It only gets worse and more disjointed the more you go along. It feels like you're reading the screenplay for a bad PC rpg. It pretends to educate you about the truth of the Catholic church (by using extraordinarily selective sources.... just to clarify, I'm not christian... I'm agnostic... and still I was offended by the flippant pretence of this novel) PLEASE! Someone tell me why this book is selling so well? Do people really need such cheap entertainment? Are people so unwilling to think while they read anymore? Isn't Vanity Fair magazine more informative than this tripe? I can't take it! I really can't! this is SO Horribly BAD! COME ON! I bought this book because it sold well... I couldn't believe it... Please people, don't buy into it! This is the literary equivolent of the Titanic movie. It's easy cheap, pretentious literature for people who do not read enough to know how much it sucks. Run from it, pick up ANYTHING instead.... you'll be glad later... trust me. I lost a few hours of my life to this book, I just want to help you to avoid that same horrifyingly pointless experience. This is probably the most basic fiction I've ever encountered, pathetically obvious in its indulgences and struggling desperately to captivate its audience (by whatever means possible).
Rating: Summary: It is just not well written Review: After all of the reviews I was expecting a good thriller to involve me. However, the writing style is just not that good. The author never misses a chance to let the reader (the ignorant masses, I suppose) know how much he, the author, knows ... about just about everything, turning the read into a plodding effort. Further, too many of the interior monologues are just downright sappy, which eventually renders the protagonist to a cartoon character status. Long and short, if you are well-read and with a wide reading interest, you are probably going to be bored fairly quickly.
Rating: Summary: unlike any other conspiracy theory book... Review: Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code takes readers to factual places and exposes him to the art world. For someone who has very limited knowledge of the art world like me, Brown's clever story about Robert Langdon, as he searched for the legendary Holy Grail, will keep readers glued to their seats. His mastery of the written word, the suspenseful ambiance, the unexpected and surprising twists are elements that great thriller movies are made of! The novel, whether there are many inaccuracies and fallacies as some claim, is a gem in itself. It has all the right elements that make reading an enjoyable hobby. The Da Vinci Code is unlike the typical conspiracy theories novel in the market today. There are no sophisticated gadgets or technology nor aliens that want to wreak havoc on earth. It is about the most famous basis of all conspiracy theories, the motherlode of all--the Catholic Church. Whether or not you are a devout Catholic, readers must see this novel as what it is--an enjoyable and gripping novel. I simply can't wait for the movie version!
Rating: Summary: Well, I loved it, give it a chance Review: Reading the other reviews are quite shocking to say the least. My goodness, you'd think this was the worst book ever. Well, it really isn't. I loved it; I loved the alternative interpretations and reading about the multi-layers of the Religion and symbology. I'm not a heavy reader in fiction stories dealing with religion, etc., but I couldn't put it down. He did fairly well with keeping up the suspense and he writes very well and easily. Granted, the characters are somewhat flat and certain things a little iffy, and the plot needs some work. I'm fairly anal when it comes to the books I read and very critcal about plot and character development. I guess I just found the style and the way he wrote about Religon, symbology, DaVinci, etc, that really captivated my attention. Eh, at least he got one part right on! jAlso, if you want real hardcore facts, you need to read something else, such as non-ficiton book about the topics in the book. Ultimately, keep an open mind and wait until you've read the whole thing. I wouldn't base the information in this book as your only source of reference, but here's a reality, what is discussed in the book are real discussions that are taking place, so it's not this bogus ambiguous 'thing.' Anyting dealing w/ relgion will be speculative. Besides, he's not telling you what to believe, only presenting them in a different format.
Rating: Summary: The best!!! Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read! Great characterization, fast and intricate plot, interesting puzzles I couldn't even begin to fathom, and a fascinating central theme. I've read a couple books now by this author, and really admire his writing and his research. His books are hard to put down--you find yourself devouring them at 3:00 a.m. For those reviewers who don't like this book, I'm wondering: Gee, having a little problem integrating your feminine side? Lighten up! Chew on some of the ideas for awhile before you spit them out so quickly and vehemently. You may find some nuggets of gold that get you to think outside of your box.
Rating: Summary: Didn't live up to the hype Review: I waited and waited for the greatness and finally for the great finish and I was disappointed. Kind of formulaic, touching on concepts and objects that fascinate many to gain readers interest.
Rating: Summary: What is all the fuss about? Review: The writing is bad. The characters are one-dimensional stick figures. The plot is unbelievable. I had to force myself to finish the book. I am not sure what Mr. Brown is trying to accomplish here. There are many interesting references to Christian and pagan myth, but these are not seamlessly woven into the story, rather they are delived as little lectures that jerk us out of the story. Given the extremely interesting buidling blocks of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, the Holy Grail and Opus Dei, this could have perhaps been a great book in the hands of a good writer. As it is, I wish I hadn't bothered. In fact, I am irritated that I wasted money and time on such an amateur effort.
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