The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: Riveting. You want to keep driving and listening because the story builds on itself that you don't want to stop. Fast-paced story that slows down in the second half, culminating in a less than dramatic ending as the first half of the book builds on. Paul Michael does an excellent job of utilizing different accents with the numerous nationalities involved with the characters to make the story effective, even though some of his efforts to speak as Sophie Neveu, French-bourn heroine, trails off and is hard to hear at the same set audio level as the rest of the characters. From the beginning, you are amazed at the extensive research that Dale Brown had to put into the development of the story. So much so, that the many issues and facts presented to you, and used as reference in the story, want you to do your own research to see if it's fact. I have listened to well over 1,000 adventure/mystery/sci-fi audio books over the last 15 years, and this is up with the best of them.

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Summary: Couldn't put the book down!
Review: I loved every minute of the book. It combined fact, theory, and fiction masterfully. For those of you who happen to be fundamental Christians, do yourselves a favor and do not read this book, you will probably be offended by its controversial content. For everyone else out there, it's an exciting book that brings into light other theories that do exist and have been documented about Christ and the bible intertwined with a fictional murder mystery. MM

Rating:
Summary: Why all the Fuss?
Review: At the outset and in order to minimalise any suggestions of pre-conceived bias, I am not a Christian. Indeed, I am not a believer in any faith. I chose to read "The da Vinci Code" simply as a piece of escapist literature. The book largely fills this capacity.

I am puzzled as to how people can be offended or shocked by Brown's work. It would seem that some people are easily upset and prone to self-righteousness. The book involves a series of murders that are all related with a clear Christian sub-text. In this sense, I think the book justifiably earns three stars from five.

As to the sub-text, the book suggests that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and had at least one child. So what! A thirty two year old man 2,000 years ago would be very unusual if he had not married. Why on earth is this such a big deal? Surely, the Christian faith is strong enough without being seriously challenged by one book?

Returning to the novel at a more general level, Brown has produced a stock standard thriller. The plot reveals itself with a religious theme but ends more with a whimper than a bang. Read the book to be informed as to all the fuss, but do not expect a work of literary greatness.

Rating:
Summary: Good, not great
Review: If you live in America and haven't been under a bridge the past 8 months, you have no doubt see the Da Vinci Code in stores and heard the raging controversy surrounding the novel. The book has found it's way onto nighttime news programs and sparked controversy in churches, and has reigned over the New York Times best seller list for 40+ weeks. So what's all the fuss about? The sensitive subject matter of the role of Jesus Christ.

With renewed secular interest in Christ peaking with Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" the subject matter of "The Da Vinci Code" has struck a chord of interest in many many people around the country. This book has even brought the book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" written in 1983 back to the top of many best seller lists! Obviously, the Da Vinci Code is making the rounds.

The problem I have is that when you look past the controversial subject matter, the book just isn't balanced and parts of it seem downright contrived. If you haven't read Angels and Demons(a superior book in my opinion), the character of Robert Langdon is severely underdeveloped for a main protagonist. And once you reach about the halfway point, instead of the characters following an intriguing path of clues, you just get them sitting around trying to figure out the Cryptex codes, interrupted with the requisite police chases.

That's not to say there are no positive things about the novel. Far from it. The hook the book sets is very intriguing(which may add to the dissapointment of the rest of the book), Dan Brown has a great writing style, and the finale contains some great revelations, however it is dissapointing that Langdon never really does reach the ultimate prize.

Overall, you could do alot worse than the Da Vinci Code, but you could do alot better too, i.e Dan Brown's three other novels.

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Summary: Eye opener!
Review: Amazing book! Fast read, great story. This book really opened my eyes about religion. I was raised as Roman Catholic (for 30 yeras), still believe in Jesus, etc...but I have to say after reading this book and checking facts, I am starting to question the teachings of the church.

Rating:
Summary: Just OK
Review: Am I the only one here who had no strong feelings for this book? I was neither offended nor enlightened. Simply this was just an ok book. At the beginning the plot was interesting and all of the extraneous facts actually served some type of purpose, but about midway through the book lost its zeal. It became a typically mystery with an average ending. Its topic was relatively new (a mystery surrounding the church) but that does not make up for following subsequent mystery rules.

There are better books out there...that will truly wow you. The fact that this book is doing so well disheartens me as there are many more books more deserving. Look around people, just don't follow the crowd.

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Summary: A dumb book for an ignorant culture
Review: I have found that in religious discussions, people tend to believe what they want to believe. Having once been one who looked at Bible-believing Christians with amused contempt, I know that was true for me. I am grateful I took coursework on the history of Christianity at a time in life when I had an open-mind. It actually stimulated my faith, partly because I was able to approach the subject without the blinders of hatred for Christians or anti-intellectual religious doctrine.

That said, Dan Brown's book is a perfect example of how to take advantage of widespread biblical and historical illiteracy in our society. It is an Oliver Stone approach to biblical history.

So much of this book shows a general ignorance of core Christian texts and of the history of Christianity. Brown's characterization of conspiracies within the early church
could only be believed by someone with no knowledge of how the early church started, or its theology, or the persecutions it faced in the first 300 years. Brown even gets basic chronologies wrong.

This is a work that will play well to nominal catholics who resented their upbringing and never truly chose nor understood the Bible or its teachings. Those are the types who feel the need to respond to a mythical early church as if it were filled with conspiracies and overpowering hierarchy. But those who have read a little history and a little Bible will find this to be a work as laughable as Howard Dean's assertion that his favorite book of the New Testament is "Job." When you acquaint yourself with the humility, the purity, the conviction and the spiritual maturity of the earlier Christians, you'll be embarassed you ever fell for this garbage, and you may look at the apostles and the latter-day descendants of that movement (ie. evangelical Christians) in a whole new light.

If you want a real book on this time period, get the multi-volumed set on the "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire." You'll be acquainted with historical facts, not sophomoric tripe. It is still the seminal work on the history of Rome and of the rise of the Christian movement. You'll learn historical fact, rather than filling your head with irrational prejudice and conspiratorial thinking from a third-rate author like Dan Brown.

Ben in Derwood

Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: I liked this book very much. It gives good details about the art.I am not commenting from religious perspective.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: An easy read broken into many short chapters for nice stopping points, except that you really can't stop turning the pages. The mystery is laid out beautifully and Brown has done a great deal of research which surfaces throughout the book. The content of the research sparked my interest and forced me to do my own research on the Dead Sea Scrolls and The Magdalene which led me to more research on The Essenes, The Priory of Sion and Knights Templar. Fascinating topics that I knew nothing about.

It is interesting to read other reviews that slam this book for the simple fact that it raises questions about orthodox religion and beliefs that they have never questioned. I am a deacon on our United Church of Christ consistory, but I am always searching for more infomation. New information isn't necessarily going to change my beliefs, but it can open my eyes to a variety of other beliefs and thoughts that are available.

This book can lead you to many interesting viewpoints and thought processes on religion with a little bit of research on your own using the interent. The story itself keeps you thinking the whole way through and ties itself together beautifully in the end. To help answer one question that I read earlier, "Why would the Priory of Sion be so determined to keep their secret?" Ask the Cathars of the 1400's why the Church of Rome went on their crusades.

Rating:
Summary: Chill out!
Review: First off this is fiction. If you like a good thriller, mystery, adventure I cannot see how you would not enjoy this book. If you are a fundamentalist Christian, or an academic type don't bother (its fiction!) you will only be upset if the book doesn't follow your view of the way the world should be. This is a very good beach read, but ten years from now no one will remember it so chill out! If you like good thriller/adventure/mystery with an archeological bent check out: "A Tourist in the Yucatan"