Rating: 
Summary: Interesting..Worth Your Time
Review: For books of fiction this was great! I started reading The Code thinking it was just another hyped book, and was surprised that I actually liked it. The main character is well developed and his relationship with the female character is simple, without a force of romance as was in "Angels and Demons". The story had a nice flow to it with plenty of murder and mayham thrown in, detailed enough to make it plausable. The story line alone makes this books content a great 'discussion' starter, as all the publicity surrounding it has proven. You won't be sorry you purchased this one!
Rating: 
Summary: Great subject, lousy execution
Review: I suppose Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" has to get one star because most of the words are in the right place and the cover's pretty. I enjoyed Brown's previous novel, "Angels & Demons," and was really looking forward to this one because I just love all the crackpot nonsense about the Priory of Sion and Mary Magdalene. Unfortunately for Mr. Brown, my writing partner and I already did this story on television in 1998, so I know a thing or two about how far you can push this story. Also unfortunately for Mr. Brown, he just isn't a very good writer. In the hands of someone like Tim Powers, this story would be spine-chilling. Powers would be able to pass along the fascination with this story to his readers. But Brown is so impressed with the dis-information he's "discovered" that he either doesn't make an effort to weave a story, or he simply isn't capable of it. Instead, he copies straight from "Holy Blood Holy Grail" and "The Woman With the Alabaster Jar." What's shocking is that this is essentially all the research Brown does, and he treats it like it's never been mentioned before. This subject is a cottage industry. Brown did not invent it. And really, he hasn't done a very good job at all with his story, relying instead on the WOW factor to carry his simplistic prose and juvenile story along. It's difficult to tell whether Brown believes this story. He didn't do a lot of research so he may have bought into the whole thing. That's a problem. And then Brown "cleverly" names the curator Sauniere. For those who are familiar with the Priory story, this induces a great amount of eye-rolling. Someone like Tim Powers can easily get away with this because Powers tells dense, organic stories. Brown does not. We move from set piece to set piece, the readers already miles ahead of the simple story even if they aren't previously familiar with it. Brown uses his "research" (i.e., thieving from the aforementioned books) as a smokescreen for complexity. The info-dump the villain constantly gives our heroes (and what's up with that?) truly doesn't further the thin story Brown has constructed. This information also doesn't jibe with the characters Brown presents. I mean, Sophie doesn't know what her NAME means? Two cryptologists can't figure out the Newton clue? This is a well-trod story that, if you're going to tell it, has to contain some surprises. And a conspiracy of such magnitude, that's been around for so long, had better be air tight. Our heroes had better be frickin' geniuses. With Brown's book, it doesn't make sense that this conspiracy has been held for so long. The clues simply don't measure up. From the beginning of the book -- where NEITHER LEAD CHARACTER can figure out that THE HEAD CURATOR OF THE BLOODY LOUVRE has been posed like the Vitruvian man -- to the end of the book, where the descendants of Christ are at Rosslyn Chapel -- THE FIRST PLACE ANYONE WITH ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS CONSPIRACY WOULD LOOK -- Brown lets down his audience and this potentially fun, fascinating story. I'm just thankful that he didn't visit Paimpont Forest, Glastonbury or especially Rennes-le-Chateau. God only knows how he would have mucked that up. As someone who has done this story, I know and appreciate how difficult it is to distill this subject down. There are many, many fascinating roads to take and you do end up with an awful lot of information that you want to deliver to your audience. Discovering this story for the first time is electrifying and being able to tell this story in your own way is very rewarding. But it's a shame that this is the public's first real exposure to this topic. For a much better novel by a much better writer, check out Jim Houghan's "Kingdom Come." And although it also has problems with the static nature of the narrative, Katherine Neville's "The Magic Circle" is a better book by a better writer as well. Don't buy into the hype. Dan Brown is a pretender.
Rating:
Summary: New Look At Feminism
Review: The Da Vinci Code Doubleday, 2003, 454pp., $24.95
Dan Brown IBSN 0-3-85-50420-9 Though out history, we have looked upon the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton and many others as creative geniuses. In The Da Vinci Code, we take a closer look at those works of art and the message behind them. Harvard Historian Robert Langdon is visiting Paris while giving a lecture. Late one night, he receives a phone call demanding that he come to the Louver, on of the most famous art museums in the world. A murder has been committed, and whether Langdon knows it or not, he's the main suspect. Enter Sophie Neveu, a young cryptinologist who is the granddaughter of the man who was murdered. She has no idea who killed her grandfather or why, just that she knows Langdon could not have killed him. Overwhelmed with guilt, Sophie decides to trust Langdon and together they embark along a journey to find out what the mysterious message meant that her grandfather wrote in his final moments. Along the way, Sophie and Langdon discover an age old secret dating back to the time of Christ. This secret threatens not only their lives, but the Catholic Church's legacy. The Da Vinci Code had me interested from the time I finished the first sentence. You could tell that Dan Brown had done his research from the way he brought to life past artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci in a way that made me want to see the works of art with my own eyes. But what really had me amazed was the way Brown turned one night into a 400 page book. Thanks to Dan Brown, I look differently at issues such as feminism and I am able to believe in my faith enough to question it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: 2-dimensional characters.Overdone,tabloid-popular theme. Predictable outcome.Yawn.
Rating:
Summary: not so good
Review: Low grade fairy tale. I understand what people are saying about it "just being a book", but Brown himself claims the historical references are fact. Actually, they are not fact and the stretches of conjecture used are rather insulting propaganda. Why do people reward this? The people that like this book say it makes them think, but if it made us educate ourselves about history then Dan might deserve his money.
It's easy to be condescending to readers that become angry at "a work of fiction" but the book is not presented as fiction and many readers are believing it.
People should be saddened by this book and what it represents but instead they turn their attention and anger toward a movie that teaches love and compassion in the face of brutality. What does this book teach? All teachings require faith - which deserves it more? (Borrow a copy - it seems that everyone is buying it.)
Rating: 
Summary: Remember it's FICTION!!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a great suspense novel!! It was hard to put down. However, as to the validity of the ideas in the book, I have many doubts. His "research", using other books as sources, was extensive. Did he do any of his own ORIGINAL research? Did he try to verify the findings in these other books? It seems today that anyone can get anything published. Just because something is in a book, it DOES NOT mean it is true. The book states "The Bible is a product of man. ... and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book." (p. 231). The "secret documents" guarded by the Priory of Sion were also written by men, and therefore were were most likely influenced by the writters' political and religous beliefs.
Take the book for what it is a fun and exciting adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Ewww....
Review: This is without a doubt the worst novel i have ever read. The chracters never develop, the plot runs thin and it just isn't belivable enough to me. It was just Brown's excuse to try and get some money. I would rather take a hammer to my temple than read this trash again.
Rating:
Summary: Good, not the best, but a good read
Review: I think this is a book worth reading, not necessarily because it will win Pulitzer prizes (no such luck) but because it is creative, easy to read and intriguing in a way that a lot of books are not these days. I read this book while away on a business trip and it filled my nights after hectic days of work. I recommend this book for someone who just wants a fun thriller that is a page turner and not so difficult to follow that you need to be on your toes while reading. The premise is intriguing enough to make you want to delve in and the twists and turns are suspenseful enough to make you want more. Maybe the character development leaves a little to be desired but what is there is fun and entertaining. Makes me want to buy another Dan Brown book when I am on a trip and looking for good company when I am away from my husband! As a lawyer, difficult, complex reading is what I do at work. I like the energetic novels for nighttime!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining? Yes! Edifying? You Decide
Review: Since Mel Gibson's movie is being released today, I'm sure more people than ever will be reading The Da Vinci Code. I thought this book was a good one - thought provoking, entertaining, providing a good mystery filled with historical data. It seems to evoke either a very positive response from readers or a very negative one. Me? I loved it. It's been discussed at family dinners more than once, and each time, it's a thrilling discussion.
Rating:
Summary: A quick read that encourages further discussion
Review: While this book does read like a screenplay, I still found it intriguing, entertaining and apparently very well researched. It moves along quite rapidly and creates enough suspense to make the read worth it. Some of the scenes were over the top, but it's still a good book. One positive aspect of the book is that those who read it are actually looking into the many premises offered up by Mr. Brown. Whether reading other books on the subject, researching on-line, or just talking with others, people are actually using their heads. In my book, anything that encourages learning is a good thing!
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