Rating: 
Summary: Predictable. Trite. Overated. Disappointing.
Review: This book was a disappointment to say the least. I consider myself having an open mind and the initial tidbits caught my attention, so the book started off interesting for me. Although the premise was a good one, I felt that a great deal of the "facts" were really a reach based on opinion. Thus, not very interesting or provokative. Have you ever had the feeling in a movie theater that the movie was going nowhere and driving you nuts? That you just wanted to see the movie end to see if it got better and know that you gave it a chance? You sit there frustrated because what you keep hoping that it is just a lag in the story, but it just keeps getting worse? If this book was a movie theater, I would want to walk out. I kept reading only because I needed to know that I gave it a chance. I can't say how many times that characters obviously contrived to make you, the reader, feel is an innocent player, becomes a villian. I could see it hundreds of pages before it happened every time, but was hoping that it wouldn't. It was uncanny how I was able to figure out code before the crytographers could, and I am not a cryptographer. Not saying that I am great, just saying that the writing was trite. Which is why I use the word "predictable" to describe this book. I also can't tell how many times the main characters unrealistically and narrowly escaped being caught. You may be saying to yourself, "Wait a minute, I heard that this book is "a real page-turner." It is, I will tell you why. It is a great marketing tool engineered by Doubleday Books. Each chapter is only about 3 pages long and Brown ends each on a cliff-hanger causing you to just say to yourself "oh what the heck, one more short chapter before I go to sleep" time and time again. What about the "BIG" 1 hour special on ABC? This book must be good. I would be willing to bet that someone at ABC owed someone at Doubleday a favor and all of this publicity came about causing te unsuspecting public to say to themselves, "Wow, I have to get that book"! I am not a writer and I honestly feel that I could have come up with a more interesting book. I COULD BE AN AUTHOR! Don't bother buying this book (or reading it for that matter). But, if you insist, buy it used or borrow it. Don't come come crying to me when you realize how lame it is...
Rating: 
Summary: A Real Page Turner
Review: This has got to be the best book that I have read in a very long time. Having a Catholic school education, it certainly made me question some of things that I was taught. This could very well be true. Also, I will never be able to look at another DaVinci painting again.
Rating:
Summary: TAKE YOUR TIME BEFORE DECIDING TO READ THIS ONE . . .
Review: _____________________________________________________ It appears, with 2381 reviews as of this posting, that many people have at least heard something about this book that's made them curious enough to buy and read it . . . and that's fine, that's how it works. That isn't really how it happened with me though. It was an impulse buy off the stand of a book store. I didn't talk with anyone about it or read any reviews other than the short sketch on the back cover which mentioned a secret society of famous artists and scientists from history and a dangerous action-packed chase leading up to an "unpredictable and stunning conclusion." All I can do is give you my honest opinion: Although THE DA VINCI CODE starts out interestingly enough with a gripping murder amid bizarre circumstances and a somewhat believeable investigation, the action becomes too repetitious and the book soon shows what fiction at its worst is all about. The characters and their development are cliche and ridiculous to the point of being comical, but that alone is not the problem. The real bore to me concerns how many of the mysteries' outcomes (i.e. Sophie's geneological identity, the missing orb on Sir Isaac Newton's tomb, etc.) are totally predictable from about the first third of the book onward. More importantly, though obviously fictitious, I found myself quite offended at the subject matter of the main plot. The story is blasphemous in the extreme, though nowadays I'm probably among a small minority that would even care. It argues that paganism is at the true heart of Christianity. Fiction can sometimes veil ideas that people take into their minds and twist into fact (some of the reviews here illustrate this). The thing that kept me reading in the face of all this was the hope that a development in the storyline would put things right in the end, but this hope was in vain. One review I read here makes the somewhat lucid point that this is all in fun, the book is only fiction and that one should forget these things and simply have fun and enjoy it. I can agree with this only up to a point. Fiction should be fun, but when it starts making a mockery of sacred things - pointed directly at the Savior, even in the context of fiction, it looses me in a hurry. I try to be as positive as I can in doing these reviews but this time I'm sorry, the hype and high recommendations some are giving this book are undeserved. The only redeeming quality that I could find is the fact that, yes, it is fast paced. This should provide you some mercy in being able to get through it quickly - if you make the regrettable decision to waste your time reading it like I did. Truly, there are much better fictional novels out there!
Rating:
Summary: Page turning.
Review: I never thought I would fall into the trap, yet I was entrigued by the books premise. You all have heard it by now, so I don't need to repeat it. What I need to say is that this book is beyond the scope of anything I have read previously. EVER. Yeah, it's true to say that I don't agree with what mr. brown is alluding to and what kind of a revelation he uncovers, but what I will say is that I respect him beyond almost any other author I've previously read because of his reviting plot and entriguing characters. I just could simply not put the book down. I picked it up on a friday night and had it finished during the early hours of sunday. At least for me, that's quite a gripping book. If you are a fan of anything fiction, please please check this out. One thing that makes this book stand out is all the research that mr. brown had to do. I had such a great time uncovering the secrets of The Mona Lisa, Virgin on the Rocks, the origins of the pentacle, the olympics, venus and its orbit, the number "e", and most especially the Priory of Sion. The wealth of knowledge you absorb from the novel is enough alone. Then of course there is the page turning quality of the novel and all of the hours of sleep you will lose. Things that he mentions in the earlier parts of the story surprise you. Then, geniously, he brings them back again with an even greater meaning that makes you beg the question, "how did he do that?" So you've heard my two cents, now read the novel yourself so you can formulate your own. Whether you agree with his viewpoint or believe it's a load of garbage, you'll still find yourself on the ride of your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good, even if not completely accurate
Review: I agree with many of the other reviewers who point out some inaccurate points in the story, but, if we view the story, long as it is, as the tale of fiction it clearly is, it should be easier to take. Plus we must be willing to put our religious objections to such a book as this aside. And it doesn't matter if you are Catholic, Protestant, or Southern Baptist...this is just a book, guys! At any rate, I recommend this book, but I also recommend other Dan Brown books that are equally good such as "Angels and Demons", "Digital Fortress", "Deception Point", as well as really good sci-fi like "Altered Carbon", "Ringworld", "Ringworld Engineers", "Prey", "Neuromancer", "Darkeye: Cyber Hunter", and many more. When reading "The Da Vinci Code" or any of these other books, it is always important to keep an open mind.
Rating:
Summary: Brown
Review: This country needs educated people now more than ever! Please, people. The man is laughing at this argument - the supposed facts of this book people are taking so literally simply are not true. Do some research please! Forget about religion for a moment, History is being lost. I think the passion and frustration of this debate stems from the irrational fear that the author's claims cannot be disproven. You don't need to go far to do so. Look up the history of the Olympic symbol. Do some superficial research into the origins of Paris. Find some articles that recount the activities of the Priory of Sion in the 20th century. Research cathedral architecture. These are historical issues that everyone should care about and quite simply the accounts given in this book are not incomplete they are overwhelmingly False. This is not a matter for debate. It is not opinion. Does anyone read anything besides pop novels? Did anyone see the program on abc at least? Is this the twilight zone? Wanting it to be true does not make it so. IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED. Truth = an accurate report. Don't be such easy prey! World history is being blurred and revised and erased. With it goes our hopes of finding real solutions for our current problems.
Rating:
Summary: biting his lower lip
Review: Dan Brown sits in his study, biting his lower lip. "I think it is all true. I.. think... just... don't know anymore." He sighs and stares out the window as the stubble on his chin catches the moonlight reflected off of The Louvre. It will be light soon. The wind whispers warnings as it passes the Eiffel tower. If you liked this you'll love the book.
Rating:
Summary: not very 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. Well, they aren't 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. It would be wonderful if it made them educate themselves about history. Dan might deserve his money then. It's easy to be condescending to reader's that become angry at "a work of fiction". People are believing this though.
The people that believe the claims of this novel are often rather militant about it. They say: "Did you hear that Christianity is a hoax?". "Did you hear that women 'had it made' before Christianity?" It's ridiculous.
People should be angry at this book but instead they turn their attentions toward a movie that teaches compassion in the face of brutality. What does this book teach? To worship 'the goddess'?
Both teachings require faith. For me it's a simple choice.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read!
Review: Let me state that I rarely read "best sellers"...in fact I avoid that whole Best Seller wall like the plague. In fact I only picked up this book because of several weird instances of synchronicity (which I won't bore you with hehe). I had trouble putting the book down once I started reading it. I found the story quite compelling, the characters multi-faceted and interesting, and refreshingly devoid of gratuitous sex and violence. Yes there are some murders going on. But the Terminator movies were much more graphically violent. In my mind the murders only served to advance the plot. As for the historical accuracy, well I'm no Biblical scholar. However there is indeed QUITE a bit of corroborating evidence (confirmed by actual historians), for much of the stuff cited in the book. And the more that is coming out about early Gnosticism, the more it looks like the early Church was indeed engaging in a cover up. But those issues are really irrelevant if you are looking for a good NOVEL, which is what this is. It's not a theology textbook people. If you are some ultra-conservative wanker, stay away from the book completely, as your fragile little world is unlikely to handle having your religion questioned. Everyone else though, with even slightly open and curious minds, is likely to find the book a fascinating and good read.
Rating:
Summary: Over-rated
Review: I purchased this book because a few of my friends told me that it's "The best book ever" and other such comments. I should have read these reviews first... Apparently, those who do not know what it means to be a great book tend to over-rate anything they actually read. As the other reviews have said, you will finish this book quickly because it is very fast paced. And it does have some interesting parts. But, in general, the story is completely ridiculous, which makes it very unsatisfying. I also find it to be shallow. If you read books for cheap entertainment value, read this one.
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