Rating: 
Summary: Not As Good As Everyone Says...Maybe
Review: Much has been written about this book in the over 2100 reviews that come before mine. I thought that I would try to help in this review with who the book would appeal to and who it might not appeal to, as it did not appeal to me.I think that you would enjoy this book IF you are interested in conspiracy theories, have a religious faith that is perhaps a part of your life but not the CENTRAL part of your life, or have no religious faith at all. If you are interested in paganism, animism, or the occult, I think it will have an appeal. In addition, I think that if you read mostly fiction, and very little nonfiction, it might tend to appeal more to you also. In my book club many intelligent and educated people liked it, which was a little surprising to me; however they were people open to ideas such as the goddess religions, animistic and pagan religions, etc. I think you will not enjoy this book if your Christian faith (especially if you are Catholic) is THE central defining part of your life. You may even find it offensive, as I did. For example, the main character spends time explaining in a question and answer format with naive questions from his supporting female character how Christians throughout the ages have been deceived by the Catholic Church (which of course was the only Christian church until the Protestant Reformation) and how all educated academicians in the know realize this. This way of writing, this particular literary device, being used by the author to further his negative beliefs about Christianity and his belief in conspiracy theories and paganism---it just bothered me. Other parts of the book are spent explaining (in the context of the story) how certain pagan symbols that some of us find so offensive (like pentagrams, or ritualistic sex as part of our religious faith) are actually perfectly natural and quite misunderstood by the Christians of today, those of us who have been deceived and just can't understand the truth. If this ideal is provocative and compelling to you, you will LOVE this book! If you are like me and think "I don't think this is how I want to spend my time" then you will probably give the book a strong thumbs down. I kept wanting it to get good, or interesting, or for it to be a "page turner". I had bought it for myself in hardcover and for my father too (a Catholic) for Christmas. I wanted this book to be good...but it fell so far short for me. The hugest letdown was at the end, because I felt like it really didn't deliver on any level. I want to be fair, because people are raving about it everywhere, but I can honestly say that I don't know why. I read about five books a week, and this is the worst one I've read in a long time. I stuck with it because it's #1 on Amazon. I guess the only good thing I can think of to say about it is that if you want a good reason to think that fundamentalist Christians or devout Catholics are silly, uninformed, and a little stupid, and at the same time, you're interested in integrating some pagan/animistic thinking into your life, you've found an explanation, albeit a kind of boring one, to read about.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Premise, weak characters
Review: I had heard of all the hype about the Da Vinci Code, and finally, out of curiosity, I picked up a copy. And I was immediately drawn in.
the Da Vinci Code is a fast paced intricate novel of secrets. The plot is well-researched and well-written. What I did not like about the book was the poor character development. Langdon and Co. were there only as plot pushers. The main story was the Grail. I felt that when the story was over and done we didn't know any more about Langdon than when we first started. He only sprouts information at the right moments, as with Sophie Neveu. They seemed to know everything under the sun about symbols and codes, and yet we didn't know anything more about them.
However, the premise was good, and that is why I give this book 4 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Conspiracy Theories
Review: Everyone loves a conspiracy, says Brown. Well, obviously many do from the way this book is selling. The problem with conspiracy theories is that they always have to torture the truth as this book does. It does for history what "Chariots of the Gods" does for archaeology. The Dossier Secrets were not "found" by the Bibliotheque Nationale, they were deposited with them where they were judged to be forgeries and there is no substantiated evidence that the Priory of Sion was anything other than a modern invention of very creative minds. The account of the demise of the Templars in the book is a great example of history prostituted for the sake of a conspiracy theory. The real story is much more fascinating. In brief, the Knights Templar were extremely wealthy due to monopolies in banking and Near East shipping. Their vast wealth caught the attention of the King of France, Philip the Fair (a reference to his appearance, not his character) whose dreams of empire were going unrealized due, in part, to the bankruptcy of his treasury. He had confiscated the property of all the Jews in France and devalued the currency, but was still a little short of funds. He had also kidnapped and disposed of the previous pope for standing in his way and exerted enormous influence over Pope Clement V, who understandably did not want to suffer the same fate. Clement never made it to Rome, by the way. He was installed at Lyon and got as far as Avignon - the beginning of a period in papal history known as the "Babylonian Captivity". Philip first tried to get himself made head of the Templars. They made the mistake of rejecting him - probably realizing his intention was to rob them. So Philip rounded up all the Templars in France, trumped up charges against them, tortured confessions out of them, and seized their wealth. I could go on with reference to other misrepresentations of history in this book, but it would take pages. OK, it's a novel. It does not need to be historically accurate. True. The book would just be good fun, except that the characters are completely unbelievable, the plot is transparent and the prose is about 5th grade level. I suppose Mr. Brown is unaware, or unconcerned, that red-eyed mammals are visually impaired and often blind? A rather cumbersome handicap for a hit-man, don't you think? As soon as I read that, I knew I was reading a made for Hollywood script. We have a Harvard symbologist who apparently does not know any foreign languages - a man who has studied Grail lore without any knowledge of French. He is a well-traveled, mature bachelor who is scandalized by the Bois de Boulogne and seems devoid of any sexual or romantic feelings. In fact, he seems devoid of any feelings at all. He does not express outrage at the police trying to pin a crime on him or real fear at being a fugitive. He is strangely removed from the events happening around him. Perhaps he has been in academia too long. Maybe he is just jet-lagged, which is kind of how I felt reading this. Then we have a Parisienne who does not know the meaning of "clef de voute". It is a common French term for the stone at the top of an arch, ie a keystone. When you find out what she saw that made her stop speaking to her grandfather for a decade, you really have to wonder what kind of repressed thing she is. The puzzles are ridiculously simple. It is hard to believe that two supposedly intelligent people could not grasp the riddle of "Newton + orb + rosy flesh + seeds within". I got it in seconds. The ending of the book is apparent about half-way through and the big secret that would shake Christianity to its foundations just isn't such a big deal. As Sophie says "I wouldn't mind". After all, the same situation did not stop Siddhartha from becoming Buddha. Really the whole thing is one big yawn.
Rating: 
Summary: Thriller lovers will absolutely adore this one
Review: Not being a lover of all mystery thrillers myself, Dan Brown's, "The Da Vinci Code" nevertheless managed to hook me. The plot itself is centered around the Holy Grail and the secret society known as the Priory of Sion, and the whole concept of the story is made very believable by going so deeply into the history of the events surrounding the Grail, and portraying a reality completely different from most stories on the subject. The books begins as the curator of the Louvre museum is murdered, but manages in his final hours to leave behind a string of clues for his granddaughter Sophie Neveu and Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon to find. The two are a secret society's last hope for saving a 2,000 year-old secret from destruction, but they need to make sure that whoever killed Sophie's grandfather doesn't find them in the mean time. The Da Vinci Code really is a can't-put-down page-turner, you won't want to stop reading until you finish. Dan Brown has this irritatingly effective way of getting you to keep reading by writing very short chapters with a cliffhanger at the end of each one. A small issue with the story is how Langdon seems to always find room for a lesson in either symbology or history in places where you really couldn't care less. But aside from that, the book is a great thriller with an ending as surprising as the ingenious plot itself.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, fast-paced, font is easy on the eyes!
Review: The book prior to this one is Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown(0671027360), which is also Quite Good. I read them out of order, that wasn't really a problem though, so don't let that keep you from reading whichever one you get your hands on first!
The Da Vinci Code has a fascinating intellectual pace; putting pieces of an over-all puzzle together from histories geniuses, like Da Vinci. I love learning this stuff; not that I will ever use it, but to find it all ties in somehow ... fascinating! I bought all of the books by Dan Brown, and each held me captive until the very end.
We are a book-o-holic family, and usually are granted "private time" when we are near the end of a book; that is the sacred time; no interuptions! House rule. These books were virtually "sacred time" through out the books!
Digital Fortress was also amazing, for those of us who are on computers (obviously, gentle reader, you are) and each book has unlooked for plot twists, characters that inspire loyalty, or compassion, even outrage.
Dan Brown is VERY well researched for each of his books, and you will find yourself learning a lot more of how far we have come with increasingly complex goverment projects. This isn't the X-files, what he includes in these thrillers Do exist, and have probably already been out-dated.
Love a puzzle? Love intrigue, history, mystery, tightly woven plots? These are for You.
As always, I mention the font, and the ease or difficulty the print will give to those with less than perfect vision, or who are prone to head-aches from eye-strain.
This has an exellent font, no problems! The same can be said for each of his publications. The only downside is now I am spoiled and want more! Mr Brown, if you please?
Rating:
Summary: Yawn
Review: The writing is mediocre, the characters poorly drawn. Mr. Brown writes with an irritating pedantic style that is exacerbated by incorrect information and poor fact checking. Example: We are told that the source of the term "left wing" is identical to the source of gauche and sinister when it in fact it relates to the seating arrangements in the French National Assembly. The characters behave in ways that defy rationality or comprehension. Do yourself a favor and skip this dog.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent and Gripping...You Can't Put It Down!!!!
Review: I have seldom, if ever, been so completely entranced by a book. I stole every possible minute from my busy schedule to read this book. Rather than being insulted by flimsy, ill-researched "factoids", this book culls all of ones knowledge and focuses it to a fine point. Without being pretentious Dan Brown has stitched together spiral shaped mini-plots into a winding Nautilus to make the over-all plot onfold brilliantly while keeping you totally blind to what is coming next. The writing is unimpeachable, and you will find yourself flipping back several chapters as a seemingly new clue is revealed to be merely an echo of something you overlooked earlier. Rilliant. I am now an official Dan Brown afficionado!!!! I can't wait for the next book!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Dumb compared to my novel
Review: Hey who care about some stupid code -- Da Vinci or otherwise -- if I were you I'd purchase my novel about the most interesting person who ever lived -- MYSELF! Read MY FRACTURED LIFE, read MY FRACTURED LIFE, read MY FRACTURED LIFE
Rating:
Summary: I'm puzzled
Review: I bought this book because my brother's birthday is coming up in six days, and he loves bestsellers. I've never heard of Dan Brown before, and actually had quite a job to find the book in local (New Zealand) bookstores. (I found it in a wine-and-food market! -- upscale market, and the book is new, I hastily add.) I'm puzzled because everyone calls it a page-turner. What is it I am not seeing? I've managed to get to page 217, so I've done quite well, I guess, but the cardboard characters and trivial-pursuit-driven plot just don't get me turning pages. It's fearfully easy to put down, and awfully hard to pick it up again, but if I want to get to the end, I have only five days to do it! This is quite an admission from someone who normally reads a book a day. Perhaps my problem is that the last book I read was the second in Bernard Cornwell's astounding Grail series. Granted, it is a different genre, but the craftsmanship and sense of immediacy that Cornwell manages is on a different plane, too. However, I would hesitate to suggest that anyone reads the Cornwell Grail series instead of this book, because so many people enjoy The Da Vinci Code, obviously -- and why should I ruin someone else's nice day. I guess it will be made into a movie. It reads like that was the ultimate aim. But I doubt I will bother to go to see it -- even if it does have Harrison Ford!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book!!!
Review: One of the best books I have ever read. Whereas, I think Christians might find it offensive, the historical research and documentaion of the world's greatest artwork is astounding. It is a mystery, a history book, and on top of it all is filled with great, believable charaters!
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