Rating: 
Summary: Trite drivel
Review: I will have to qualify this review by stating that I have only read the first five chapters. I would have read more, but Brown's writing style is so inane and uncreative, I couldn't stop laughing. Admittedly, it is quite difficult to refrain from snickering at such [paraphrased] gems like: "He resembled Harrison Ford in a tweed jacket". Of the almost infinite possibilities in which one can describe a person, the author chose this actor's visage. In my humble opinion, the novel is about par with "See Spot Run" or an English reading primer.
Rating: 
Summary: Here's a clue: It's Fiction, folks!
Review: Dan Brown's 'The DaVinci Code' has been atop the bestseller list for 40 some weeks. The 'fiction' list. And the surest way to reach the top of the bestseller lists is to write for the lowest common denominator (in the sports world read: NASCAR) which in this case means - the mystery hound. The DaVinci Code's appeal is that it is Grisham, Turow, or even JK Rowling, yet with a religious twist. Every chapter ends with a pointed gun. Come to think of it, isn't this how Frank and Joe Hardy move through life? Solve one riddle, and up pops another. Everything is life-threatening, world-ending, but avoided by sheer pluck of the hero and heroine. Turn the page, please. The hook is set on the frontispiece, "Fact:" We're in for a duel between the Priory of Sion - a secret society founded in medieval Europe (presumably still alive even in suburban Long Island according to the recent 'Eyes Wide Shut' movie), and the countervailing forces of Opus Dei, a devout Catholic sect to whom the Vatican is beholden. Immediately, on page one, a murder takes place under the watchful eyes of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. So, right away we know we are going to learn more about art and architecture in the next 450 pages than we do about the columns of Mississippi courthouses in a John Grisham novel. The plot is all go-go, and we're off quickly on a goosechase through Europe, ('mais Versailles, ce n'est pas nord-ouest du Paris, je pense, Monsieur Brun') replete with art, history, symbology and architectural lessons that qualify readers for a minor in liberal arts by book's end. Papal conspiracies, self-flagilating monks, the obligatory sex ceremonies, hidden gospels, unbreakable ciphers...all the trappings of a first-rate page turner. You have to read it, just to be current, and to fend off all the loonies on either side who scream 'Heresey!' or 'Truth!' I borrowed my copy from the library, but getting your paperback investment sandy at the beach this summer will be well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Worst piece of fabrication
Review: This book by Dan Brown has clearly got to be the most atrocious jumble of fabrications and bias against Christianity I've ever read. I despised having to give it a quality rating (for its worth) of even 1, seeing as there no rating for 0. First of all, Dan Brown claims that there is a secret society, named the Priory of Sion, which he also claims was led by well-known people like Da Vinci, Newton, and Victor Hugo. Except that what Dan Brown really did was mix a bunch of famous names together into a secret society that they were not a part of. The horrible fabrications of fact made me lose my respect for it and more than once I was fuming with with the blatantly twistedness of the information.
Rating: 
Summary: Intelligent, Stimulating, Implausible, Overanalytical
Review: This is a good/bad book of great pop cultural interest. I'll try to tell you what's good and what's bad about it, so you can decide for yourself whether or not to purchase it. First of all, there is the matter of its impact. A long stay on the best-seller list and a lot of word-of-mouth have led this book to spawn college classes and discussion groups on its controversial pagan thesis and its alternative history. At its best, it's intelligent. Its descriptions of the physical world of churches and museums are both poetic and sound. Dan Brown has the kind of mind that enjoys puzzles, symbols, anagrams, encryptions, and every kind of enigma. "The Da Vinci Code" is a page-turner whose mysteries keep you interested and zipping along through the text. It's pagan assertions strike at the very heart of Christian dogma, creating a sort of exhilirating subversion. That's the good news. The bad news is: This is one of the most implausible books I've ever read. Giving us good descriptions of the physical world, Brown neglects to let his characters behave as real people might. From the beginning we know we'll be asked to suspend a lot of belief, as Sauniere, curator of the Louvre, designs elaborate codes while bleeding to death from a fatal bullet wound. Aren't most people in shock at this point? Brown could have been more plausible here by allowing Sauniere to leave a set of clues for his daughter and her cryptologist friend to follow IN CASE he was ever assassinated, but no!...He designs a complex treasure hunt during his death throes! Brown shows more of his weaknessness as his fiction claims that everything under the sun is a hidden symbol for feminine power and that everyone from Botticelli to Walt Disney was in on the cover-up. This is a conspiracy theory with everything but a grassy knoll. Some people complain about the ending (Stop reading if you don't want it spoiled), but it's an anti-climax that leaves the story's central mystery intact, which is actually a fitting ending for a novel which is an panegyric to feminine mystique over "masculine" reason. Do I recommend it? Well, read it if only to see what people are reading these days. Read it as a gripping page-turner and for its fun puzzles and coincidences. Christianity deserves every attack against it and more, but one with a tighter, more plausible plot would be appreciated.
Rating: 
Summary: "DaVinci Myth" is more accurate
Review: This review will be unfortunately a bit longer than I want it to be, as I care to spend little time writing about a book I consider to be a second rate, cheap, dimestore thriller. I picked up this book to see what all the hoopla was about, but much to my disappointment, it was what I consider the "Big Mac" of books: tastes good, but no nutritional value. Da Vinci code is a formulaic franchise (yes, I deliberately use that word) that reads like a Spielberg movie. Dan Brown is a hybrid of all the other popular mainstream thriller authors out there that are currently making bazillions of dollars on the rights of their novels being sold for silver screen production. (I'm looking at you, Chrichton, and you, Grisham) But I believe Mr. Brown, has done himself a service in that he was able to save himself some extra cash when the inevitable transfer from book-to-movie comes around. He will not have to hire any scriptwriters, because the book already reads like a movie script. No changes necessary. For those of you who understand where I am coming from, yet steadfastly refuse to be deterred from reading the book, the only positive critique I can give is this; it *is* a page turner. But, then again, is that really a positive comment? If that were the case, Danielle Steel or Judith Kranz would be considered the literary geniuses of our time. Heck, for that matter, so would Penthouse Forum. Another element that strikes a discord with me is how good Mr. Brown is at in blending fact with fiction. I understand that common practice and Brown is certainly not the first to interweave these two elements to create a plausible synopsis, but the difference here is that it seems to be undermining people's faith in religion and that Christianity is one big conspiracy. I won't go into detail about the fabrications that Dan Brown has made in the book, lest I give the story away, but rest assured there are plenty of websites and articles out there that debunk the authors many presumptions. This is a work of fiction and people need to keep that in mind. In conclusion, the only conspiracy here is the marketing one.
Rating:
Summary: A Definite Must Read
Review: I think a true example of a talented author is one who can deliver a serious message while wrapping it inside a most entertaining story. Dan Brown has achieved exactly that. This is the best mystery novel I have read in sometime, and the revelations that Brown submits are fascinating. It has encouraged me to study Da Vinci, The Bible, The Templar Knights and everything Renaissance. This is one book that everyone, especially Christians, need to read. The story DOES NOT lag in the middle, that is where all the good stuff is. I promise you will not de disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Topic, Stale Writing
Review: Most of the story in The Da Vinci Code is really a framing tale telling the story of the Christian Church, from blackmail, lies, and murders, up to and including devotion, faith, and love. The subject matter of The Da Vinci Code is very interesting, and information on the Grail, Da Vinci, the Knights Templar, Mary Magdelene, the Louvre, etc, is presented in such a way as to make the reader want to learn more about them. While the book is entertaining and thought-provoking, Brown's writing style seems more likely to fit in with the Young Adult section than the Literature section. First, he writes many scenes as though he's doing treatments for a movie. Second, there is hardly any suspense from about halfway through the book, although Brown tries his best to make you believe there is. You know exactly who's done what 40 pages before Brown reveals it, because Brown pretty much beats you over the head with hints. Let's face it: The Da Vinci Code is not the Book of Revelations. But having said that, it was definitely interesting, and I'm happy I read it.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: If this is an intelligent mystery, intelligence is losing ground. The writing was awkward, many of the riddles were predictable, and the religious theories were heavy-handed. The book was a little too much like a rambling manifesto of conspiracy theory; its passing mention of minor symbolic points (The suits in a deck of cards are symbols of the sacred feminine!) detracted from the force of the more interesting points about religious iconography.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book just remember its fiction
Review: Like many others, I found this book to be an exciting page turner. I had read that Brown had spent a lot of time researching the different ideas presented in his book so I wanted to see for myself to what extent the ideas of the book were based on truth. It appears that Brown was sucked into a hoax that many before him also bought into. The priory documents that gave him the basis for his claims were most likely forgeries deposited by noted criminal, con artist, and prankster Pierre Plantard who registered the Priory of Sion in 1956 with a group of friends. I could go on and on about how Plantard claimed to have deposited those documents which also pointed to him as a member of the Merovigian line amongst other claims. However, one of the great things about writing a fiction book is that the author is free to expand on thoughts of what if this was true without worrying about having to back up everything stated. Whether Brown knew this was false or got caught up in this hoax is irrelevant to the fact that this is an incredible fast paced book. Brown's description of the artwork and various locations caused me to vividly remember exactly what he was talking about from my own experiences. Many have described this book as "...an intelligent thriller..." for which I would have to agree. I found myself not wanting to put the book down and also stopping the midst of the story to try and decipher the codes before the characters. I would most definitely encourage others to read this book just keep in mind while reading that it is fiction.
Rating:
Summary: POOR WRITING
Review: This is patheically poorly written. I am not a Christian. But I find the insipid and ignorant prose simply insulting to the intelligence of anyone capable of digesting more than a tasteless Hollywood B-Movie plot. The fact that most of America is raving about this book says a lot about the masses in that country! The examples of Brown's inaccuracies are countless. It is, however, the brazenly crass contradictions that make one wonder about Mr. Brown's own intelligence. Is he trying to snow us with passages like this one? :
"Sadly, Christian philosophy decided to embezzle the female's creative power by ignoring biological truth and making man the Creator. Genesis tells us that Eve was created from Adam's rib....".
While I agree with his point about the sexes in Christianity, Genesis is, as we all well know, a book of the OLD Testament, stemming from Judaism, not Christianity. The story of Adam and Eve goes a lot further back than Christianity. Of course, Mr. Brown knows this. Had he written this book without the forward "FACT:", one could dismiss everything as poetic liscence. This would of course assume some poetic and literary value, of which there is absolutely zero in this book. Its really like watching bad tv.
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