Rating: 
Summary: WOW!!!!!!
Review: I was given an advanced readers copy of this book by my boss.I will forever be in her debt!!
While I read this book I became very anti social, refusing to talk to anyone or even acknowledge their presence when I had this book in my hand, all I wanted to do & did with any free time I had was read this book.It is glaringly obvious that Dan Brown did alot of research on this book and was extremely thorough. It's not often that I come away from a book and want to learn more about the subject matter. When I realized how much I was enjoying the book (after chapter 2, I think) I went and bought all his other books, I'm now reading angels & demons and I'm loving it!! I have found a new author whose books I will buy blindly from now on!!The only draw back is that judging from the amount of research that went into his books it might be a while before we hear from Prof. Langdon again!! If you like your books filled with facts, intelligence, suspense and an oppurtunity to learn about new subjects too DaVinci Code is the way to go.
Dan Brown you have a new fan !!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Bait and Switch
Review: I was given this book by a friend and had heard nothing about it. I took it at face value that it was a "murder mystery". The first third of the book delivered as expected. The set up, the plot, the intrigue all pulled me through page after page, about midway through the reading the plot started veering off into a religious agenda. The last half of the book was a sorry disappointment. The "mystery" aspect was completely replaced with the religious overtones. It ended in a muddled hash that was unsatisfying either from a religious or intrigue point of view. I would not recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: An intersting book that's also rather informative...
Review: I was given this book not having known anything of what it was about. After reading it I must say that I am intrigued not only by the book and how it was written but by the historic details documented as part of the story. Do Da Vinci's works all have so many hidden meanings and allusions? Were so many prominent individuals throughout history members of the Free Masons or related groups? It's all interesting stuff, to me anyways. Some may be turned off by the writer's characters, and the fact that certain revered and "untouchable" organizations are the antagonists in this story. The writer at times seems biased against the Catholic church, while being biased for the Free Masons and other lesser known groups. It is my feeling however that the writer's ultimate point is about having faith and not relying on the systems any religious institution created by man imposes artificially. One thing I will say of the book is that it charges strong for the first seventy percent, and you'll never want to stop. After that however, it gets weaker and ends somewhat unremarkably. But, it's still worth a shot, and is a quick read.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun read, but it's certainly not fact.
Review: I was hesitant to read this novel, as cheap thrillers aren't generally my style, but I, like so many others, was coerced into reading it by my friends, who insisted that it is intellectual and fascinating. Immediately, I was turned off. Dan Brown's writing is horrendous - reminiscent of bad Nancy Drew novels of my childhood, except with more useless information thrown in every other paragraph. Seriously now -
"His usually sharp blue eyes looked hazy and drawn tonight. A dark stubble was shrouding his strong jaw and dimpled chin. Around his temples, the gray highlights were advancing, making their way deeper into his thicket of coarse black hair." (pg. 8)
gag. Along with a quick mention of his Mickey Mouse watch later on, this is the only characterization of Robert Langdon that is provided. However, I read on, as I generally give a bad book 50 pages before putting it down, and I've got to admit that it hooked me by that point, and I sucked the novel down quickly. What Brown lacks in writing skills, he makes up for in clever plot twists and gripping codes. I also was drawn to the subject matter, amazed that "everything" (in Brown's words during an interview) was true. A little research quickly showed that, while there is a good deal of truth in "The Da Vinci Code", and much of it is based on fact, the basic premises of the book are said to be absolute fact, when in fact they are no more than speculations based on rumors and oversimplifications of extremely complex stuff. First off, it is generally agreed upon that the Priory of Sion did not in fact exist, but was a hoax invented in the 1950s by a French Nazi named Pierre Plantard in order to proclaim himself the King of France, claiming that he was a direct descendant of Jesus. He made up a bunch of documents on the fictional Priory of Sion and planted them in various libraries. That Dan Brown takes the hoax as truth just shows his gullibility. Second, I really don't think you can say that women experienced something of a Golden Age before Christianity, and then, as Christianity was popularized, automatically became subservient. Although there were certain branches of paganism (not one unified religion, but various local traditions) that worshipped various goddesses, women certainly were not prominent in society - they have always been discriminated against, and there have been few female leaders throughout history, before and after the rise of Christianity. Nor can one claim that Jesus was never considered divine until after the Council of Nicaea - even if he was declared such during that council (which he wasn't, not exactly), there were always followers of Jesus that considered him such. My real problem with this book lies in Brown's assertions that it is all fact, when so much of it is inaccurate or oversimplified. I was also really annoyed by his making the main character a Harvard professor who was an expert in his field, when Brown is obviously nowhere near that status. I hate that so many people are reading The Da Vinci Code and accepting it as fact.
Rating:
Summary: The Book Everyone Wants To Read
Review: I was in a bookstore while on vacation a few weeks ago. The young bookseller became very excited when a woman went to the cash register to purchase a book. The book was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. This young man, an aspiring writer himself, loved this book and hoped that he would one day write as clever and masterful a tale as he believed Dan Brown did. I was next in line and he asked me if I had read it. I told him I had started it, and he wondered how I could put it down. I told him there is a very good reason why I could not finish it. The people I love the most, namely my family members and friends are always taking it from me so the can read it. He told me he understood because the book is addictive. The woman purchasing the book could hardly wait to get home and read. It seems as if The Da Vinci Code has caught the interest of many people, and after reading the book, it is easy to see why. Dan Brown tells a masterful tale about a modern day search for the Holy Grail. This is not an ordinary Grail myth story, however. It involves murder, police investigations, and takes the reader into a variety of organizations including the upper echelon of the Roman Catholic Church, Interpol, a secret Swiss bank, Opus Dei, and the Freemasons. A wide variety of well developed characters are found in the story, and throughout the book it is often difficult to tell who is good and who is evil-the story moves so quickly that one can seem to be good and turn out evil, and others go from evil to good. In the hands of a less skilled author, this could be a distraction, but Brown is able to use this technique to keep the story moving. Unlike some suspense novels, which often contain one dimensional characters, the reader really begins to care about this novel's characters and sees them as complex people. The book is well researched. Brown seems to know many of the current religious debates, particularly regarding Gnostic writings of the early Church and the controversy surrounding these writings. A person such as Robert Langdon, the main character and a Harvard professor would be in the heat of such a debate since some of the theories in the book are from the research of Harvard scholars. Some readers could find some of Brown's pages heretical, others may wonder if what he has to say is true. Remember, the genre of the book is fiction, and if Brown's theories make you think, it only means he is a gifted writer, not that Christianity is hiding something. If anything, the book views both faith and belief in a positive manner. If you are purchasing this book, read it fast, or better yet, order as second copy just in case your friends and loved ones decide to borrow it and you will have to wait to discover the secrets of this wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Does Not Live Up To The Hype
Review: I was in the mood for a very entertaining book to read over the weekend. I wanted something that really kept me turning the pages but didn't require me to think too much. I thought "The Da Vinci Code" would be the book to fill the bill. It wasn't. While every chapter did end with a "cliffhanger," the plot is so simplistic and hackneyed (and improbable) that any intelligent reader knows what's coming next. In addition, the writing itself was bad, making the book more than a little irritating to read. I will give Brown this, there was no "fat" in his prose, but there were several glaring grammar mistakes that almost made me throw the book aside. I don't care if an author isn't writing literary fiction; there's simply no excuse for a grammar mistake in a book. It's an insult to any reader. Where this book really fell short for me (as if plot and bad writing aren't enough) was in the area of characterization. Both Sophie and Robert were despicable and totally one-dimensional. And could there possibly be a more stupid member of the French Judicial Police than Sophie? I don't think so. This is a woman who probably couldn't have graduated high school, let alone work as a cryptologist. The plot twists were way to easy. I knew the secret bank number immediately and the identity of The Teacher is also quite easy to figure out. Let's just say that you'll know him as soon as he's introduced. No surprises there. I don't know a lot about the Holy Grail, the Priory of Sion, etc., so if Brown got his facts wrong, it didn't bother me. More knowledgeable readers might be offended, though. Had I been knowledgeable about the Priory, I think I would have been. I'm a Catholic as well, but this book didn't do anything to offend my faith. Frankly, it was too silly to be offensive. Ultra-conservative Catholics might be better off avoiding the book, however. I was far more offended by the bad writing and terrible characterization. The more I think about this book, the more time passes since my reading of it, the more I dislike it. Shame on Dan Brown for not perfecting the art and craft of novel writing before writing one. And shame on those who hyped this book to high heaven. It's not worth it and I've sworn off Dan Brown for good.
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful book that kept me through the night and morning
Review: I was incredibly surprised by how many people disliked this book! I read it without stopping. It was a real page turner! I found it fascinating, and the plot was fun and suspenseful...and yet it was all laced with historical fact and theories. It was almost just like a fun history lesson. I think it was worth buying, and it's okay that other people think differently...but personally, it was a wonderful book. In fact, I bought a second copy for a friend's birthday.
Rating:
Summary: Rivetting to the last page
Review: I was interested but extremely skeptical about the book I received for my birthday. But after reading I will be purchasing more of Dan Brown's work. The character's are well-developed (I easily identified with their reasoning and emotions), the plot is both complicated, but extremely simplistic in its thought. You just get pulled deeper and deeperin this amazing story with its many twists and turns, page after page. The research (wife is art historian), insight from first hand accounts of art, architecture, history, and real societies and oganizations make this story one of the best I have read. Read this, you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Factual, Fast, and Fun
Review: I was introduced to the books of author Dan Brown only three weeks ago, but have quickly absorbed all four of his published works. It is easy to see why some are comparing the work of Dan Brown and James BeauSeigneur (THE CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY). Both Brown and BeauSeigneur deal masterfully with the more mysterious features of religion, politics, and science. Both bring to light amazing bits of information, which they weave into the intricate patterns of their stories. Both are highly imaginative and write with a ring of authenticity that makes for a compelling read. While Brown compresses labyrinthine plots into brief time periods to provide page-turning suspense, BeauSeigneur trilogy is of epic proportion, covering several decades. While Brown applies the mysteries of history to the drama of "today," BeauSeigneur uses both history and prophecy (from perhaps a dozen major world religions) to transport the reader from the world of today, to the very dawning of a new age in a story reminiscent of the scope of Asimov's classic, FOUNDATION. One other difference is that BeauSeigneur has taken the novel (pun intended and forgiveness is asked) approach of including footnotes in his books of fiction. By doing so, he all but eliminates the necessity of suspending disbelief. Few authors employ such strong factual grounding as to make footnotes useful, but I believe Brown's work (and his readers) would benefit from BeauSeigneur's innovation.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely Worth Buying
Review: I was loaned this book by a friend and I am now buying it so that I can lend it to my friends and relatives. It is definitely worth it. Not being a big fan of murder mysteries, I was apprehensive about reading this book when it was recommended to me. But since I was assured it also crossed genres into historical fiction (my true love) I decided to give it a try. I was hooked within the first 10 pages. The romanticized descriptions of the Louvre and other museums/landmarks made me want to give Paris another chance after having had a bad experience there a few summers ago. The story is fascinating, the well-researched history is intriguing, the pace is energizing, and the characters are stereotypical but adorable nonetheless. Buy it or borrow it ... it is a great read.
| 
