Rating: 
Summary: More fun to read the reviews....
Review: I've been listening to an audio version, luckily it was free (borrowed), because spending money on the hardcover would be a huge waste. But, reading the customer reviews has been very entertaining.What is really amusing is that the reviews seem to run 4 to 1 in favor of the book. Lots of reviewers are claming "The best book I ever read!" or, "You must read this fantastic book!" and then providing long, admiring opinions. Many of these people actually are impressed by the writing style and skill of the author, but what really gets them is the "historical fact" that sends them to the internet for hours of research. The audience that's impressed seems to be composed of non-readers who might have trouble getting through a John Grisham novel, but are just thrilled to have a new conspiracy theory to explore. The anti-book crowd is also somewhat split. The minority view seems to hold that the book is blasphemous and "wrong" because it disrespects Christianity and the "true" history of the church and Jesus. So, according to these folks, don't read the book because somehow this blasphemy is contagious and if it gets out, well, who knows what could happen. Most of the anti-book crowd, thankfully, seems to recognize it as just poor literature. I belong to this latter set of critics. It seems to me that the author constructed a half-baked plot and a couple of weak characters, in an entirely implausible situation, solely in order to communicate his "theories" about DaVinci, the Sacred Feminine, the Grail, and all the other jumbled historical tidbits that add up to the aforementioned conspiracy. Then he wrote the book as fast as he could, knowing that he'd have a best-seller. How could he not? As I've noted, most of the reviewers on this site love it. It's a perfect book for people who prefer television and absolutely eat up conspiracy theories. I'm still listening, because it's assigned for my book club. But I find myself wishing I could hurry up and get it over with.
Rating: 
Summary: why mona lisa smiles
Review: I've been trying to figure out what I should write about the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, but each time I try to put "pen" to "paper" I get a big fat DERRRR rumbling through my head. It's not necessarily that I don't know what to write; rather, I don't know where to begin. A murder mystery. A history lesson. A historical mystery. The Church and cults. Puzzles within puzzles. Intrigue. A smart car chase through Paris. Banks. Secret societies. All in a period of roughly 24 hours. Robert Langdon is a famous Harvard symbologist penning a book on the Holy Grail. The curator of the Louvre is found horribly murdered, and Langdon is the chief suspect. Clues left at the scene of the crime lead to the much larger search for the Holy Grail, famously known as the Cup of Christ... or is it? Together with the curator's grand-daughter, a cryptologist, we are lead through a series of historical clues on a hunt to find the Grail before a mysterious Teacher and his minions from Opus Dei get to it first. The story is gripping, intelligent and fast-paced. At no point do you feel like you're being spoken down to. The fact inspired me to research stuff on the Web. This is an alternative view to history than what we are used to in popular culture, save for "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," which shares the grail and wierd knight storylines with the book. I just simply read and read and traveled down the lines of forgotten history with the characters, discovered with them. Definitely a great book to read.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre literature
Review: I've finally read this so much talked about book. And what a dissapointment. Don't be misguided by the catholic close-minded, but don't be fooled too by the supposed intricacy of the code: half of the quests in the book are childish to make me cry over a stupid, blockbuster-born couple of protagonists, while the other half weren't quests at all, but guessworks for the book actors. So don't expect much excitement by that side. Literary qualities, ITOH, are completely missing: this book will not be remembered five years from now, unless I've already lost track with current readers, but that would imply a much greater level of ignorance amongst the common people, and I don't believe it. This is, in short, another cliche movie script slightly baked up to make a book. Handsome couple, hinted romance, action scenes... chapters are short to the ridiculous, the seem more cutscenes than real chapters... is current average attention time-span that of a snail? And last but not least, this book is PC to tears. The complainers are these kind of people who can't stand a single critique to his "faith", be them in one side or the other.
Rating: 
Summary: Can't put it down... so engaging!
Review: I've heard so much about this book that I borrowed a friend's copy and read it over vacation. I've never been so engrossed in a book before -- and finished it in a day and a half! I've read some debates about accuracy of Brown's information, but if you just run with the idea, and if you're into the idea of conspiracy theories (and c'mon, if anyone has some secrets stashed away somewhere, it's the catholic church!) you will LOVE this book. It takes a good chunk of factual information and spins a fictional story around it.... the enticing part is that there's just enough real information in the book to make you want to start your own quest for the holy grail. This is a definite must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, amazing book - intelligent, imaginative
Review: I've just finished The Da Vinci Code and I must say that it was one of the most amazing books I've read in a long time. It is an intelligent thriller that I just could not put down. It opened my eyes up to a great deal of history of which I had not been aware AND kept me gripped by the plot as well. I am not in the States so I dont know all the hype that had surrounded this book (which I've only learned about from reading other reviews on here). I find it interesting that the reviewers on here appear to either love this book or not think it was worth their time. I wonder how much of that has to do with one's already existing beliefs? I am not here to say whether anyone is right or wrong. I just hope that this book is read as I think it has a lot to say. It is a work of FICTION based on historical facts and theories yet some appear to take issue with the fact that everything that can be is not absolutely historically accurate. Many movies are based on a single fact with 1 1/2 hours of events and dialogue created and there seems to be fewer problems with those that with this book. This book was recommended to me by a dear friend who was excited about it and expressed that excitement to me and I am very glad that she did. The plot was unique and did move quickly, totally capitivating me. The use of 1-4 page chapters did not distract and it isn't the only book to ever use this technique so I dont know why people had a problem with it. It was just a different way of doing things. I dont dispute the fact that there were flaws, but I've read very few books that havent had flaws. I just wonder what was expected from this book and whether anyone could have fulfiled the expectations. For me, it was an eyeopener, one that has answered some questions for me and has lead to others that I will now pursue in answering for myself. I think that the beauty of this book is that it is a fascinating read, a really good thriller that takes you away and immerses you in other lands successfully and makes you turn your brain on and leaves it on even when the last page is turned. Ultimately it is Dan Brown's theory so I think it best to remember that. You dont have to agree and many don't. But for me, it all makes a lot of sense. Another issue that people had problems with were the codes. Some say that they were childllike riddles, some say they couldn't believe that they could be solved "on the run". Well taking the second issue first, I would just say that these were scholars who had spent years dealing with these issues, accompanied by a woman who had been schooled in code breaker practically here whole life. There was also a lot to gain and lose by breaking the codes so I'm not surprised that they were able to do it. I also couldn't say that the riddles were childlike - only that it kept me captivated.
Rating:
Summary: fun to play, harder to take seriously
Review: I've often seen this book compared with Eco's "The name of the rose". I think it is an unfair comparison for either books. It seems to me that in "The name of the rose", the author quite intentionally tries to offer the reader a multilayered texture of alternative interpretations; you can read the book as detective story, ancient botanical treatise, literary game of "find the writer" and what not - in any case, it aims high. Despite various marketing pitches, I don't think "The Da Vinci Code" claims to be more than it actually is: a very enjoyable and stylishly written mystery. I have to say that I am a bit baffled by the whole controversy of whether or not the author talks about "reality" or gets his information right. A book that makes a claim to historical accuracy usually comes with a list of sources. If it doesn't, then it's up to the reader whether to suspend disbelief entirely and take it as religion doctrine, or to remain critical and take it as fiction. I think in this case it's obvious that ficton it is. The author quite cleverly plays on the reader's fascination with secret codes and symbols, great mysteries begging to be revealed etc., but I thought that it was precisely the author's own enjoyment with his puzzle game in progress that prevented the book from convincing the reader that any terribly deep meanings were at stake. (Readers of Dan Brown's other books will no doubt guess the villain fairly quickly) Sure, it is nice to speculate "what if" (what if what we are taught is the truth were actually an attempt at cover-up?) and I enjoyed the way the author combined the various elements into a seemingly "erudite", coherent and thoroughly readable whole...And I think the book leaves you there, with a great reading experience, the right proportion of "almost-but-not-quite" inclination to actually take seriously the author's suggestions, and a problem to be solved for when we get a bibliography. Or, if you prefer, a revelation.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK
Review: I've only read a couple of chapters in this book but I can't seems to put it down. You've got to buy this book. Dan Brown is the new #1 author on my list.
Rating: 
Summary: Only if you're bored
Review: I've read a few reviews on this book and I think the overall average review for this book is pretty accurate. This book reads pretty fast, which is good. For those who didn't get pass the 2/3rd mark you were smart. The ending, as usual for Dan Brown, was disappointing. I just have 1 word, "Hollywood." After reading Angels & Demons and Da Vinci Code I have to say that's the last of Dan Brown for me...unless he kills off Robert Langdon. Of course, if the anti-matter, the Hassassin, or any of the secret frats couldn't kill the little nerd I don't think anything or anyone else could...except Mr. Brown himself. The one bright spot was this book was an improvement over Angels & Demons.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fiction!
Review: I've read a lot of the reviews about the historical accuracy of this fictional book and think that people are just missing the point. Similar to Michael Crighton's style, this author has done a tremendous job of wrapping an intelligently written fictional story around some factual historical locations, theories, items, etc... Don't try to anlyze the historical accuracy to death and just enjoy the story. It is an engrossing tale that once you start you can't put down until it's done. This book is excellent and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: hmmm
Review: I've read so of the reviews and I recently read one someone saying all Catholics are evil. Well I'm sorry to say but Dan Brown's books aren't 'All True', but In order to know that you'll have to have had so historical backround. Dan Brown used people's ignorace of history to write a book that would cause Catholics to break away and people to hate Catholics for things they never did. The book is so obviously Anti-Catholic it's laughable. A few examples of his "impeccable" research: He claims that the motions of the planet Venus trace a pentacle (the so-called Ishtar pentagram) symbolizing the goddess. But it isn't a perfect figure and has nothing to do with the length of the Olympiad. The ancient Olympic games were celebrated in honor of Zeus Olympias, not Aphrodite, and occurred every four years. Brown's contention that the five linked rings of the modern Olympic Games are a secret tribute to the goddess is also wrong - each set of games was supposed to add a ring to the design but the organizers stopped at five. And his efforts to read goddess propaganda into art, literature, and even Disney cartoons are simply ridiculous. No datum is too dubious for inclusion, and reality falls quickly by the wayside. For instance, the Opus Dei bishop encourages his albino assassin by telling him that Noah was also an albino (a notion drawn from the non-canonical 1 Enoch 106:2). Yet albinism somehow fails to interfere with the man's eyesight as it physiologically would. -from ... ^^^. ~Little Flower~
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