The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: A Highly Readable, Interesting Read
Review: Above all other criticism and/or praise, Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" is inarguably an interesting and exciting read. Although critics do have some merit to the argument that his characters lack the definition of other, more mirthful novels, Brown uses a healthy sampling of wit, intelligence, and anecdotes to keep a reader turning the over 400 pages of this book.

To argue that this book is not worth buying because of the historical inaccuracies is MISSING the point of a FICTIONAL novel; it's make-believe! Brown twists the facts to suit his own purposes as a story-teller; doing just that seems to be Brown's call to guard.

He does a splendid job keeping this novel moving, and his tempo never wavers.

I was fully satisfied with my purchase (once I realized that I couldn't expect an acutely accurate historical nonfiction work from a middle-aged novelist), and I would be confident in saying that you will too.

Rating:
Summary: "unputdownable"
Review: Action sequence in the story already started on the first few pages of the book. Nothing catches a reader's attention more powerfully than a dead man posed as the Vitruvian Man and the sign of the pentacle at the same time. And what better place to have committed the crime of murder than the fancy security-armored vastness of the famed Louvre museum. Add a beautiful French cryptologist to the already charming aura of my favorite symbologist, trying together to solve crimes and riddles while outrunning the French police, and you have the formula for the book that will keep you up late nights turning pages.

I believe the greatest strength of Dan Brown is his power to fuse fact and fiction in a gripping tale of adventure. He has the very rare talent of sensationalizing what would otherwise bore us from another angle. Among the topics he deals with in this book are The Da Vinci Code (an elaborate field of research and conceptualizing on its own), the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci, Priory of Sion, Opus Dei, and, among my favorite parts of the adventure, riddles. Who would believe the dark symbolism in The Last Supper would survive centuries of Vatican power? Who would believe another Da Vinci art called Madonna of the Rocks carries underneath it a shocking anomaly from centuries past? Who would have imagined a secret war waged by two opposing religious groups - Opus Dei and Priory of Sion - has been raging since the era of Christ? Who would have thought Da Vinci lived such eccentric lifestyle? All of these things, and more, are handcrafted and offered by Brown on a silver platter.

Although the story is rich in action and gripping facts, it's a lullaby of the most boring romantic tale ever. I had to breeze through pages trying to get past Langdon's and Neveu's little sweet talks because it's a proven fact: Brown sucks at romantic lines. You will read Angels & Demons and Deception Point with a similar observation, although this little setback won't necessarily ruin your enjoyment of Dan Brown books. Romantic or not, he writes well-researched material packed with fast-paced action and amazing trivia that will put you to the edge of your seats.

So, for the most part, the book is "unputdownable". It's definitely a must-read.

Rating:
Summary: A brief précis in reply to " Real Junk"
Review: Actually I haven't read the book yet ( but you can count on it now!). I am here to give a short rebuttal to the person signed as " a reader" from Brookline, MA ( see Real Junk, October 18). This reviewer says: "...there is no such profession as 'symbologist'..." - But YES there IS dear reader! And -surprise,surprise- one of the most famous of those, certainly the most visible in the public's awareness, is none other than Professor Umberto Eco. who is a specialist is SEMIOTICS, which deals with the language (and of course, the meaning) of "symbols" of all kinds. What Brown has done,was simply to call it (this profession, that is) another name. My point is that such profession DOES exist and is enjoying excellent health. I thought you'd like to know.

Rating:
Summary: Pefect for the Beach Bag
Review: Admittedly I have "read" the audio version and found it to have clearly devliered on the best reviews already written. A+

Rating:
Summary: Mostly interesting material poorly written.
Review: After a short honeymoon with this book where I was smitten by the unrelenting presentation of interesting facts and information in a midly entertaining fashion, I became increasingly irritated. Within 5 chapters I could predict the structure and conclusion of every subsequent chapter. The shameless manipulation of narrative to allow for more of the author's ideas to be disseminated became more and more transparent. While not as badly written or as execrable as the Celestine Prophecies of some years ago, Da Vinci shares the same basic problem which is that underneath it all, it is a mediocre book with a host of interesting ideas. On top of that is the problem that some of the ideas are whoppingly spurious. See other critics for some glaring examples. The list is too long for a short commentary.

On the other hand I read it in one day and it was an effortless read. And that seems to be the current qualification for greatness these days.

Rating:
Summary: It is just not well written
Review: After all of the reviews I was expecting a good thriller to involve me. However, the writing style is just not that good. The author never misses a chance to let the reader (the ignorant masses, I suppose) know how much he, the author, knows ... about just about everything, turning the read into a plodding effort. Further, too many of the interior monologues are just downright sappy, which eventually renders the protagonist to a cartoon character status.

Long and short, if you are well-read and with a wide reading interest, you are probably going to be bored fairly quickly.

Rating:
Summary: The Da Vinci Code disappoints
Review: After all the hyperbole surrounding The Da Vinci Code, I was expecting to read a well written, thoughtfully chacterized and enlightening book. In its favor it must be said that this novel is definitely a page-turner. The action is fast paced and there is lots of it. However, that is part of the problem. The action is so fast, and much of it so far fetched, that the story strays dangerously into the realm of the brainless "beach book" written with a movie version as its ultimate goal. The characters are very thinly drawn and virtually caricatures of themselves - the beautiful French woman, the dry and dreamy academic, the physically repulsive hit man, the overly English Englishman, the predictable red herring in the form of the tough French police officer - it all strains credulity. The language which Dan Brown puts in his characters' mouths does not ring true and detracts from what could have been a far more appealing book. There are some truly interesting ecclesiastical triviata, observations and theories in the story, but they are dished up with a pretentiousness which renders them indigestible. Dan Brown gives in to the temptation to lecture his readers far too often. The twists and turns in the plot are too predictable and tidy to be surprising and they are dressed up in somewhat patronising terms. I don't plan on giving any of the secrets away, but the sleight of hand with which the author neatly ties up his loose ends strays dangerously near to being laughable. Evidently a great deal of research went into the writing of the book and the underlying premise is both clever and fascinating, it is therefore a pity that an editor did not work with Mr. Brown to smooth out the presentation and make this the genuinely clever novel which it could have been.
If you are looking for an easy summer read then this fits the bill, but don't be taken in by the talk of true mysteries, religious controversy and academic puzzles. This is a reasonably entertaining thriller, nothing more.

Rating:
Summary: I fail to understand the hype...
Review: After all the media acclaim and recommendations from friends, I was really looking forward to reading this book. And was *sorely* disappointed. In the first place, I think Katherine Neville, Umberto Eco and others have dealt with the subject matter much more skillfully - not to mention coherently. And in the second place, I found it to be simply a poorly written novel. Yes, I admit that it's plot devices were entertaining but the book is one plot device after another with absolutely no character development. The novel's ending I found to be ridiculous and to render the entire novel pointless.

Rating:
Summary: Great Vacation Read
Review: After all the media hype, I couldn't wait to read this book. The story started out very intriguing, but lost its zest fairly early in its development. The ending was pretty obvious, but the path to get there was fast and fun. While Brown does a masterful job with the historical details and information (his supporting information is amazing), the plot and characters are not developed as well as I hoped. Also, the time frame of the story is very unrealistic.

This is a fun read, but not a book for easily offended Catholics, or any Christian for that matter. Great book for those fascinated with code breaking and Holy Grail mythology. It prompted me to do further reading on this subject! This book will definitly prompt readers to do some thinking about their own beliefs.

Rating:
Summary: my famous review of this famous book
Review: After fifty pages of "the famous vaulted ceilings of the Louvre" and "the famous parquet floors of the Louvre" (twice, if I'm not mistaken), and the famous this and the famous that, and of metaphors so grossly mixed that even a Cuisinart couldn't get them to hold together, I tossed this one onto the discard pile.

This is what passes for a smart thriller these days?