Rating: 
Summary: Good idea--amateurish writing
Review: No, I'm not here to comment on any aspect of Brown's treatment of Christianity. When I read this book, I was merely looking for a gripping historical novel. Unfortunately, this book fell far short of the mark. The major weakness is Brown's unaccomplished writing. He displays just about every habit of a poor writer: characters tend to overreact to obvious events, the author feels compelled to explain every simple idea to the reader, unnecessary excuses for necessary plot elements (e.g., French characters speaking English) are introduced repeatedly, the author attempts to create tension through the tired cliche of ending each chapter with a pseudo-cliffhanger ("she couldn't believe what she was witnessing!") which is resolved later in the book, the dialogue is stilted, and so on. Even the main theme of the book (obvious from the start), which is intrisically interesting regarless of your religion (or lack thereof), cannot overcome the author's incompetent writing. To be fair to Brown he does seem to have researched this book, but he just didn't have the skill to put it all together.
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Summary: pseudo-intellectualism run amok
Review: none of the theories in this book would have any credibility if not artificially given some in the voice of a make believe professor from Harvard. Put aside that illusion when you read: Dan Brown will never be a Harvard professor, he is only a kooky and overly excitable author wishing he could be one. Add some overinterpretation and wild speculation (e.g. a REAL secret society exists... and therefore their purpose is to protect the grail and have wild orgies? Anyone who has been exposed to real secret societies knows that they are the most boring organizations in the world) and cookie cutter characters, and you can spin 450 pages worth of incredulous plot twists and escapes from the police who are always one step too late. If you like this mix of fiction and intellectualism, try Umberto Eco, or even Sophie's world: at least they are not intellectually dishonest, and are much better written.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant and Engaging
Review: Normally I am not much for books on bestseller lists but this one intrigued me.Dan Brown most certainly did his homework with this book. His details are so exacting. I found myself actually getting up and cross-referencing some information in the book, which 90% of the time...seemed to be right on the money. This is a smart book that could have taken a turn into the world of hack-writers like Grisham but didn't. You get the sense that Dan Brown really wants to write these for the sake of writing and because the subject matter truly interests him. He gives enough detail so that you can visualize where you are and what you are looking at but not too much so as you cannot use your imagination as far as the characters go. As I said,I usually stick to classics but the intrigue and the subject matter made me give it a whirl and I wasn't sorry at all...I am always telling other people to read it. I found it that compelling. Cheers!
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Summary: The single best murder mystery I have ever read
Review: Normally I am not the type to read murder mysteries, I generally read non-fiction. But someone at work read this, they told a few people how incredible it was, they told a few more and eventually I read it. I read it over Labor Day weekend while camping and I suggest you find similar down time because once you pick this up you will NEVER want to put it down.
This book puts into question everything we grew up learning and teaches you a few interesting things you never knew. I highly recommend this book to anybody, no matter what type of book you like to read.
I cannot say enough about how good this book is!
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Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: Normally I don't like mystery novels but this one was really good. I couldn't put it down. Just when you think it couldn't get any better, it does!
It's about Robert Langdon. He's a Harvard professor of symbology. When in Paris on business he gets an urgent late-night phone call. A curator has been murdered inside the Louvre and by the body, a code he wrote before he died which includes the words "Find Robert Langdon". The police assume that this means that Robert killed him. With the help of the curator's cryptologist granddaughter he deciphers the code (slowly but surely). One code leads them to another, so on and so forth. Soon, they discover the curator was a member of the Priory of Sion - a real secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo and Da Vinci. This society was rumored to know where the Holy Grail is.
I'd tell you more but I might ruin it.
It's a very exciting book.
Even if you, like me, aren't a fan of mystery novels, you should read this. It's very good.
I suggest you read it's prequel, Angels & Demons, first.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad for a non-science fiction...
Review: Normally, I don't like thrillers and such, but I have to honestly admit that I found this book more than OK. I found no problem with it, even though I tend to like science fiction and cyberpunk books such as "Foundation", "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "Childhood's End", "Neuromancer", "Cryptonomicon", "Darkeye: Cyber Hunter", etc
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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.
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Summary: Newly among my top 10 favorites!
Review: Not being much for thrillers, I was hesitant to start reading this book. After the first few chapters, I was riveted and couldn't put it down! The premise of the plot is the search for the murderer of the curator of the Louvre who was found under extremely suspicious conditions. It takes off from there into a story filled with riddles, ciphers, and twists in the search for the Holy Grail. While most people think of the Grail as the cup from which Jesus drank at the last supper (as did I), in this tale, the supposition is quite surprising. You will learn much about gnosticism, Leonardo DaVinci's works, and goddess worship while you're trying to decipher the clues that lead to the murderer. More than anything, the story of the Knights Templar, the Opus Dei (both religious organizations), and the search for the lost goddess kept me turning the pages. I can't recommend this captivating novel enough. After thinking that it would be nothing special, it's now among my top 10 favorite books - and I read a lot!
Rating:
Summary: Alluring, fascinating and great at cocktail parties!
Review: Not being typically inclined to read murder mysteries, I was hesitant to read this book and ultimately lured in by its surrounding controversy and the 46 weeks it's been on the bestseller list. I must say, overall, I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the originality and suspense of the novel. I enjoyed the short cliffhanger chapters because they left a sense of suspense at every turn and seamlessly invited the reader to further become immersed in all aspects of the plot. I did feel that sometimes the turn of events in the story were predictable and (dare I say) cliché, but the fascinating symbolism and cryptic messages more than made up for any minor flaws in plot. The character development of both Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu had depth and sincerity, though the love interest sub-plot between the two was trite and unbearably inevitable. I did enjoy the subtle development and insight into Bezu Fache, who not only serves as the catalyst for the action, but also arouses suspicion
leaving the reader with an uneasy sense of distrust and ambiguity toward the character. He is a modern day Javert from Les Miserables, which is all the more fascinating to think about considering Victor Hugo is mentioned as, at one time, being a predominant member of The Priory of Sion. As for the controversy, it seemed to me that the book made efforts to acknowledge the true and profound meaning of faith while bluntly acknowledging, as any historian will agree to, that the history we learn in school may be slightly askew from the truth. Look at how Columbus Day has turned from a celebration of discovery to an awkward day for elementary school teachers and a great weekend to buy a car! In short, the novel is nothing to get your rosary beads in a knot over and I say that not in a heathenish way, but instead as an educated and devout Christian myself, unscathed by adversity and already aware of my "goddess" status.
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: Not much I can say that hasn't already been said. The great thing about this book is that it's one of those books that gets you excited about reading and the subject material. After reading this book I wanted to get my hands on anything related to Da Vinci and Jesus Christ's origins that I could. It ultimately led me to read several other books and watch a bunch of TV specials just try and recapture the enjoyment I got from reading it.
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