Rating: 
Summary: A Historically Flawed Thesis by Another Conspiracy Theorist.
Review: Perhaps one of the factors that has contributed to this book's appeal is that many modern day readers are more than a little anxious to free themselves of Jesus, and Dan Brown appears to be leading the crusade.The underlying premise of the book is that by identifying subtle messages hidden in the art of Leonardo DaVinci, one can uncover the shocking truth about Christ and a devious plot devised by the Catholic Church to call Jesus "Divine" and thereby prevent the true worship of the "Divine Feminine." Although a gifted artist and inventive genius, you have to keep in mind that Leonardo Davinci was a tormented, emotionally unstable, and reclusive man who distrusted society in general. The illigitimate son of an Italian notary and rumored homosexual, he was twice brought up on charges of sodomy by local communities, and very often at odds with the hierarchy because of incompleted projects and his unusual experiments on human corpses. (Even if some hidden message in his art revealed DaVinci's anger with the hierarchy of that period, you'd have to ask yourself if it had any true religious significance.) Second, I am still trying to understand why Brown was so shocked to discover so many cups on the table in Leonardo's painting of the Last Supper, or why this fact led him to the conclusion that Mary Magdalene was the Holy Grail. Leonardo rightfully shows that a typical Jewish Passover meal has a lot of cups, and that the Holy Grail was probably of modest design with no markings to distinguish it from any of the other cups on the table. Nothing more. Third, Brown's claim that historical searches for the Holy Grail were actually the efforts of secret societies to locate the sacred bones of Mary Magdalene was silly -- but his attempt to read goddess propoganda into Disney cartoons was even sillier. Fourth, the Council at Nicea did not suddenly conspire to teach that Jesus was divine -- but to find suitable words to describe that mystery. The apostles preached the message of Jesus as God from the beginning of Christian history,("In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"). Even in the writings of Pliny, a Roman persecutor of Christians, you will find further evidence, "..they worshipped Christ as if he was a god." Finally, when I read Brown's statement that the Catholic Church burned over five million women as witches, and that the arches in Gothic Cathedral architecture represent the private parts of a goddess, I wanted to stop -- but read on to the book's very weak and predictable ending. I am at a loss to understand why anyone with a reasonable grip on reality would find this book remotely fascinating.
Rating: 
Summary: Where is all the hype coming from?
Review: Perhaps the buildup was too great, but certainly my experience with this novel doesn't begin to match the wild acclaim that heralded its arrival. Every turn of the page disappointed me more. Mr. Brown has obviously hit a chord with some people, so for that I applaud him. But is his novel an intelligent page-turner? Not in my opinion, it wasn't. This book is written at a junior high level at best. For me, the final straw came with the unveiling of a certain coded message (I won't spoil the story by being more specific). I recognized it instantly as a child's secret code. If you ever owned a decoder ring, I'm sure you'll be able to figure out this code in a heartbeat, even though Mr. Brown's brilliant Harvard professor, and English historian both had trouble. Mr. Brown assumes that we must be told everything, and I do mean everything. Despite the characters' supposedly rich intellectual backgrounds, they are forced to ask the most simplistic questions for reasons of exposition. Though the premise is intriguing -- or could be in the right hands -- if you're looking for something to exercise your gray matter, I'm sorry to say this isn't the book to do it.
Rating: 
Summary: A great read!
Review: Pick this up if you want to get hooked from page one - the intrigue begins with the first sentence. The pages turn quickly and the consistency of the fascination with each character continues through each page. Pick this book up if you're looking for a book that has a great plot and engaging characters written in a very interesting style. Pick this book up because once you do you cannot put it down!
Rating:
Summary: It's FICTION Folks...FICTION!
Review: Plain and simple...This book is a FICTION novel my friends. There's no need to take offense to a novel written based on false ideas. As for the story, WOW! This thing was spectacular! I could not put it down. It starts off a bit slow (The first 80 or so pages), but then really gets going. You gotta get this thing. Best book I have read in years!
Rating:
Summary: This book is TERRIBLE
Review: Please don't waste your time with this book. It's just so lame. The characters are barely there--names on a page. The plot is lamer than lame. Embarrassing. Horrifying to see how many people like this book. Read the Name of the Rose if you want to read about Christianity in a fun way. Read anything but this book. The codes are not that hard to figure out except for one that involves another language. The book is totally pseudo-intellectual. I don't understand why people think it's good. Really baffling.
Rating:
Summary: Awful Pap! actually 0.5 of a star...
Review: Poor storytelling that copies/plagerizes everything from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Heat just not as well and certainly with no disguise.
Not sure if catholic bashing is a sport yet but Brown certainly pushed the envelope. Very predictable and very corny - great possibilities but never got off the ground. The characters are horrible stereoypical that I would be suprised if this makes it to a B movie at best. A dis-service to the material for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Drivel
Review: Poorly written drivel with a plot full of holes
(The discussion of the clues on the private plane ride from Versailles to Kent took longer than the flight itself takes, approx 35 min. It takes longer to read the chapter than the flight)
The riddles and clues are amusing but still don't add up to the truth and the time frame of the story (basically 24+ hours) is not believable.
Junk for the gullible
Rating:
Summary: Robustly corny hootfest
Review: Practically unreadable, this overhyped chuckleworthy book seems to parody the genre. Every paragraph is packed with cliches, and every aspect of the novel, from characterization to plot to language, has a wide silly streak. Read aloud to provoke a giggle fit.
The above may sound mean-spirited, and is partially a reaction to the disconnect between the quality of this book and avid, glowing reviews from Salon and the New York Times (both by film critics; what's up with that? Do film critics not normally read?).
If this sentence from an early chapter sounds "gleefully erudite" (jesus h, Janet Maslin!) to you, you'll probably love the Da Vinci Code:
"One mile away, the hulking albino named Silas limped through the front gate of the luxurious brownstone residence on Rue la Bruyere."
Hulking, limping albinos! Always an excellent choice when selecting an assassin.
Rating:
Summary: If you Take You Religion Seriously...
Review: Prepare to find many revelations and statements in "The Da Vinci Code' to be scandalous or just downright heretic. But remember...ITS FICTION! Though based on some fact, the book is a work of fiction, making presumptions based on the facts author Dan Brown researched. But reading these presumptions and analyzing them is in the books' fun, as well as being a ming-boggling, multi-layered suspense thriller, ripe with conspiracy, chases, high-technology and well-drawn characters. Robert Langdon is a American symbologist in Paris on business when he is wrongly fingered for the late night murder of the curator of the Louve, and goes on the run with a french cyptographer Sophie Neveu, the grandaughter of the curater. What follows are downright brilliant puzzles and conundrums expertly designed by Dan Brown involving not only clues clverly hiden in Da Vinci's paintings but also hidden ancient symbolism in many modern religious marks and even secular culture. It all points to a startling revelation about what the Holy Grail actually is, a far cry from the wooden chalice of lore. Brown writes the book at a breakneck pace, with barely a single chapter over a couple of pages, enhacing the effect. Not to mention the father you get into "The Da Vinci Code," the more you absolutely have to read. Even if you don't buy into the books' laments on modern religion, "The Da Vinci Code" is utterly compulsive reading.
Rating:
Summary: Three recommendations
Review: Prior to reading the DA VINCI CODE, I have three strong recommendations. First, read Brown's DEMONS AND ANGELS. In DEMONS AND ANGELS, Brown introduces the main character -- Robert Langston, the Harvard professor. The reader will have clearer insight into Langston character develop. In fact, the DAVINCI CODE begins the day after DEMONS AND ANGELS ends. Second, find a copy of the Mona Lisa on the Internet. There is a URL that offers the contrast within the context of Brown's framework (da Vinci's smile/Mona Lisa's smile). My friends who have read the DA VINCI CODE and have seen the constrast have developed a renewed appreciation for da Vinci's artistry. Third, find a copy of the da Vinci's The Last Supper that enables you to enlarge it. You'll need to revisit it several times while reading this great novel. As a child, I have seen The Last Supper more times that I can count. However, while reading THE DAVINCI CODE, I developed fresh perspective and a deeper appreciation for this masterpiece. Like DEMONS AND ANGELS, THE DAVINCI CODE offers a series twists and turns that evolve into a series of difficult to predict outcomes. The common question for this type of novel becomes, "who did it?" The reader enters a struggle to uncover "who did it." prior to the writer revealing the details. I was totally taken off guard. Brown is able to effectively distract the readerby bringing in a series of highly plausible evil doers. In fact, reading DEMONS AND ANGELS first offers the basis for additional suspects. The most thrilling aspect of this book is Brown's style. Brown is a crafty writer who has the ability to take the reader to another place. I was so absorbed, I lost track of time and forgot where I was. Brown's vividness creates pictured in my mind -- making me forget that I am reading a book and creating the feeling that I am writing a great film.
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