Rating: 
Summary: Captivating Thriller!!!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a beautifully written novel that is carefully, yet perfectly intertwined and pieced together. Its plot is fascinating and captivating; I found it extremely difficult to put the book down. When Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is called to a crime scene to help investigate the murder of an elderly curator of the Louvre, he doesn't know what he's gotten himself into. Langdon soon finds himself mixed up in a muddle of puzzles and enigmas with cryptologist, and granddaughter of the curator, Sophie Neveu. But nothing is as it seems after the discovery of this curator's membership in a clandestine brotherhood, the Priory of Sion, is unveiled. This ancient brotherhood holds an ultimately powerful, historical secret which is desired by more than just Neveu and Langdon. In a battle of wits against an unknown powerbroker who hasn't ceased to track them flawlessly, the pair struggle throughout Paris and beyond to uncover some of history's most prestigious riddles. Clearly The Da Vinci Code is a novel in which no one can pass up the opportunity to read. It was one of my personal favorite books that I've read.
This particular novel is rich and overflowing with knowledge. I love to read books in which I learn a lot of interesting facts without knowing it. This was certainly one of those books. The Da Vinci Code drew me in as a reader and wouldn't let me back out, which is another quality in books that I love. The main source of this quality comes from the fascinating story plot, as well as the writing style. During the journey throughout the novel, the reader feels a sense of being in the dark constantly. Naturally, one feels that when in the dark, they need to keep reading and reading until they're back in the light. This is precisely what happened to me, and most of my peers who read it. The continuous mysteries, shocking exposures, and baffling riddles keeps the reader drawn in throughout the course of this novel. These are all the reasons why The Da Vinci Code is not only a book I'd recommend to anyone my age or older, but it is also a novel in which I found few flaws.
Rating: 
Summary: The Da Vinci Nonsense
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a BRAINWASHING BOOK, BEWARE!!!! This author has a large lack of christian history and knowledge, as well as not having a hint of how is the Louvre Museum and the city of Paris. The author at least should have taken a tourist map of Paris to help his writing but this is not the case since he has created his own imaginary Paris and a godless novell. But of course, there is nothing much to spect from a fictional book that talks about controversial themes which makes it a bestseller. The author could have done a great work, but he missed the opportunity.
Rating:
Summary: A Cryptex in Its Own Right
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a brilliant masterpiece which cleverly combines history, religion, and modern times, and ties them together in a speedy thriller.
It begins when a renowned symbologist named Robert Langdon is called to the scene of a crime in the Paris Louvre museum. He is told he was brought here so he can decipher a puzzle made with the body of the curator.
Robert is shocked because of this alone but withing minutes he is racing away from the police he just helped.
At the same, time he is learning of a dark secret which is slowly binding him to a conspiracy with the least likely person at its head.
Wonderful book which I recommend for anyone older than 9
Rating: 
Summary: Clever, but Not Quite Clever Enough
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a clever piece of clockwork, but with a little more thought and ingenuity it could have been even more clever. The riddles are the best part of it, but the characters take far too long to figure them out. And sometimes the answers are of the "D'oh!" kind that would make any reader with average intelligence slap his or her forehead and moan, "I should have guessed!" It's rather like working a Washington Post crossword puzzle, where the clues are hidden by ambiguity and misdirection rather than true obscurity.About midway through the novel, I started to see at least some of the plot twists coming several pages away. (I spotted one twist very early on, and then had to wait until almost the end of the book to have it confirmed.) "Historical accuracy" in a pop thriller isn't really to be expected, but there was a lot of, at best, sloppy and careless thinking in the supposed historical background. For just one example: the most fanatical and murderous obsession with "witches" and the most determined attacks on the feminine principle in religion came from the Protestant lands, including England - the Inquisition had very little to do with that. (Brown should have read Robert Graves and Joseph Campbell as well as his sensationalist pro-Templar sources.) There is also a further level of enigma that could have been laid on the mystery. Casual reading suggests that the dying man failed to name his killer because he did not know who was responsible. Yet a further reading of the clues he left suggests that he DID point an accusing finger...but we are never told how he could have figured it out, because by then the story was being rushed to its conclusion and details were being brushed aside.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: The Da Vinci code is a fascinating fictional interpretation of the history of Catholicism and the actuality of the Holy Grail. The only way one can love this book is to not take it completely literally but to read it for what it is as a whole and allow yourself to be absorbed into its story which really is classified as fiction. It's not so much an attack on the Catholic church as simply a different perspective from a theory claiming that the lifestyle of Jesus and the actions of the Catholic church in the past may not have been as we thought. It is definitely worthy of the wave of attention it has brought about and is highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Over hyped thriller.
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a fast paced, fun thriller that was most definitely designed for the silver screen. It is crystal clear that Dan Brown seemed to have movie in mind as he wrote the book. Marked by very short chapter lengths of 1-5 pages, the story moves out quickly and seems ready made for movie adaptation. I did find the short chapters to be tiresome. The plotline, putting aside the unique angle of the Holy Grail, is cookie cutter. Character development is one-dimensional and predictable. It is worth saying that there is a lot of hype about this book because the tale of the Holy Grail was weaved into it. There is nothing new or earth shattering in what the author presents on the Holy Grail, Knights Templar, or Mary Magdalene. Dan Brown breaks no new ground on the religious and historical fronts. But he does a fair job of mining existing works on the Holy Grail in producing this book. There are those in Christian circles who are concerned with this book because it purports that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and produced offspring (and that there are direct descendants living among us even today) among the many heretical topics presented in the book. Those in certain Christian circles are worried that the many readers who are not familiar with Grail mythology might question their faith as a result of being exposed to these ideas. These ideas are nothing new. Why try to run away from them or discourage others to not read it? My retort is simple. If ideas contrary to your beliefs or understanding of your faith's pillars threaten your faith, you may not have a true faith.
Rating:
Summary: Very Rich in Plot And Interesting Research!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a fast-paced, exciting thriller that will hold your interest from the opening pages to the final page. Brown, in his latest thriller, starts you off with a vicious murder in the Louvre and takes you on a search for the Holy Grail. What makes The Da Vinci Code several levels above the average thriller is Brown's ability to use the impeccable research he did to provide a fascinating interpretation of Western history and to describe historical events that are as interesting as the suspenseful murder investigation itself. I think that if you can put aside whatever your strong personal beliefs are about "the Truth" and not take the book too seriously, you'll consider The Da Vinci Code to be among the most interesting and entertaining novels you've read in a long time. The one flaw in this book for me -- and it's a very minor one -- is that Brown could have been more descriptive about the physical appearances of the hero and heroine to enable you to have good picture in your mind about what they looked like. I highly recommend The Da Vinci Code to you. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Langdon is no Indiana Jones
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a fun, obscure facts-filled read. This is one very entertaining novel. I didn't give this book a five-star review because I felt that the characters could have been more fully developed. I could never feel any identification with any of them. As a reader, I like to be touched emotionally by the characters in a novel, especially the main protagonist. Robert Langdon appears just too Milquetoast for my liking. The story, however, was captivating and exciting. If you would like to get into a character in an action thriller, check out EVIL, BE GONE (available on Amazon.com) by Robert John Estko. John "Lilly" Lelankevitch may very well be the next Jason Bourne, Jack Ryan or Jack Reacher. Lilly is a hero with psychological struggles that call out for your empathy.
Rating:
Summary: Da Vinci Would have Written it Better
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a good story. If it had been better written it could have been a great book. However, to my mind, the author took a deep subject and glossed over so much interesting material, it felt as though he were writing a screen play. I could almost see Harrison Ford reprising his Nevada Jones role with a shallow, red headed bimbo instead of a blond one. That isn't fair to the female character who is, of course, brilliant as well as beautiful. Since the book is all about the female as a religious power it seemed a poor way to treat the female protagonist.
It really is a good story. The author has taken an arcane subject with numerous dimensions and woven a good tale. He has a good imagination. Unfortunately, he is not a good enough writer to turn his good story into a great book. His characters are flat and pretty much the usual fare. It could have been a Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, probably much better. These books use a lot of the same imagery and historical/mystical metaphor. Nicolas Flamel, who invented the Philosophers Stone in Harry Potter, turns out to have been a one time Grand Master of the Knights Templar or Priory of Sion from 1398-1418. Other Grand Masters were Botticelli, Da Vinci and Isaac Newton.
I was disappointed, after all the hype, but what else is new? Dan Brown turned a fascinating subject into a glossy bit of frippery and left an ending that is clearly designed to allow for a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Remember it's FICTION!!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a great suspense novel!! It was hard to put down. However, as to the validity of the ideas in the book, I have many doubts. His "research", using other books as sources, was extensive. Did he do any of his own ORIGINAL research? Did he try to verify the findings in these other books? It seems today that anyone can get anything published. Just because something is in a book, it DOES NOT mean it is true. The book states "The Bible is a product of man. ... and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book." (p. 231). The "secret documents" guarded by the Priory of Sion were also written by men, and therefore were were most likely influenced by the writters' political and religous beliefs.
Take the book for what it is a fun and exciting adventure.
|
