The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: An excellent thriller that never slows down
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a great thriller that is fast paced throughout never letting the reader relax for a second. Dan Brown's writing style is perfect for this kind of book. It is obvious that he has done a lot of research to complete this book, but at the same time he is able to tell a story so well put together with too many twists and turns to even mention. Though it may sound like a simple thing, Brown knows how to use cliffhangers. Almost every chapter ends with some vital information missing, so you must keep going to find out what happens. This is a book that should not be missed.

This thriller begins in Paris at the famous Louvre museum where a mysterious murder takes place. Two people, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and Police Cryptographer Sophie Neveu, are brought into the investigation. Soon, they are in way too deep with nowhere to go. They discover information about the Priory of Sion, a secret group who guards one of the Church's oldest secrets. I won't give anything away, but this book will make you think about the Holy Grail like you've never thought about it before. This book has it all; great story, well developed characters, plenty of twists and turns, and so much more. Do not miss the Da Vinci Code!

Rating:
Summary: Borrow rather than buy this book
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a mystery/suspense/thriller that seems to have been deemed "intellectual." While it is the former, it is not the latter and it ultimately fails to be much more than an intriguing idea. Still, like most books of this genre, it is an entertaining, easy to read page turner.

This is the story of Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor, and Sophie Neveu, agent of the French version of the FBI, as they seek to explain the murder of Neveu's grandfather and discover the secrets that he protected. The mystery revolves around the history of Christianity, secret organizations and complex riddles.

Although the idea behind the story is fascinating, there is not much to the book other than watching the characters gradually solve the mystery by solving a series of riddles. While the riddles they solve are interesting, it quickly begins to feel like you are watching some one do a crossword puzzle - you, the reader, are stumped by the clues, impressed by the solutions, but eventually bored as the characters fret over finding the answer before shouting, "I've got it!" over and over again.

There are other faults too. The protagonists are pursued throughout by police and enemies, but the police are more like Keystone Kops and the enemies too vague in purpose to be necessary. In fact without either there really is no conflict in the plot at all and it really is just two people trying to solve a riddle.

The strength of the book is the underlying premise - that there is more to the story of the history of Christianity than we know. However, even in this there are problems: once the subject of the mystery is revealed, the rest of the book no longer matters. Also, Brown mixes actual history with his own fiction. By not telling us where the dividing line is, we are robbed of learning any new, interesting historical theories. Certainly, much of intriguing history described is true, but which parts? Without knowing you have to dismiss most of it as fiction.

If you are interested in this genre, there are better books: Up Country, by Nelson DeMille, is a very good mystery being solved by a man and a woman thrown together in a foreign country, or some of David Morrell's books (Brotherhood of the Rose or Fraternity of the Stone) for religious thrillers. If you do decide to read this, borrow it or wait for paperback.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a non-stop, intellectually thrilling novel. For the first time this summer, I got to read a book that had some substance - some meat. Dan Brown writes a well-researched and well-developed story. It started quickly and held me until the very end. While the story was excellent, the religious background captivated me further - I even went online to learn more about the Priory of Scion, Leonardo da Vinci, and Mary Magdelene. I look forward to more Robert Langdon mysteries. Those who like Dan Brown's characters will also enjoy Nelson DeMille's Plum Island and The Lion's Game.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but for the wrong reasons
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a page-turner of a read that has created a storm of controversy which, undoubtedly, has in turn created a fat bank account for the author. And that's even before it becomes a movie, which it undoubtedly will.

As literature, however, the book can best be described as formulaic. The writing style is more than a tad wooden, and the protagonists careen from one narrow escape to the next. The author doesn't just foreshadow events, he all but rents billboards to announce them. Most amusing, those trying to unravel the puzzles and clues presented in the book are supposed to be skilled at cryptography and symbolism, but it took pages and pages for them to come up with the ancient word for wisdom. Hmmm. I guess they weren't quite as well schooled in those subjects as the author thought.

From a historical perspective, the key word to remember here is "fiction." A lot of the art history in the book is fascinating, and the author weaves in plenty of intriguing (though not necessarily accurate) tidbits about everything from the Knights Templar to Opus Dei. But many of his "revelations" are either nothing new or totally untrue. This is somewhat ironic, considering that several characters talk of the need to keep the story of the Holy Grail alive and accurate.

This is a great book on an airplane or at the beach--providing plenty of detail without slowing the pace. But when it comes to questions of faith or historical accuracy, I'll seek elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Page Turner, YES. Historically accurate, NO!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a perfect airplane book: not terribly well written, but a good read that keeps you engrossed for a short time. Its incredible popularity seems to be the result of a media blitz (some 10,000 advance copies were circulated to the media prior to its release -- an unprecedented number). However, Dan Brown's supposedly meticulous research is riddled with holes. Furthermore, his theories about Christianity and the Catholic Church are downright wrong -- and offensive, I might add. Others are simply lifted from the work of others. Perhaps he is jumping on the bandwagon of Church bashers left over from the recent abuse scandals involving priests. This book has been billed as a cerebral thriller that offers a history lesson to boot. This could not be further from the truth. There is little if any original information in The Da Vinci Code. Read this book if you must, but please do not substitute it for accurate Church history, art history and original philosophical theory. Instead, refer to real scholarly works -- NOT a work of fiction -- and then draw an informed conclusion. Dan Brown seems to have a virulent anti-Christian agenda, and it is about time people stood up and took notice of it.

Rating:
Summary: Territic thriller!
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a perfect summer read. The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways while historic connections weave everything together. I couldn't put this book down.

Rating:
Summary: A page-turning indictment of Christianity
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a polemic against Christianity in general and Roman Catholicism in particular. That said, and except for an annoying tendency to flip-flop between the odysseys of the Langdon/Neveu/Teabing characters on the one hand and the Bishop/Silas characters on the other, the pace of the action--the twists and turns-- leaves the reader breathless. Taken purely as a suspense novel, it's as good as it gets, and if Brown's subject matter had involved,say, a plot to defraud the Depository Bank of Zurich (an institution which plays a role in the plot)i.e. a variation of the traditional crime novel, this work would have rated five stars.

What a pity, then, that he chose instead to tilt at Christian windmills; in so doing, he simply subsitutes what he considers one myth (the divinity of Jesus Christ)for another (the "eternal feminine"--whatever that means, the Cult of Mary Magdalen,etc). Although it must be said in fairness that Brown does make reference to this very human cul-de-sac, his focus upon what he considers a male-dominated, testosterone-driven institution obsessed with retaining its power amounts to beating a dead horse. The "power" of The Church is yet another myth. Surely Brown should know that Christianity has been in headlong retreat at least since The Reformation (though some trace it even earlier, to William of Occam and the nominalist controversy).As to the accuracy and historicity of the facts marshalled in support of his worldview, I have my own ideas but will pass in silence except say that Brown knows nothing of the science of astronomy. At the end of the novel, he writes "...but to the east, a single point of light glowed brighter than any other....It was Venus".

On second thought,one need not be an astonomer to know that Venus first appears in the WEST!

Rating:
Summary: pure popcorn
Review: The Da Vinci Code is a real page-turner, in spite of its adjective-laden, high-school-creative-writing-class style, and I can see why its pseudo-religious goddess-worshipping "historical" background would be appealing to college students and others who seek justification for promiscuity and are unaware of the truths of history. There are a couple of thought-provoking nuggets hidden in the background, but they will probably be overlooked by most readers, either because they lack an understanding of early Jewish and Christian beliefs or because they are just caught up in an exciting story. The whole idea of a harmonious, goddess-loving, Nature-worshipping society existing before the formation of the Catholic Evil Empire is just ridiculous. Though some ancient philosophers did have ideas about "holy unions" and the sacredness of female procreative powers, and there were indeed active fertility cults throughout the ancient world (and a few today, though I think they mainly capitalize on the sexual aspects) the generally poor status and treatment of women in virtually every ancient society is proof enough that these beliefs were not widely held nor practiced. I imagine that Mr. Brown was not seriously presenting a world-view in his novel, but I fear that many will try to create one from some of his "facts."
Also distracting for me was the predictability of the plot - I knew who "The Teacher" was almost from the moment his named alter-ego was presented, and the many riddles and passwords were easy to figure out - and the ludicrous pacing. The implications for the future of the protagonists was annoyingly Hollywood-ized. True love in less than 24 hours, only in a Hollywood novel. The epilogue was also a laugh, though it did make me long to see Paris and the Louvre once again.
I can't believe there's enough here to make an even remotely believable movie out of, but then again, what is popcorn for?

Rating:
Summary: Everyone loves a conspiracy ...
Review: The da Vinci Code is a remarkable book - I litterally could not put it down, the plot was so gripping. The story revolves around an ancient secret society whose secret threatens the very foundations of Christianity and the Catholic church. Suspense and mystery ensue as the "da Vinci Code" is attempted to be broken.

In the midst of its gripping story line are fascinating nuggets of trivia ("the divine number" for example), allusions, double-entendres, histograms, puzzles, riddles and numerous twists and turns.

It has been quite a while since I have read a book that I have enjoyed as thoroughly as this. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: The Movie Could Be A Blockbuster
Review: THE DA VINCI CODE is a suspense thriller which at first glance seems to have all of the necessary ingredients for success. The plot includes ancient secrets, shadowy organizations, powerful people, the Holy Grail and even Mary Magdalene. The trouble is that the book is too long and padded with boring details.The story, however, does have the potential to be made into a blockbuster movie.