Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!!!!
Review: This was the best book I have read in years. For those that fall for the myths that only the Bible is true and fact, would be outraged by what is told in this story, but this only is because of the narrowminds. There is more out there that we don't understand and are not told in church. The mystery of this novel gave me insight to so much more that I yearned to research more. I loved it and will look forward to more like this.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Book!!!!
Review: This was the first book I've read by Dan Brown and I loved it. It took me less than a week to finish it. Whether or not everything was historically accurate to the letter wasn't important to me-rather, I found the ideas presented to be intriguing, even if some literary license was used.Any open-minded person will enjoy this book. However, if you are close-minded and not open to different interpretations of religious doctrine, don't read this book-it will only upset you. I'm already reading my second D. Brown novel, Angels and Demons, and can hardly put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Good who-dun-it
Review: This was the first Dan Brown book I read. It's great. His weaving of fiction with non-fiction is excellent. There were excellent twists in the story and the final realization of who the bad guy was really suprised me.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, Interesting Summer Read
Review: This was the first Dan Brown book that I've read and it reminded me a lot of early Crichton where an exciting story is written over a base of research into an unusual and/or interesting field. In this case, the factual basis deals in the interrelation between art, symbology and religion over the span of history. It comes together in an intriguing conspiracy theory about the Christian church that reaches back all the way to its origin. NOTE: I'm not certifying the validity of any of the facts asserted in the book - I wish that the author had included a full preface or afterword with more information on where fact and fiction meet in this case. The book reads like an entertaining screenplay - the story unfolds immediately and is paced very well, characters are well-defined, and the dialogue is believable and natural. All in all, it's very hard to put down until you're finished. One final word of caution to the reader - if you're a devout Christian, this may not be the book for you. The underlying conspiracy is out-and-out heresy and the description of how the Catholic church has always been fundamentally intertwined with elements of paganism may make some uncomfortable. For my two cents, I felt that these topics were treated without prejudice and I would recommend that anyone who is upset by the assertions further in the book research them on their own. Top-notch quick Summer reading. I'm sure that this one is on a fast-track at some movie studio right now.
Rating:
Summary: OHMYGOD!
Review: This was the most fun I have had reading a book in a long time. A really tightly written murder mystery wrapped in an enigma. Great characters, fast action (454 pages and most of the story takes place in about 18 hours), plot twists to make your head spin, Art, Religion, History . . . Sorry, I have to get back to reading it AGAIN!
Rating:
Summary: Religion and mystery combined
Review: This was the ultimate read for me. Religion and symbology combined to make an exciting cluefinding adventure...and I even figured out some of the clues! This book contains so much information from books that I have studied over the years; I commend the author for his obvious extensive research and fact-finding. It's always a pleasure to read fiction based on fact. Read it yourself and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Umberto Eco for Dummies
Review: This was Umberto's "Foucault's Pendulum" light. There are stories of the Templars, ancient secrets protected over thousands of years, but there is no depth or weight. I would compare this book to reading the back flap of "Lempriere's Dictionary" by Norfolk, which is a much better read and would take about the same time too.
Rating:
Summary: Holy crap, people, it's FICTION! *spoiler*
Review: This wasn't the best book I've ever read, but being a college student and having facts and figures stuffed into my head day in and day out, an easy read was definitely welcome. I agree that the character development and dialogue are sub-par, but the book was hard to put down and fascinating, regardless of how accurate it is. However, I never got the impression that the author was trying to prove any of the theories in his book to be fact. Did it ever occur to any of the "art historians" or Dr. So and So's that the point of Mr. Brown's research may have been strictly to accurately portray an existing theory, not necessarily prove said theory? That perhaps Mr. Brown simply found the Holy Grail theory interesting and thought it would make for a good story? Lighten up! He wasn't writing an anthropology book, it's FICTION, and fiction involves unrealistic situations and half truths. If people can't figure that out, that's their problem, not the author's. If people are losing their faith over this book, then obviously their faith was not that strong to begin with. I fail to see how this book is a bash on Christianity. The idea that the Catholic Church as an institution has been wrong and made mistakes in the past is no secret (placing Galileo under house arrest for promoting a slightly more accurate model of the universe, for example). The idea of Jesus being married isn't that much of a stretch, since 30 y/o single men were a rare phenomenon in Jewish society during Jesus' lifetime. The author is not stating that Christianity should be destroyed. While the Grail theory presented in the book would certainly create upheaval in real life, in the novel the Priory decides not to release any information to the public. If Dan Brown truly hated Christianity or the Catholic Church, you would have seen its downfall in the book. To sum up my rant, this is a shallow, easy but fun read, not to be taken literally (or seriously) because it's FICTION. Enjoy it for what it is.
Rating: 
Summary: if there were a paint-by-numbers thriller...
Review: This would be it. There's even an albino assassin. Basically this is the worst load of cliched, hyped tripe I've ever read...if you're looking for a summer beach novel, Nelson DeMille does it well. If you're looking for a novel to keep on your shelf to remind you that you can write a better one, this is it. Seriously, I think this is the worst thriller novel I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Page-Turner of the Year
Review: This would have to be my favorite book this year. It's an expert mix of suspense and meticulously researched facts. The Da Vinci Code starts at a rapid pace and never lets up, from the first chapter to the last word of the epilogue, the Da Vinci Code digs in and doesn't let go.
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