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Summary: Da Vinci Code is a Goose Chase
Review: Unfortunately, Mr. Cook is very good at puzzles and very poor at ending an otherwise good story. If you have a liberal arts degree, or have read literature instead of pop culture story tellers much of your life, don't read this book. Well, at least only read it until the last ten pages then throw it across the room (to paraphase Dorothy Parker). That way you'll at least get more pleasure than waiting until after the last ten pages when you are so dissatisfied that you throw the book at a nice vase in your house. You will get all hot and bothered expecting a real, insightful, clever and satisfying ending. Instead you'll feel like someone got you all hot and bothered...then threw you into a cold shower.
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Summary: Dan Brown Has Cracked the Code
Review: Unless you've been living on another planet for the past year, you probably already know that 'The Da Vinci Code' is the hottest book of the past several years. You should also know that even though he has a generic name, Dan Brown is no ordinary writer. More on that in a moment.You probably already know the story, but here we go anyway: Robert Langdon is a Harvard professor specializing in historical symbols and their meaning. Langdon is in Paris on business when he receives an urgent phone call from the curator of the Louvre. The curator has been murdered, but has left a cipher behind. The cipher leads Langdon and French cryptologist Sophie Neveu on a wild chase to discover the meaning of a series of strange messages and clues, the revealing of which carry implications that would shock the world. I want to address two issues: First, in the hands of a lesser writer, 'The Da Vinci Code' would be a ridiculous, almost laughable work of fiction. The novel contains several scenes early on in which, were Brown not so talented, readers would close the book and chuckle. But Brown is talented AND smart. He handles his characters and their situations expertly. Smart readers won't believe just anything, and Brown obviously knows that. But Brown's powers of persuasion and believability are put to good use. Brown has the ability to tackle a subject in a way that few other writers could ever conjure up. Second, (Minor spoilers follow) apparently some religious groups have been offended by the content and implications of the book. I knew that going in, but tried to be as objective as possible. Could I see how someone could be offended by the book? Yes. Was I, as a Christian, offended? No, I was not. The reason I was not offended by the implications of the book are the same reasons why I would not be offended if someone told me that the sky is green or that trees can drive cars down the highway. I saw the book as a work of fiction, and a very impressive one. Dan Brown can write, no doubt about it. But don't take my word for it. Crack the code with Dan and find out for yourself.
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Summary: Pure fun...and a great page turner !
Review: Unlike many readers, I honestly didn't have any problem letting go of history and embracing the fun of this *fictional* story. Dan Brown was not attempting to write a historical document, nor was he trying to rewrite art history. He wrote a mystery, full of suspense and drama. By using commonly known works, Brown makes this story much more accesible to most readers. I enjoyed this very-readable book...but I also didn't expect it to be documented historical fact. If read with a light heart and a spirit of fiction, this is a terrific read.
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Summary: Mystery of Mysterys
Review: Unlike many reviews I found the book quite compelling.Mystery, Crytography and riddles throughout kept your mind busy.With a plot of religious background it makes this quite a thinking person's novel. I strongly recommend it and will look forward to reading his other books.
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Summary: Good thriller, bad history
Review: Unquestionably entertaining to the average reader, this novel sadly presents only a popular rehash of old ideas, taken mostly from "The Holy Blood, the Holy Grail" and more extreme speculations of feminism. From among the usual host of heroes and villains (the Templars, Prieure de Sion, Leonardo, the Gnostics, etc., etc.), only the UFOs are missing. Enjoy but do not believe it!
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Summary: Educational page turner!
Review: Using the info found in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and other Rennes-le-Chateau material (and taking the names Sauniere and Bezu for 2 of his main characters), Brown has crafted a Crichton-esque page-turner, that also balances our 1500+ (not 2000 as he points out) year patriarchal religious bent with a (it seems to me, more natural) goddess-worship view of religion.
Lots to learn (and the author doesn't invent it, type in "Rennes-le-Chateau" in Google for an eye-opener) while page-turning furiously (I read it on Metro escalators). Far from coming across as "atheistic" or one-sided, Dan Brown presents a balanced, sympathetic view (maybe a tad condescending, coming from the perspective that the Grail material is in fact, true) of conventional Christian belief.
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Summary: Great!
Review: Very captivating book, a total must read. Brown did a wonderful job of entertwining history, speculation, and fiction to make a very interesting and thought provoking book.
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Summary: Intriguing plot ... disappointing novel
Review: Very disappointing political/religious thriller based on a controversial and intriguing hypothesis. A predictable plot line with just a few surprising turns had me to the point of dropping the book altogether several times. Very weak support for some of the, potentially, juicier claims and total ignorance of the inner workings of the Roman Catholic Church. For anyone interested in the subject I would much rather recommend "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" which - despite its sensationalistic treatment of the matter - does indeed raise some interesting questions.
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Summary: Brilliant
Review: Very grasping religious suspense. Dan Brow is my second best after Jean Christophe Grangé.
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Summary: poor men ludlum
Review: very interesting historical background whether true or not.. but the plot with all the twists and turns (most of which very predictable) reminded me of ludlum's books which I stopped reading ages ago
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