Rating: 
Summary: A Borrowed Idea, So-So Writing, and a Gaping Plot Hole.
Review: As other reviews have pointed out, the basic foundation for this novel is taken straight from the idea that the Holy Grail is actually Mary Magdalene in her role as Jesus's wife, carrying his child. Brown adds nothing new to this legend (which is covered in detail in the book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," by Michael Baigent, et al), but uses it as the stage upon which his characters act out their parts. The plot for the "Da Vinci Code" revolves around exposing some secret documents that will prove the legend true. Unfortunately, the action is more Keystone Cops than adventure-thriller, and the writing is a bit tortuous in places. One thing an author owes his readers is to make sure the plot devices work. In this aspect, Brown fails miserably. Central to the story is a gadget designed by Da Vinci called a "cryptex." It is a hollow cylinder (picture a tennis ball can) made of several cylindrical sections, each engraved with a series of letters. The whole thing is held together in a mechanism so that the individual sections can rotate like a giant bicycle combination lock. When the letters are aligned to a particular secret word, the device can be opened and the contents extracted. Inside is a parchment scroll with the hidden information. As it turns out, vinegar quickly dissolves parchment; so to safeguard against anyone just smashing the cryptex, the parchment is wrapped around a glass vial of vinegar. Smash the cryptex, the vial breaks, the parchment dissolves, and the secret message is lost. Much of the plot is built around attempts to decipher the code on the cryptex so it can be safely opened. At various times in the novel, both the hero and villain have full possession of the cryptex, and engage in odysseys and research to try to figure out the code. There is, however, a far easier solution than unscrambling the cylinders or smashing the cryptex. All one would have to do is take a Dremel power tool with a small circular saw on it, and cut through the cylinders without breaking the vial within (a more high-tech solution would be to cut it open with a laser). Why the "brilliant" characters never thought of this is a plot hole the Louvre could fall through. But then, had they thought of it, the book would have been over far (and mercifully) sooner.
Rating: 
Summary: Not your typical 'Who done it?' ...
Review: As previously mentioned, "The Da Vinci Code" is not your typical "Who done it?" novel. Well researched and expertly written, the book presents an age-old religious secret under the guise of a tantalizing mystery. Definitely not an easy book to put down, the twists and turns wind you toward the solution, which is not as easy to figure out as some reviewers will have you believe. Of course, that is a relative statement. ;) I highly recommend this work to anyone wishing to take an exciting journey through the pages of a book, which will exercise also their mind. I might also recommend "Angels & Demons," the first of Mr. Brown's books to feature Robert Langdon. "Tight Lines!"
~..~..~.. ><((((*>
Rating:
Summary: Not your typical 'Who done it?' ...
Review: As previously mentioned, "The Da Vinci Code" is not your typical "Who done it?" novel. Well researched and expertly written, the book presents an age-old religious secret under the guise of a tantalizing mystery. Definitely not an easy book to put down, the twists and turns wind you toward the solution, which is not as easy to figure out as some reviewers will have you believe. Of course, that is a relative statement. ;) I highly recommend this work to anyone wishing to take an exciting journey through the pages of a book, which will exercise also their mind. I might also recommend "Angels & Demons," the first of Mr. Brown's books to feature Robert Langdon. "Tight Lines!"
~..~..~.. ><((((*>
Rating: 
Summary: Makes you think
Review: As someone brought up in the Catholic faith, this really makes you think. For example, doesn't it make sense that a young man of that time who was a carpenter's son would have been married? Is it so different to believe a human was born of a "virgin" than Budda coming from a lotus? It is all a matter of faith and that is what he points out so beautifully. So what do you really believe? Don't take it all for granted. After all, weren't "indulgences" really just a way for the popes to make money for the church? Not everything we were taught in parochial school was true. This book makes you want to sort out fact from fiction and think outside the box. In the end, it is a novel, a great read, and good material for a round table discussion.
Rating: 
Summary: Gnosticism redux
Review: As someone once said, "Everyone loves a conspiracy theory." Brown doesn't disappoint and resurrects (pun intended) a bit of Gnosticism, which has been around for millenia. The theory goes something like this: The Catholic Church has suppressed the "truth" about Jesus Christ, who was merely human and married Mary Magdalene, who bore his children. According to The Davinci Code, the Catholic Church, in all its misogynistic glory, has deliberately suppressed this information for thousands of years. Like Mark Furman and the L.A. police force's collusion that resulted in the framing of OJ Simpson, the Catholic Church has engaged in an extensive conspiracy for millenia to prevent the faithful from learning the "truth" about Jesus Christ. Despite the obvious shortcomings of the "theory," the book's a great romp and a real page-turner. Beware of the ending, however, since it's so sweet you may lapse into a diabetic coma.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: As someone who has been interested in the sort of topics mentioned in the Da Vinci Code, I was happy to see that Dan Brown actually had a good idea of what he was talking about. There are definite truths in here - and there is also some speculative truth. There have been indications of what the Holy Grail might actually be, instead of what it has come to be for the public. Fundamentalist Christians, and those afraid of some challenges to the Christian faith, may not like this book at all. (I believe that is why some people rated this with one or two stars - emotional response, instead of using logic and researching the presented beliefs themselves.) No one can say for sure what happened - one can only follow the clues left behind. This is exactly as Dan Brown has done. A page-turner filled with historical and scientific fact that points to a certain conclusion... What more could you ask for?
Rating:
Summary: Spinning into space
Review: As someone who has studied and been fascinated by the same subjects as are the characters in this book, I was captivated by the clever plot, but sorely disappointed in the ending of "The Da Vinci Code." This is due to the fact that the object of the protagonists' search is in the final analysis, not a physical object; and, as the author directs us, is not the point. For anyone who has seen any classic Hitchcock film, you know that this kind of device is known as a McGuffin, the plot that motivates characters being more important than the actual thing being searched for. The story is compelling and a bona-fide page turner for a good 7/8 of the book. While elements are implausible, they are of the sort that one discounts to keep moving. As a tour de force, that 7/8 of the story, a good 350 pages, takes place all in one evening. But once dawn breaks, the reader is betrayed by the author, and the plot unravels into such implausability that it seems unfinished. We are led to believe that the global secret being slowly revealed to the reader is of enormous importance, and at least eight people are killed to keep this secret from getting out. Somehow I was not prepared to have this secret turn into a McGuffin of the most cosmic order. A typical, maddening red herring Mr. Brown engages in, is to name the victim on page one Jacques Saunière. (Our protagonist, his granddaughter, we assume comes from the line of Saunières.) Anyone who has studied the mysteries of the Templars and the Grail--the premise of the McGuffin in this book--cannot help but know that Saunière is the name of the priest who, it is claimed, found a part of the Templar secret at Rennes-le-Chateau between 1890-1908. While we are waiting to see what the connection is between Jacques Saunière and the priest Berenger Saunière, the final disppointment in the book is that there is no connection at all! Like the plot, it simply is gone in a puff of authorial smoke. Some of the puzzles and codes solved by the protagonists are very clever; some are so obvious it is embarrasing that they can't find the answer for pages, when the reader can. I don't mind that the search is for a McGuffin: but if that is the case, the characters might better be interested in each other as passionate love interest. Our male and female characters at the end, barely seem to acknowledge one another, making it a fascinating beginning, and rather a flaccid end.
Rating:
Summary: WAY overrated.
Review: As suspense thrillers go, this one is ho-hum. The first half of the book really drew me into the novel. I found myself turning the pages relentlessly. I couldn't WAIT to see what happened next. But then I got bored. Really bored.
This suspense-driven thriller was ultimately without substance. Brown does a good job of giving us all a thumbnail refresher on our ancient history, but to what point? I found myself losing interest quickly around the midpoint of the novel and had to force myself to slog through the second half of the book just to finish it. Brown's pedantic suspense devices became insufferable, and the plot fell completely apart. I found his religious commentary to be sophomoric, and I am amazed that this novel has gotten the kind of press that it has. Didn't we all learn about the rise of Christianity in our ancient history classes somewhere around 8th grade? I thought that Brown was trying really hard to be shocking with what is (or should be) old news. (Really old news, at that.) Finally, like other readers, I was befuddled by Brown's attempt to convice me that a thirty-something French girl would be mortified by sex. I just don't buy it. Too, I could see the ending coming a mile away -- he all but beat you over the head with it, which added to my total boredom. In any event, this book really doesn't merit a second thought, much less an episode of Dateline. I am bewildered by this book's popularity. It is a "just okay" read, so check it out from your local library. I can't imagine why anyone would want to own this one.
Rating:
Summary: Overrated, at best.
Review: As suspense thrillers go, this one is ho-hum. The first half of the book really drew me into the novel. Unfortunately, I had to slog through the second half of the book to finish it. Brown's pedantic suspense devices became insufferable, and the plot fell completely apart. His religious commentary is sophomoric, and I am amazed that this novel has gotten the kind of press that it has. This book really doesn't merit a second thought, much less an episode of Dateline. So, I am bewildered by this book's popularity. It is a "just okay" read, so check it out from your local library. I can't imagine why anyone would want to own this one.
Rating:
Summary: More than Holy Blood, Holy Grail
Review: As the curator for Magdalene.org, I don't often read much good fiction that mentions Mary Magdalene. "The Da Vinci Code," however, was a smashing good read as far as the most recent Jesus/Mary Magdalene legend goes. I don't want to spoil it (any more than has already been done in other reviews here), but if you've read "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," (HBHG) you know which legend I'm referring to. The vital difference I'd like to point out, however, is that Dan Brown has incorporated the most recent additions to this legend since HBHG was published. Most notably, the work of Margaret Starbird, author of "The Woman With The Alabaster Jar," "The Goddess In The Gospels," and recently, "Magdalene's Lost Legacy." Two of these books are even referenced by Brown in the text. So if you finish "The Da Vinci Code" and are hungry for more reading on this legend, you will probably want to start with Starbird. As far as the novel itself goes, it isn't terribly challenging, but it IS entertaining. As someone who doesn't often read novels, I was happy I read this one.
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