Rating: 
Summary: The Sort of Edutainment
Review: ...clearly designed to sell to the loads of suckers for whom WC Fields felt were not entitled to an even break. So, when art and history scholars complain about blatant misrepresentations of facts, Brown's defenders rebut with the perfect marketing spin: all the controversy is on account of Christians being offended because the tenets of their faith are shaken to the core and that, clearly the Church does want to suppress the "secret" marriage and progeny of Jesus and Mary Magdalegne, squelch the "divine feminine," etc. If, after reading this book, one feels that Brown has provided him a swell education along with a great story, he is among the many who are, in my opinion, said (allegedly by PT Barnum, but actually by David Hannum in connection with a genuine conspiracy) to have been "born every minute." On the other hand, if Brown's claims actually inspire the reader to do some fact checking and genuine learning, then Brown will have indeed rendered good service. Also rendering good service are those who advise the prospective reader to borrow instead of buy the book. If you should decide to read this, and, having begun, find yourself solving codes, riddles, mysteries, etc. before the brilliant Harvard symbologist does, and that your BS meter pegs out frequently, then don't imagine that the book will get better. It won't. (Lest you be confused by the "facts," there aren't any that are both actually true and never revealed before.) On the other hand, if you think you're being "edutained" by Brown, then you should find no end of other interesting material starting with the gnostic gospels themselves through loads of other stuff that continues to be produced "every minute."
Rating: 
Summary: Readerly, not writerly book
Review: ...clunky writing. That's a fair complaint, except that this is a "readerly" (i.e., like Grisham, but better) not "writerly" (i.e., Styron) book. Don't buy this book expecting character development and beautiful prose. This is about a fantastic plot, but I did figure out the codes before they were revealed and the 2-page chapters got on my nerves (-1 star). But it's a page turner, and makes me want to do some research on the subject matter to see how much is fictional, how much conspiracy-theory, and how much truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Halfway through and can't put it down...
Review: ...except to write a review.My own personal opinion of this book is that it's a hell of a read. It's cheap suspense at it's best - short chapters with cliff-hangers at the end, different people's stories intertwining, and plenty of promises to get a story out but the story doesn't come fast enough. And I LOVE a good suspense novel, as cheap as it may be. Brown also tingles my senses by adding quite a bit of information about the history of Italian art and Christianity in general. The 'facts' (as Dan Brown claims) are presented in a way to convince the reader of a conspiracy within the Catholic Church. I find art history generally a bore, but conspiracy theories and theology are great fun to me, so I got trapped into learning about Leonardo. However, there are two things about this book that I disagree with:
1) The way the facts are presented. They're definitely shown in a way to present a particular argument that supports a negative recount of the Catholic Church's handling of Christ's story of existence. I see very little evidence within the story to disprove these facts, if that's what they are. I'm not a Christian (in fact, I abhor religion, monotheistic or polytheistic), but as a person who's fascinated by theology in general, I was disappointed to find only one side of the story here. In fact, I'll bet that's why so many Christian readers are taking his writing a bit too personally. In addition, some of the stuff he's presented as fact, not necessarily the stuff about theology, is pretty unrealistic.
2) The characters were VERY unrealistic. This guy knows nothing about character development or portrayal, or doesn't choose to. That's a big disappointment. Overall, I'd say this bookd is entertaining in a "James Bond" sort of way, in that it's fun to read if you're willing to overlook the parts of it that are ridiculous.
Rating:
Summary: I just love reviews...
Review: ...that begin with the words: "As a Christian..." (puff, puff) Soooo, as a Christian, I loved this book. I wasn't offended, incensed, outraged, aghast or otherwise in need of a 7-day cleansing ritual in a far-off dusty place. Ok, somebody pass me the holy water, I may need to sprinkle my keyboard now. Seriously, it gave me an entire banquet of food for thought, and I do feel the need to delve deeper into some of the areas that gave me pause. As a former flaming atheist, that part of me reveled in some aspects of the book. But the whole of me who now claims my stake at the table of the family of God sees plenty of good in the questions. Do I take Brown to be a pop-theologian who has now turned Christianity as we know it/knew it on its head? Hardly. Really, his ideas are nothing new under the sun...they have merely found a vehicle for mass marketing in a not so spectacularly well-written, but highly compelling book. (I'm no genius, but I figured out all of the cryptograms with just the first clues.) It was fun and fast-paced read. If anything, I think many Christians suffer from microgodism...if God is so small that this book is a threat, the faith really is doomed.
Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING, BUT.............
Review: ...was disappointed at the ending. I know the book has had a lot of negative reviews, from angry "Art Historians". However, wheter it was or wasn't accurate to their artistic liking, I must give credit to Mr. Brown for his fantastic imagination and the journey he took us on. As for the Opus Dei, they do exist.
Rating: 
Summary: Paper-thin characters prop up a slow-moving plot...
Review: ...which is really only intended to showcase a set of outrageous historical howlers. This book is a transparent attempt to undermine the faith of Christians -- and to pad the author's bank account. What begins as a fairly nifty thriller -- the first 75 pages or so are diverting, I do admit -- quickly gets bogged down in wildly inaccurate claims about the Catholic Church which any casual student of European history will be able to see through. The characters are totally static, standing there like featureless beaches upon which bogus historical "explanations" hammer interminably, wave upon wave upon wave. I only finished this bilious pile because relatives asked me to. I think they secretly feared that the "fascinating esoterica of history"-- as, I believe, the above review put it -- was true. But not to fear. This book is neither "fascinating" nor historical. It is pure fiddle-faddle, and don't waste your time or your money.
Rating:
Summary: I'm glad millions people are reading, but....
Review: ..Why call a Yugo a Mercedes ? My biggest question is why the massive praise for Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" ? (or Angels and Demons ?) I read them both, and they are nothing more or less than a typical, mediocre "summer beach novel" that contains extensive lessons (can you say boring ?) on Catholicism...from the actual religious functions to the museums, art and the architectures that hold the art, and how the architectures that hold the art came about, and the architecs who built them, when they built them and what drew them to architecture in the first place, and how the art wound up in that particular architecture. etc. WHEW ! I don't even consider this man a good writer, but he's one heck of a teacher who's obsessed with Catholicism and it's culture. Sure, he throws in a few bad guys...a little science.....a few gruesome murders...a secret society here and there, but his his paper-thin, cliched and utterly ridiculous stories are nothing but padding so he can write about his vast knowledge of all things Catholic (and expensive Catholic art). He never "puts you there" with his many long winded descriptions of his settings, he simply comes across as a teacher who's telling you what he learned or saw, and this becomes extremely boring and irritating to me. Before you deny this, think ! Consider the shallow and cliched stories of these two books, which possess one of the most monumentally cliched lead characters I've ever encountered .....now, consider the major lessons on Catholicism you were dealt....and how they make up the bulk of the book. Am I wrong ? If the reader finds this type of novel fun, thrilling, intelligent or informative, then that's great. But, I don't like all the media exclaiming "masterpiece," "absolutely stunning," "the best of the best" "genius," etc., when this author is basically on par with James Patterson. Yep, that's right. I would much rather read a non-fictional book from Brown on his knowledge of art and architecture, than to ever suffer through another of his fictional, supposed thrillers, which he LOVES to saturate with facts in order to sucker the reader into believing they are reading something "special".
Rating:
Summary: Cliff from Cheers writes a book...
Review: .
Remember Cliff from Cheers - the guy who spouted off a number of obscure facts and tried to establish a hypothesis from them?... how the ancient Greeks, for example, invented the toilet roll by trying to make scrolls pocket-sized...;-) That is what this book reminds me of... Perhaps that's unfair... Cliff could have written a better book. I like what someone said earlier, Brown is really a writer for Scooby Doo cartoons! It has all the makings of the same plot. The 'mysteries' are disappointing grade school material (apple?, come on!) and the 'experts' are pure schlock... Brown's own characters were embarrassed by the 'scientific' explanations and his 'hack' of other peoples work and agendas. Even the most far-fetched theories are immediately accepted as fact, because they are so ridiculous... (Gasp! I guess they MUST be true). Great technique, have your own characters scoff or say they were 'originally skeptic' -- I guess that gives it 'academic' credibility... (not) And secret societies... mysterious albino giant? escaped from prison because of an earthquake? Age of Aquarius? Is it any surprise that Brown is smirking on the cover photo... maybe Leonardo was trying to warn people from buying the book when he is quoted... 'awake mere mortals from the deception' (or some such dribble). That is a more plausible message from the past than what Brown is spouting. This is an obvious attempt by Brown to submit an idea for a movie. It has all the substance of a hour and a half 'B-thriller'. Hopefully, any prospective studios will read these reviews and see what a waste of time this would be on the screen... Unless, of course, it starred Cliff as Langdon and Scooby Doo as his sidekick... then you'd have something...
Rating: 
Summary: A great, great read!
Review: .
Review:
Dan Brown does a phenomenal job in capturing the conspiracy theories of the Priori de Sion (see Holy Blood, Holy Grail) in a gripping whodunit! Literally, you will not be able to put the book down because of its design, and its wonderfully enjoyable writing. I found myself always trying to read 'just one more chapter', and finished the book in a few nights. Each chapter is short, fast paced, ends in a situation of suspense, are often based around curious riddles, and the overall conspiracy topic and its details are very interesting! (Even though Baigent's 'Messianic Legacy' shows the Priori documents/claims listed in Holy Blood, Holy Grail are fraudulent! But, that's an entirely different story.) Brown's mystery interestingly details the friction and conspiracy of mainstream Christianity (e.g. the Catholic Church) juxtaposed against the conspiracy of age old paganism. This mystery takes us through some exotic locals like the Lourve, with its historical works of art and their interpretations; Rosilyn Chapel in Scotland, a Swiss Depository (a very foreign concept in the US), London and Parisian Cathedrals, and many other interesting places. It also takes us to many other curious points of history and time, giving us needed perspective on who we are today, and how our societies got to this point. Story:
A beloved Louvre Museum curator is violently murdered in the museum and is found with self imposed enigmatic clues to his death and murderer. His secret grand daughter, a Parisian cryptographer, and an American academic symbolist search against time and danger to decode his messages which include riddles and anagrams of the works of Da Vinci, Hugo, Cocteau, Newton, Pope and the secret Prioi de Sion. Negative:
Brown has designed the book to somewhat conclude that the above conspiracies are based on the 'fact' of the truth of paganism, over the 'fiction' of Christianity, rather than the opposite. If there is so much truth and historical basis for the paganistic interpretation of Christ and Mary, why does it have to be so secret for 2,000 years - waiting for the right time to show itself to the yearning world?
Rating:
Summary: You might like this book if...
Review: 1. You mourn the loss of the overuse of adjectives in modern writing.
2. Your B.S. detector needs new batteries.
3. You have a lifetime subscription to The Star, The Globe, etc.
4. You have gleaned all of your knowledge about early Christian history from the internet.
5. You were a Druid in a past life.
6. You have spent more than 2 hours of your life playing records backwards.
7. You were born yesterday and or just fell off a turnip truck.
8. You think a plot just gets in the way of good propaganda.
9. You have the ability to suspend any shred of skepticism.
10. Your idea of great literature is anything by Carolyn Keene.
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