The Da Vinci Code

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Summary: Conspiracy Theorists, here you go!
Review: Dan Brown knows the secret to contructing a real page turner, and I hold him responsible for a lack of sleep, and a number of questions I now hope to answer by investigating the topic he was so apt to put forth in this masterpiece of suspense, and conspiracy theory. Catholics need not apply, but anyone else in search of excitement should definitely buy in. ...

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Summary: Entertaining...like a movie, but NOT quality literature
Review: Dan Brown lacks all of those qualities that set the greatest authors of novels (both contemporary and classical) apart from writers in general. However, he may just contain those qualties that are conspicuous in the writers of prime time television shows, and action movies. The novel does entertain, and also contains some interesting historical facts, but the writing style, or lack of it, is what leaves me with a negative impression. I did give it three stars because I think Brown created exactly what he wanted in this novel. What we are left with is a very marketable book, with few memorable qualities... similar to much of our pop culture. But if you can understand what I mean when I say that Scarface was a better movie and Coetzee's "Disgrace" was better book, you might also understand why the DaVinci code is really not worth the time.

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Summary: Good story, poor writing
Review: Dan Brown may be a bestselling storyteller but he lacks, or doesn't care about, basic writing skills. One of the first things fledgling writers learn is "show, don't tell." This book is rife with mundane sentences stating that a character was amazed, or stunned, or worried, or that she/he looked puzzled,confused, alarmed. These emotions should be shown through the character's actions, body language, dialogue.
Point of view jumps all over the place. Chapters begin with one character's point of view and before long, out of the blue, it's someone else's, then someone else's.
The question is: Why didn't an editor pick up these blatant errors, along with misuse of capitalization (i.e. the Pope, when it should be the pope)?
These things were annoying. I finally scanned the last half of the book simply to find out how the story ended.

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Summary: The Debt to Umberto Eco
Review: Dan Brown must admire Umberto Eco. A lot. Museums late at night, Knights Templar, the "Secret", the professor pulled into a mystery wrapped in an enigma, a secretive Catholic society. Umberto did it better. But Dan's book is OK, however the prose is, um, easy to read. It read more like a move script outline to me than a book. He also presents LOTS of speculation as fact but that is the fun part - are these speculations in fact true? Are the Freemasons protecting a secret the Knights discovered while they drive around in gocarts wearing fez hats at a 4th of July parade? Or just hooey? Read Eco's Foucalt's Pendulum and really delve into multiple, head-spinning conspiracies head first. Conspiracies that dry up when discovered because of the twisted logic of the believers. (I'll reveal no more.) It has a much creepier atmosphere and writing that will make you smile.

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Summary: Grail Lite
Review: Dan Brown must be doing something right for this novel to be a best-seller. Everyone I know is raving about it. So I read it. But, having read Holy Blood, Holy Grail 20 years ago, the DaVinci Code is like a small appetizer after a large, gourmet meal. Dan Brown is credited with extensive research, but it seems to me that he merely skimmed HB,HG. Character names reflect this. The British Royal Historian, Sir Leigh Teabing? The three authors of HB,HG are historians Lincoln, Leigh and Baigent, an anagram of Teabing. The murder victim Jaques Sauniere? The real-life priest who discovers the "secret" in HB,HG is Berenger Sauniere. Bezu is the name of a Templars' castle. But that's enough.
The characters seem to be linguistically challenged in figuring out the word puzzles. I can't imagine a French woman not knowing that her name, Sophie, means wisdom. The foreigners just seemed to be Americans with funny accents.
As for the pay-off, is a 2,000-year-old "secret" really a motive for murder?
That said, perhaps the subject of this novel will open up a few more minds.

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Summary: Another Best Seller
Review: Dan Brown proves again why he among the elite in his profession by putting together a compelling novel that will encapsulate its reader. Although I must say this type of fiction is not for everyone. Just like Jack DuBrul and Tom Clancy, Brown's explanations of concepts and the exhibiting of his knowledge of religious concepts can slow the story... if, of course, you find that kind of thing boring. Most of his fans probably consider it a plus.

"The Da Vinci Code" is a thrilling search for the Holy Grail type of story, which of course was done to perfection in the last film of the Indiana Jones trilogy, but nevertheless, this book is worth reading. It poses the idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a secret affair that produced a child, and thus, created a continuing bloodline of Christ. Suspenseful twists to the plot bring the reader into a world of secret organizations and mysterious codes and murders. It's a good read, and I suggest those who like the religious overtones of "The Da Vinci Code" also pick up "Conquest of Paradise: An End-Times Nano-Thriller". Based on the Book of Revelation, it puts forth an Armageddon scenario I've never seen anywhere else. I couldn't put either of these books down when I read them, and I highly recommend Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code".

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Summary: great summer reading
Review: Dan Brown proves himself to be one of the most creative authors at our times. The storyline is breathtaking by the author's filling his imagination into the holes of historical relic.

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Summary: A fun exercise in creative history and theology
Review: Dan Brown proves that a little bit of heresy, a little bit of history and some imagination make for a intriguing story. This book is a good, amazingly quick read for its size. While historians and theologians would quickly point out that some of the theories, history and theology Brown is drawing on wasn't quite represented precisely -- that's not necessarily the point. Brown is exploring themes that are amazingly contemporary yet inextricably linked to controversial history.He certainly adds a unique, challenging and maybe accurate account in some ways. For example, a group like the Templars, Opus Dei, or a topic such as the historical Jesus have all managed to stir up their fair share of controversy in recent times.

Unlike a more challenging title like "The Last Temptation of Christ," the Da Vinci Code manages to build a fictitious world, and tackles these groups and issues in a less head-on way, making it less threatening to readers who may be uncomfortable with long, technical non-fiction books related to these topics and those who are unwilling to tackle Kazantztakis. Brown's world is decidely a work of fiction, making readers who are put off by his premises, comfortable enough to dismiss it as fiction.

This book is a fun read, if even at times predictable. Some of the characters are a bit formulaic at times, but the overall plot of the book advances quickly enough that those are momentary bumps.

The Da Vinci code also superbly manages to play with your mind along the way, challenging the reader to break codes and mysteries, most of which are not so complex to be frustrating or to be entirely implausible.

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Summary: This book reaches out and grabs you!
Review: Dan Brown pulls you right into this story from the start! I couldn't put it down and read it in one night!

What people seem to be forgetting about this book - is that it's just a story - it's NOT TRUE!

A GREAT read! One of the best books I've read in a long time!

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Summary: What a boring book
Review: Dan Brown seemed to be on every bestseller list in the world so I decided to find out what was so great about his books. I read The Da Vinci Code and I surely don't know why so many people want to read this boring book. The thin plot is spread through pages and pages of copy/page like information out of "more than you ever wanted to know about ... " pamphlets. I could skip a good deal of the book and still know what happened.
A good thriller is so tightly written that one doesn't want to miss a word. Dan Brown should read Frances Fyfield to find out about good thriller writing.