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Summary: Decoding ¿The Da Vinci Code¿
Review: from Newsweek. (Dec. 8 issue)...Decoding 'The Da Vinci Code'
Antonio Calanni / AP For millions, the phenomenal best seller is their introduction to the arcane and mysterious 'shadow history' of the early church. Herewith, an attempt to separate truth from fiction. Did Leonardo include Mary Magdalene in his "Last Supper"? Most art scholars say no. The figure reputed to be Mary Magdalene is actually the beloved disciple John, who is usually depicted young and clean-shaven. Were Jesus and Mary M. married? Although there is no way to prove or disprove this, most experts consider it highly unlikely. Their main argument: there is no mention of it in canonical writings. Was Mary M. a prostitute? This misperception probably began with a sermon by Pope Gregory the Great in A.D. 591 in which he conflated several figures into one. In 1969 the Vatican officially overruled Gregory. Are Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion real organizations? Yes, but there is no indication that either is involved in any plot to conceal or reveal secrets of the Holy Grail. What is the Holy Grail? The most widely accepted idea is that it was the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper. Others have hypothesized that it was a secret book. In the 12th century a French abbot claimed to possess it; his silver chalice now resides in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Did male leaders cover up the true role of women in the early church? Yes, in the sense that history is written by the winners, and in a patriarchal society, men had a big edge. What happened to Mary M. after the Resurrection? Nobody knows. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, she went to Turkey. A Western legend says she went to Provence. Did Leonardo hide clues about church secrets in his paintings? Art historians doubt it. © 2004 Newsweek, Inc.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: From the beginning to the end, THE DA VINCI CODE grabs your attention and never lets go. It is a gripping tale of a man and a women who have never met before but are brought together by the mysterious death of a very important man. The two are takin on a ride of their lives as they try to solve mysteries throughout the whole book. The ending of this book was outstanding with an amazing twist that I would have never guessed would happen. THE DA VINCI CODE was so good that it took me only two days to read all 454 pages of it.
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Summary: Nicaea votes Jesus the Son of God
Review: From the book, on the Council of Nicaea:
- At this gathering, Teabing said, many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon - the date of Easter, the role of the bishops, the administration of sacraments, and, of course, the divinity of Jesus.
- I don't follow. His divinity?
- My dear, Teabing declared, until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet . . . a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal.
- Not the Son of God?
- Right, Teabing said. - Jesus' establishment as 'the Son of God' was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea.
***
Well, I happen to be something like an atheist, so I wasn't sure, but something in the above felt fishy. Following my annoyingly rationalistic habits I decided to take nothing on faith and check the sources: According to John 11:27, Jesus asked some Martha woman who she thought he was. Martha goes, "I believe that you are the Son of God" John 1:49. One Nathaniel, a disciple of John the Baptist, to Jesus: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God" According to John 6:69, when a larger group of followers burned out and decided to defect, Jesus asked his disciples if they were going to split as well. Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? ... We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God". According to Matthew 16:16, Jesus once asked Simon (Peter), "Who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" Also see: John 20:28, John 4:29-42, Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5
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Summary: Wonderful Historical Fiction
Review: From the first chapter, I could not put the book down. Great pacing with the plot and characters, as well as some interesting analysis regarding historical figures, paintings and sculptures. Subject matter is a wonderful springboard for great debates/discussions with friends who have also read the book. Wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Fact Based Account of Religious History
Review: From the first page to the last, this book is packed with documented facts everyone needs to know about. This book attempts to, with superb detail, let the world know the truth about our Christian religious history.
Dan brings to the reader an exciting passage of experience into the realms of the esoteric.
A must read for anyone in search of the truth!
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Summary: Intriguing
Review: From the first page, the author--Dan Brown--hooked me in. I couldn't put the book down. True, the story plot was that of a captivating fiction. However, the symbolisms, theories, and facts were quite well researched. *applauses Dan Brown* As a side note, I meant this review to be for the hardcover version, not the large print, but I imagine it's all the same. :)
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Summary: An entertaining novel or a secret truth revealed?
Review: From the moment I started reading this book, I found it hard to get away from it. The storyline is beyond any suspense novel I have read. The story leads off with the murder of the Louvre Museum's chief curator. His death unfolds a turn of events that leads us through a path of intrigue as the story of a private society overshadows his own death. In the end, his very own daughter must place together the clues he left as she follows the path of her father's codes to discover that this society had a rather impressive list of members throughout history to include Da Vinci and Isaac Newton amongst other historical geniuses. Now comes the twister that has engulfed the world. Is this book a fictional tale for entertainment or is there some truth to a secret society that historians have refused to acknowledge?
Rating: 
Summary: AN EXCITING READ WITH SOME FLAWS
Review: From the opening pages of The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown grabs the reader's attention, and then holds it throughout the book. Suspense and unanswered questions, often posed at the end of the short chapters, make it an exciting page-turner. The story is based on the premise that the Holy Grail is more than just the cup from which Jesus drank at The Last Supper. It holds secrets which the Catholic church, the predominant church of that day, does not want revealed. Historians and others would like it otherwise. The two factions are in a virtual battle to capture the code leading to the Holy Grail. As one would expect, there is murder, villainy, and treachery along the way - all necessary features of a good mystery. But Dan Brown offers something more, something to pique the intellect of his readers, including descriptions of architectural design, particularly the Louvre, Da Vinci's mathematical genius, and an abundance of esoteric facts about the Christian religion. Christian faithfuls need not fear that reading this book may lead to doubt or corruption. The author salvages Christian beliefs, in the end, and in my opinion, he surely regenerates faith through these words:
"Every faith in the world is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith...every religion describes God through metaphor, allegory and exaggeration...
"The bible represented fundamental guideposts for millions of people on the planet much the same way the Koran, Torch, and Pali Canon offer guidance to peole of other religions...
"Religious allegory has become a part of the fabric of reality. And living that reality helps millions of people cope and be better people." Again, The Da Vinci Code is an intellectually interesting story as well as a thrilling, suspenseful mystery. But are there flaws? Yes. Brown obviously underestimates his reader's sleuthing abilities if not their intelligence. It was hardly believable to me that an expert symbologist did not realize immediately that he was looking at mirror writing, not some strange language! It took this reader but an instant to recognize it. You need know little about Da Vinci to know about that. Also, Brown presumes that the reader does not know the identity of the culprit until he, the writer, explicitly says so. He gives enough hints. He should have identified the guilty one at the appropriate moment, then created suspense within the two unknowing, unsuspecting characters. Brown reveals the name of the culprit about 50 pages after this reader knew it. Brown states that the PHI formula is ALWAYS true in nature and in the human body. My tape measure tells me otherwise. Far better for him to have added that PHI is (perhaps) true in PERFECT forms of nature. One may quibble over this and other "facts" stated by Brown. But one may argue, also, about Da Vinci's formulas and other scientists' theories, as well as the ideas of philosophers and theologists. Overall, The Da Vinci Code is, as a thriller and mystery, an exciting read and gives one much to think about.
Rating:
Summary: A Refrigerator Book
Review: From time to time Alfred Hitchcock made what he liked to call "refrigerator movies". These were films heavy on plot and rather quick moving that took the viewer a long for a ride so thrilling and intense that he or she wouldn't pick up on the gaping plot holes until later that night, getting their midnight snack in front of the fridge. The Da Vinci Code is a lot like that. While some little things don't make sense right off the bat, most of the story holds up well until you've read the whole thing and can look back at how it's all put together. The characters, as many hear have said, were thin and never did anything surprising. The plot moved very rapidly, though, and manages to keep you engaged until nearly the end. However, the last three chapters or so are complete head scratchers, and not the good kind. I picked this up on a recommendation at a time when I was just looking for some light, fun reading. The Da Vinci Code certainly provides that. I think with summer right around the corner this will be a popular "beach book" and you could do a whole lot worse than this. Just don't look for any deep meaning and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Pseudo-Intellectual Pulp Fiction
Review: From what I surmise, Dan Brown has an intense interest in the early roots of Christianity. I guess that he had a number of interesting theories supported by specious but tantalizing evidence that couldn't stand up to the scrutiny of non-fiction writing. Instead, he turns his theories into the background for a rather pedestrian murder mystery that Agatha Christie could have churned out between lunch and tea. The plot twists are outrageous, the settings are your typical tourist site backdrops, with standard conspiracy theory thrown in for flavoring. The puzzles for which the book has become famous are far too easy. On the one hand, the two-dimensional characters are incredibly knowledgeable, but on the other it takes them forever to solve puzzles that any one who paid attention in high school world history could solve. The popularity of this novel will inevitably lead to a screenplay, which is well suited for canned Hollywood blockbusters. I gave this book two stars because it is a fairly pleasant read, despite the poor plot and character development. The historical theorizing are also interesting. If Dan Brown had been able to write an entire book just on the anti-feminism of the early church, he would have had a great work. However, it seems that he recognized his scholarship was too shallow for academic scrutiny, so he tried to convey his ideas through rather trite pulp fiction. I sugggest he take all the money he's made from this book and devote his career to plumbing the depths of his theories. He may have something to write about some day.
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