The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: Such an Interesting Premise--such poor writing
Review: Having heard Dan Brown interviewed on NPR, I bought this book thinking it would be a cut above the standard thriller genre of airport paperbacks. Unfortunately, the character development was one-dimensional to non-existent, the prose was on a sixth-grade reading level and the story was so implausible as to insult one's intelligence. It is a shame that the years of research Brown discussed in detail with his interviewer produced such a disappointing result

Rating:
Summary: DA VINCI CODE and IRON COFFIN are my two favs for the year.
Review: Having just finished Dan Brown's masterful religious puzzler DA VINCI CODE and John Mannock's heartwrenching WWII U-boat tale IRON COFFIN, I feel I've gotten a year's worth of top-quality fiction in less than three weeks! DA VINCI is a tremendous detail mystery--a twisting, turning, maze of a book that provokes serious thought about the foundations of Christianity and the dirty little secrets the established Church keeps. I won't give it away, but buy Dan Brown's latest--it'll keep you up all night finishing it!

Rating:
Summary: Good & Bad, Fact or Fiction, Pros & Cons
Review: Having just finished The Da Vinci Code, I'm left with many questions. The least of which are related to the quote "religious mysteries" shared in this book. I'm in a quandary as to whether this is a superb novel or a mediocre one. Quite an unusual sensation.
Fact vs. Fiction---If one is observant, Brown clearly states the facts before the story begins and we do lose sight of that early on. The novel becomes engrossing--beginning at paragraph one! This author giftedly weaves snippets of fact and an abundance of fiction, so intricately, so subtly, that the reader cannot separate the two...that is, for the majority of the book. The truth is: Brown does make us wonder but those meanderings are based more on the fictional content as opposed to the facts.
Good & Bad---Brown is extraordinary--intelligent, diverse, original, gifted. So good is he that this book does read like a non-fiction thriller..for the most part. I honestly started to question...is it possible, is this true?? That ability is, in part, the 'good' of Brown's talent for certainly it was his intention--or one of them. His use of classic artists & their masterpieces and a myriad of historical figures is remarkable & unparalleled. This is Brown's gift to you & is, indeed, very much appreciated by this reviewer. But woe, there is a downside. Brown holds the reader spellbound...until 3/4 of the way through...when suddenly, it's like a ghost writer of opposite manner appears, takes over Brown's pen & rushes to complete the novel. Lost is the power, lost is the intensity. The remainder of the novel is more soap opera or 'thumbing my nose at you all!' A genuine let-down conclusion from a truly gifted man who could've offered much better.
Pros & Con---Pros: 1. It's a best seller & obviously, few are ignoring this novel so it is a must read.
2. Well worth the purchase price 75% of the time.
3. Brown's ability to make us second guess our faith, even if momentarily.
4. Brown's creativity abounding.
5. Factual information is, at times, completely shocking & always educational.
6. This book is truly unique!
Cons: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4. There is no character development to speak of. Almost none whatsoever. Are the lead characters drawn to each other for more than the solving of an overplayed, overproduced mystery?? Who cares? We never really got to know them. Do the villains pay their dues? Not a care about that either because everything hinges on WHAT & WHERE IS THE HOLY GRAIL?? Lack of character development is akin to poor actors in a great film. (which is virtually an impossible feat) Thus, terming this novel "great" is, unfortunately, impossible too.
5. The ending is all too weak, somewhat disjointed & lacks the feigned reality that the novel held initially. After a startling beginning to midpoint, Brown lets us Down!
6. Brown seems to hold some type of grudge against the Catholic Church. The overriding theme of the novel is basically to promote a mental revolution against Christ & Catholicism. Rather sad because we're not certain exactly what Brown IS promoting.

Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Thriller, but!
Review: Having just finished this book on tape, I have to say I enjoyed the story, its fast pace, and the unsuspecting turns the story frequently took. I wanted the story to be longer and entertain me further. The story centers around two people, experts in their respective fields, and their quest for the "truth" about the Holy Grail. I rate this book near the top of the list of adventure/thriller books I have read. Having said what I enjoyed about the story, now let me say that this "version" is but one of many theories about the early history of Christianity. What is written in the book is well written Fiction, not fact! The theories and conspiracies about the Priory of Sion, the Knights Templar, and the Holy Grail will continue to be just that because what is proven is history and all else is fiction, fable, or vivid imagination. The other thing that detracted from my enjoying the story as a mystery was that I saw several of the surprises well before their being revealed to the reader/listener. They were just too obvious with the revealing of the teacher being the most expected thing in the book. I realize that the subject of this book is one that enflames proponents of both sides of the history of Christianity, as is shone in the number of reviews and the votes on the reviews. I hope my objective approach is understood by all.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining read, raises broader questions
Review: Having never read any of Dan Brown's work, I found this one a page-turner. Filled with historical, artistic, and mathematical allusions, especially to the expansive genius of Leonardo Da Vinci, it is also somewhat educational.

When I say the book raises great questions, this is not to say I have checked out every "fact" purported in the novel. I haven't, because I'm not looking to this as a primary historical text! Also, as an amateur student of history, I know it takes a while (sometimes forever) for even historians to agree about what is an "undisputed" fact in recent history, much less in early centuries A.D.!

After reading this, if you conclude that a egalitarian utopia perhaps existed before the Catholic Church, I think (as a self-described pro-equality Catholic woman) you would be mistaken. That would seem unlikely. However, on the other hand, it is ALSO highly unlikely that biblical editors in the early centuries somehow shed their political biases even when God appeared before them. It makes sense that oft-male biblical editors(imperfectly) processed the divine message through a human mind born of that particular time and place. So in a wonderful and unique sense, Brown is on point! And this is a very RELEVANT insight( and one I rarely expected from a fun novel!):

Societies are never perfect. Religions, however, OFFER images of perfection to which whole societies sometimes aspire. Whoever controls these images (whoever edited the official Bible, for ex.), therefore, has more power than you might first think, because they assist us in forming ideals and imagining the possibilities of the way we could/should live.

So, if religion is symbolically that powerful -- could it be that, perhaps, just PERHAPS, a religion that lacks a symbolically equal, powerful woman will make certain things -- such as a female priesthood -- difficult to attain?

Also makes sense that something is missing from Christian symbolism. After all, do you really think a religion that is borne of the Divine being (or at least mystic being) of Jesus Christ could be really so impoverished of any talk of basic male-female egalitarianism, justice? Unlikely, so could it be that part of the message was just corrupted over centuries in the telling and re-telling of the message by the human, sometimes not-so-holy ones?

Thank you Dan Brown for raising questions like these (not providing hard and fact answers) in an accessible format.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Story--Loved it
Review: Having read Holy Blood, Holy Grail and other similar books, I found The Da Vinci Code vastly entertaining. Dan Brown built a story around a theory that I liken to a legend or myth, or even a consider to be a conspiracy theory. Dan Brown gives it more academic credit in the book than I think the theory deserves, but that's part of the story. Some readers discredit him for not having his "facts" right, e.g. YHWH and "Q". For those readers I suggest, either they redo their homework or realize that "facts", especially historical "facts", have an innate illusory element to them.

I enjoyed the wild ride in this book, and I recommend it to others who like mystery, action and a little mental candy.

Rating:
Summary: Awful
Review: Having read the glowing review in the New York Times (Jane Maslin wrote "Wow"), I had high expectations of this book. It was a huge disappointment ("D'oh").

The quality of the writing is mediocre. Sentences are cliched, characterization verges on caricature, and the structure sticks to the tired conventions of substandard thrillers. I was struck by the dumbing down of the sentences. It is pitched at unimaginative readers of, say, the seventh grade. In fact, the average seventh grader is better served by reading Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. While there is an interesting plot filled with intriguing, esoteric detail, the dialogue is very obvious and uninspired. This strikes a fatal blow to the characters of a very dialogue-driven book. The characters are incredibly one-dimensional; motivations are clear and they face no serious moral conflicts. Most of the book consists of three characters solving word puzzles in Paris and London (in the form of bad verse), interrupted by an aggressive bull-like French policeman and a homicidal albino. The adversaries are physically coded, and the heroes are learned, attractive, PC and very dull.

On the positive side, there is a fairly engaging chase and plenty of information relating to secret societies and the art world. However, these features do not rescue what is ultimately a very conventional, lukewarm thriller that - through the sheer muscle of its publisher and helpful reviewers - has undeservedly been inflicted on the reading public. I felt quite cheated.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointing Pot-Boiler
Review: Having read the reviews, and being interested in alternate, "esoteric" history, I looked forward to The Da Vinci Code. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I found it predictable, somewhat cliche in its plot devices, and at points the thoughts and actions of the characters seemed absurd. Brown's writing was plodding and uninspired with occasional florid moments. Obviously, my opinion is in the minority, so you may still enjoy it.
A pivotal choice that Robert made led to a transparent, over-used plot device. Sophie's "shock" that caused a 10-year rift in her relationship with her grandfather was just not credible. A woman of her age, background, and intelligence would have been more likely to have listened to, perhaps demanded, an explanation from her grandfather, not hidden from it. One other small, but typical, event also made me roll my eyes: experts were looking at some strange writing that looked familiar, but they couldn't place it. This group included an otherwise brilliant cryptologist, but they did not recognize it--I am no expert, but I would have recognized it out of context if I'd just happened upon it on the street. I'd go into more detail, but can't put in anything that would give away too much plot. Hope this helps someone avoid the disappointment and expense of buying this book!

Rating:
Summary: A zero star book if there ever was one
Review: Having spent more than 25 years engaging in a serious and extensive study of theology, comparative religions, Jewish, Christian and Islamic scriptures and a host of other related subjects, I can say that without a doubt this book is the biggest piece of garbage I have ever read.
The author's total disregard and disdain for the truth is apparent on every page of this badly written work of pop fiction (it continually reminded me of one the lesser "Hardy Boys" books)and the sad thing is that very few of the millions of people who read it will be familiar enough with the historical facts to know that they have been pitched a bill of goods by an author with an agenda that is painfully obvious.
This book is, in effect, an anti-Christian and anti-Catholic diatribe along the lines of the infamous "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" a 19th century work of Russian fiction that spewed out so many sickening mistruths and lies about the Jewish people that the architects of the Holocaust felt justified in their actions.
I struggled in vain to find one true thing in this book, but again and again the author played fast and loose with the truth in such a way that the uninformed would have a hard time knowing that behind the thin veil of "fiction" lay a work designed to confuse and mislead them in every way possible.
The DaVinci Code is highly derivative of the now debunked and discredited book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail", which also foolishly and without any historical basis embraced the notion of a supposedly ancient secret society called the "Priory of Sion" which, rather than having ancient roots, was in fact a hoax and a fiction created by a sect of right wing extremists in 19th century France.
Those who, in their ignorance, happily embrace these heretical notions for the very reason that they fly in the face of the clear teachings of the New Testament and the Church, should be aware that they are not only on thin ice, they are in fact standing on historical quicksand.
I am far from the only person to have made these points. This book has been roundly and effectively criticized by historians, biblical scholars, theologians, Da Vinci experts and just about anyone with a grasp of the truth of the biblical and historical records.
Dan Brown somehow succeeds in getting just about everything related to the life of Jesus Christ wrong. He is wrong about the New Testament scriptures, wrong about the Dead Sea Scrolls, wrong about the Nag Hammmadi texts, wrong about the Apostles and Mary Magdalene and wrong about Constantine's influence on the teachings of the early church and the scriptures that were accepted into the New Testament canon.
How strange that he makes so many egregious errors in a book that he claims was so well researched. How strange indeed.
I would recommend to all thinking persons that they dust off that copy of the Holy Bible that may have lain on their bookshelf unread for so long, open it to the Gospel of Matthew and begin to read.
After reading The DaVinci Code they are going to need to get a big dose of the truth, if only to get the taste of this tripe out of their mouths.
Shame on you, Dan Brown. Under the guise of fiction you have indulged in historical revisionism of the lowest kind.
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Rating:
Summary: muddies truth and fiction
Review: Hearing the hype and the subject matter, I picked up a copy of Brown's book. Found positives and negatives.

Positives? the book certainly kept you riveted, main characters had little time to catch their breath. Attention to detail was another plus. Brown did tie all pieces together well.

Negatives? I found the characters very one dimensional. With so much action, there was little in the way of character development.

But the primary reason I would not recommend this book is its cross-pollinating of truth and fiction. As a religious scholar much of the dialog between Brown's ficitonal "scholars" left me wanting to join the debate. Much of the information was just plain wrong, dare I call it lies? And from many of the reviews I've read on this site, most have taken the bait - hook, line and sinker. Being a cynic, I wonder if Mr. Brown didn't deliberately muddy the waters between fact and fiction. His opening note that the places, documents, etc are true only made the distinction between fact and fiction even blurrier.

While the attention to details builds this book's positives, its lack of truth in those details makes this one book I cannot recommend.