Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time and money
Review: I am a PhD in philosophy, well-acquainted with art and ecclesiastical history, literature and theology. The plot is foolish, it is weak and contrived, and the characters are cartoons. Any soi-disant 'research' done in preparation for writing this book could've been better accomplished though Classics Comics. Theological inconsistencies abound, such as a root question: why might such a preposterous ruse ever have been initiated in the first place? I noted that Brown refers to Leonardo as 'DaVinci,' a nomenclature never used by art historians, who refer to him as 'Leonardo.' The representation of Opus Dei was patently fabricated ab ovo, bearing no relation to the real entity; this is the case whether one loves or loathes the prelature in question. As is also the case with his other work, Brown is at it again making a fast dollar from a gullible and uncultivated public.
Rating:
Summary: At first glance, brilliant, at second glance.......ugh
Review: I am a teenager and an avid reader who bought this book because of its excellent reviews. I found it to be incredibly exciting as I read it, full of interesting twists and turns and secrets revealed. However, when I recently skimmed several of my favorite passages, I was disappointed to discover that the novel was not nearly as good as I first thought. The "ingenious twists and turns" have a great similarity to the action seen in a thousand cheap thriller novels. Plus, there are certain glaring historical inaccuracies, such as: 1) The book claimed that Jesus was never referred to as divine until a certain council voted on the subject. Not true. Jesus said that he was the son of God, his followers said he was the son of God, and many people believed he was the son of God long before the council. The council was simply to make official what so many people already believed. 2) Langdon refers to Leonardo as a "flamboyant homosexual." Much like Michelangelo, the subject of the great artist's sexual orientation is still under debate. 3) The book seems to regard the presence of...a certain someone...in Leonardo's painting as evidence that....a certain someone....was actually there when the Last Supper took place. Question: How can you use the paintings of a man who lived 1500 years after the event as evidence of "what really happened" at the Last Supper? Basically, though the book is well-written enough to make you overlook many of its flaws, take religous, artistic, and historical statements with several grains of salt. All of what I've said and more is discussed in an article published in the New York Times, if you care to look it up.
Rating: 
Summary: A Life Altering Book
Review: I am a thirteen year old girl who lives in a really small town. There isn't much to do, so I have always been a very active reader. I bought this book, and started reading it about a week later. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I had it finished in less than two days time. I loved it! It is an amazing book, I suggest it to anyone and everyone!
Rating:
Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: I am about one third into this book, and I am enjoying it tremendously. I have studied art history extensively and would like to comment on Leonardo Da Vinci's name. Leonardo Da Vinci is known both as Leonardo and Da Vinci. Especially in Europe he is known as Da Vinci. I will write more as I finish the book.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, thrilling, a must read!!
Review: I am amazed at how many people feel they need to write an essay when the review books. I absolutely loved this book! It is exciting and suspenseful. Yes it does stretch the imagination to buy into the description of the Holy Grail but so what? I am a strong Catholic and I think Dan did a great job of expanding my mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Simply dreadful
Review: I am amazed that no other reviewer has even commented on the shockingly incongruent battle scene involving Langdon, Sophie and the sinister Father Fabrizio Canteloppi, the nunchuk wielding Bishop of Barcelona.
Why did author Dan Brown include this highly unusual battle sequence in the first place? It serves no purpose, it is quite confusing and there is absolutely no resolution or further mention of it at the novel's completion. A loose end that was never tied up in this reviewer's highly qualified opinion.
During a break in the novel's action, Langdon and Sophie are hastily consuming common American food fare and American champagne (Coca-Cola) in one of their ubiquitous golden arched restaurants that spoils our otherwise pristine city of Paris. They are suddenly, savagely and quite inexplicably attacked by Canteloppi, nunchuks a-flying. How revolting.
Did Brown really need to write nearly six pages of mind-bogglingly detailed descriptions of the ensuing carnage? Pickles flying, people screaming, battered lettuce strewn everywhere, abused condiments staining patron's clothing and several innocent bystanders being horrifically pummeled by flying fried potato slivers? Was this all necessary? I think not.
Had this been a film, no doubt the sinister Father Fabrizio Cantelloppi would have had mismatched American dubbed dialogue over his sonorous Italian voice. The residents of the forty-eight contiguous states of North America will read anything apparently. Two stars for featuring our gorgeous city of lights as the bastion of superior culture that it truly is.
Rating:
Summary: What is so startling about this silly book?
Review: I am amazed that so many people have been taken in by this trite, poorly written novel. The supposedly explosive subject matter is common knowledge to anyone who is evenly reasonably well-read, and it has been discounted long ago. Books like Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and a plethora of others about Mary Magdalene are based on much spurious information and an abundance of paranoia about and downright hatred of Catholicism. It is easier for most people to comfort themselves by bashing the Bible than for them to read it and live it. I am surprised that I hear intelligent people trumpeting these half-baked theories about a Catholic conspiracy. I thought we left that garbage back in the days when it was commonly believed that Catholics ate babies, drank blood, and stored guns under their churches so they could eventually take over the world. Even my Wiccan friends are laughing at this one!!
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely interesting, but a cookie cutter plot
Review: I am an art major, and had just completed art history on the the Renaissance when I got this book from the library. My friends had told me wonderful things about it, and I was excited to read it. I did indeed find it fascinating, but not for the story line. In fact, the detective story was cookie cutter, and I found that I could predict things several chapters before they actually happened. No, the intruiging part for me was the immaculate research on Da Vinci and the secret society and the concept of the holy grail that Dan Brown did. It was the first time I had been exposed to these ideas, and found them impecably interesting. It was like taking a history class in a book, where learning is made more interesting. I'm not sure that I believe everything that he wrote is true, but it is certainly another way to look at certain events, and it is something to keep in mind. I am eager to learn more on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutley Wonderful!!
Review: I am an avid book reader of all types of categories. I can absolutley tell you without a shadow of a doubt, this book was
one of the best ever written! Its a true page turner from page one on. The moment Robert Langdon answers the door to the end of the book is one surprise after another. The history that is revealed in this book is utterly amazing! And well worth the time to look it up on the internet. Especially if your not familiar with Da Vinci, Priory of Sion, etc. The descriptions of the many places visited, made me believe and think i was actually there. This is truly a wonderful, well written book.
I love it! I am a Dan Brown fan now!
Rating:
Summary: An unbelievable Experience
Review: I am an avid reader, going through a minimum of 5 books a week, and I would rate this as the top pick of my year so far. The book was well researched, and managed to be enlightening and entertaining at the same time, a difficult task for even the most seasoned writers. Brown tells the simple story of a man framed for murder, and his escape from the French police with the help of the granddaughter of the man he supposedly murdered and assorted friends. What makes this interesting and different from all the other basic frame-up thrillers? The interplay of an ancient legend, the Priory of Sion, and the Holy Grail into the story. Yes, this has been written before, but never in such an intricate display of detail with attention to entertainment value as well. Don't take this with a grain of salt, and don't pass up the book for something you might think is lighter. For those who enjoy thrillers, self-acclaimed history buffs, and the general public, this is an excellent pick, worthy of the time it will take to read.
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