Rating: 
Summary: Promising...but falls apart at the end
Review: I borrowed this from my mother who was reading it for her book club and finished it in a day and a half. Overall, it is a great plot, fast paced and exciting. The background he gives on the other view of the Holy Grail is interesting, as I've never heard about that theory before. I'm Catholic and I heard that the church was upset about this book, but truthfully, it really isn't that bad or much different than a movie like "The Last Temptation of Christ", which offers different views on religious characters that may offend some people. I kind of wish they would have explained more about the differences between the two Marys (Jesus's mother and Magdalene) and their roles in the church, how the mother of God was elevated to such high status in the Catholic church, especially. I think readers who are not Catholic and not aware of the strong Marian culture within the church that would find it interesting...it was kind of stressed how the church was patriarchal, male-dominated (still true in many instances) and didn't really recognize women too much. The intricate system of riddles the two main characters must solve are really well done and entertaining. I found the ending to be too cliqued (reunited with lost family and the two main characters ending up together) and it kind of ruined my overall review of the book. I would recommend it, but the ending could have been done better I think.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent. I could not put this book down.
Review: I bought and started reading this book in the Dallas airport. I continued to read on the plane....all the way to another airport (where I made my connection) and then onward to Baltimore. I could not put the book down. It made the long waits in the airports and the flights "Fly Right By" ! My flight attendant on the way home asked me how I liked the book (she was interested in reading it too) so I gave it to her. Hopefully she'll be able to put it down long enough to tend to her duties on the airplane. :-) Excellent piece of work!!!! 5 Stars!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Major disappointment + Poor narration = 1 star
Review: I bought into the hype over this book and approached it quite eagerly as it promised intrigue and devious puzzles and carefully researched history. Boy, was I disappointed! Dan Brown's writing is annoyingly repetitious (how many times does he use the phrase "the sacred feminine"?) He also has the irritating habit of telling the reader that he is withholding information just to make the reader wait. It's one thing to withhold information; it;s another to tell you it's happening. The former can lead to well-crafted suspense. The latter is just a crude attempt to be suspenseful. And the puzzles that are supposed to be so clever are pretty obvious - simple anagrams and basic ciphers. This is all compounded by the awful narration of Paul Michael who drones on and on with but a modicum of inflection. Even at the most harrowing moments (there are a few anyway) he never communicates any sense of danger or excitement; just a matter-of-fact recitation of Brown's prose.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of Money!
Review: I bought the book and I read it twice, just to make sure I would make a fair judgement about it. The book is fragmented and ridiculous, I would not recommend this to anyone unless they have a problem sleeping! This book promptly put me to sleep the first time I read it, and the second time I read the whole book I realized it was the story line, the plot leaves little to be desired! By the time a reader realizes why people are being killed you get bored with the book. I recommend for an EXCELLENT read, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, basically anyone but this person! The publishers Killed too many trees to make this book!
Rating:
Summary: Is Dan Brown a pen name for Danielle Steele?
Review: I bought the book for a good vacation read, but have read more eloquent prose in trashy romance novels. Do this to see if this book is more than a travel pamphlet for Europe. Go to Chapter 3, read the first paragraph out loud. I was so disappointed. The plot is also very transparent. I was not moved to read any of his other books if this is the sort of mush he serves his readers. Did anyone else realize AT ONCE that the 'language' was actually English written backward? How dumb is Rob, anyway? Save your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Unoriginal
Review: I bought this book after I read a newspaper review promising me an intellectual thriller full of clever puzzles and intriguing historical references. What a disappointment. The history is full of annoying minor and sometimes major errors and at least one glaring math error (an order founded in 1099 isn't more than a millennium old). The puzzles aren't particularly ingenious (why was the professional cryptographer unable to figure out the code to her granddad's bank vault while I got it at once?). Thrilling? Yes, the first 300 pages. Hence the extra star on top of the minimum of one.
However, the worst thing is, that this is just a rehash of Holy Blood, Holy Grail in novel format without adding anything of importance. I feared as much very early on, when the family name of the victim turned out to be Sauniere. If the review had mentioned this, I'd never have bought the book. I even wonder if Dan Brown wasn't hired by the remaining two of the original three authors of HBHG to rescue them from oblivion (they're in the book as Leigh Teabing: Leigh = Leigh...; Baigent = Teabing - I've seen better anagrams). I really wish that reviewer hadn't been so clueless. I feel cheated.
Rating:
Summary: Brava
Review: I bought this book after reading the first chapter on Amazon.com. I was hooked, after the first two chapters. I could not put the book down, my husband would have to remind me to come to bed. I have since recommended it to many members of my family and friends, and they all have had the same reaction. This book will be one of my all time favorites.
Rating: 
Summary: It Twisted Nicely
Review: I bought this book after watching Dan Brown interviewed by Matt on the Today Show. It was a good interview and the premise of a religious symbologist as a main character interested me. That coupled with my interest in the Knights Templar and the Catholic Church made it a necessary read for me. It was a good read. The premises it played with were fun, thoughtful and on occasion the author even managed to confuse me a little with his twists. I mean confusion in a good way. However, there were certain "symbols" which arose that I picked up on immediately and which took his main character far to long considering his profession. The cryptograms were fun to play with and the final twist was delicious although that was telegraphed a little as well. The writing is fast paced, very literate and I never got the feeling that the author was trying to show how bright he is, which is often the case in this type of thriller. It's a good, fun read...I recommend it. This was my first novel of Dan Brown's and I have just ordered Angels and Demons. He's not Umberto Eco...but who is?
Rating:
Summary: DaVinci Hype
Review: I bought this book based on the NY Times ecstatic review. It certainly did not live up to the hype. The most interesting parts were those giving the "historical" background to the grail legend. The rest was substandard suspense fare--one contrived cliff-hanger after another, written in some of the most amateurish prose I have ever read in a published novel. The characters are cartoonish, and the plot is so transparently mechanical you can see the gears turning as the author cranks up yet another improbable twist. The final revelations are of the type that give you a sinking feeling in your stomach. Botton line: this is a purely plot-driven book with interesting arcane religious lore thrown in.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read...
Review: I bought this book because I heard/read that it dealt with secrets of the Vatican, etc. I read it very quickly and found it to be fast-paced, full of action, you know, the whole nine yards. One thing I chuckle about is the fact that many people get their knickers in a twist when they read that a book is about how the Vatican has brainwashed billions of people over two thousand years. Relax...It is a book. No one ever said that this book is true...Dan Brown does so you will buy it and read it. I will read it again in a few months, knowing full well that I will enjoy it. In the end, I just say to...Read and enjoy.
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