The Da Vinci Code

Rating:
Summary: DaVinci Code is Divine
Review: I can't tell potential readers anything more about the story than other reviewers have covered here, but I do want people to know they need to take a trip to see the places mentioned in the book. Use DaVinci Code as a travel guide. Seeing the Monna Lisa, the floors in the Louvre, the frescoes, and the churches makes the book mean so much more. So many more truths are out there.

Rating:
Summary: This is a must read
Review: I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of this fact based fiction book but it fast paced, exciting read. The story is immediately grabbing and the chapters are short enough to pull you right through the book.

One intersting thought is that the story is so intriguining that the characters are secondary to the quest they are on.

I could not put it down and read this one in one day! Enjo

Rating:
Summary: Supremely Entertaining
Review: I cannot believe that so many people were worked up about the content of this book. Take it for what it is - a mystery thriller.

This is not a reserach on theology or religion. All Mr Brown did was to collect what were out there and tied themm into a damn entertaining novel. He did not make up any of the stuffs - Opus Dei, Da Vinci, Priory Sion, Phi... They were all out there. Alternate explanation of Bible is, well, as old as Bible.

Granted, all the puzzles and plot twists and historical anecdotes did not leave much room for real character development, but this is undoubtedly an interestinig yarn. Don't you find this type of thriller refreshing amongst all the stories about serial killers, homocidal cops, super lawyers and forensic medical examiners?

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read!
Review: I cannot sufficiently describe how fascinating I found this book. I bought it because I enjoy a good mystery, but it is so much more! Not only is it a fast-paced novel of suspense full of twists and turns, but it is also packed full of fascinating facts about history, art, science, and religion. Nearly every time I turned a page, I discovered a new fact that made my jaw drop. Given how surprised I was by a lot of the information in the book, I did a bit of superficial research on the web and discovered that his facts and theories are well-supported by many others, as well. I dare say I learned more interesting information from reading this novel than in any science, history, or art class I took in college ... and definitely more than I ever learned from my church.

Never before has a work of fiction sparked an academic curiosity in me until "The Da Vinci Code." As a result of reading this book, I bought several resources regarding the religious history and theories researched by Dan Brown -- something I never thought I would be interested in -- and I can't wait to learn more. I have also shared this book with every member of my family, who all also loved it, including my father, who generally only reads non-fiction.

If you buy only one book this year, make it this one!

Rating:
Summary: Only sinners will read this book!
Review: I cannot tell you how much I hated this book and urge you to boycott it. I am a lifelong Republican and activist. My party stands for those who are successful, Christian minded, and controlling those who want to hurt American business.

- First of all, how dare you oppose Bush in not supporting of the glorious war and Crusade against non-Christian infidels? What's all this bull about WMDs? Saddam killed, so we killed, might makes right in any sensible mind. So all those who are against Bush are going to hell.

- Democrats are all renegade swine, quite frankly, and it's a crying shame they are even allowed to vote. Jesus would have supported Bush in his war against muslim sheep and cutting funds for people who are disabled, crippled, retarded, old, etc. It's their own fault, Bush didn't make these losers the way they are.
- So Bush didn't win the popular election; God wanted him to be President, God didn't trust the 'popular majority' and God wanted a military hero like Bush in office. Thank God for our unbiased Supreme Court.
- Furthermore, how dare you show narrow-minded animosity at Bush when he is a self made man. Don't believe those who say the US doesn't have enough jobs. If the Mexicans can find jobs, so can you. Republicans get better jobs because we know the game, know how to take advantage of the system, and because of our Godly contacts.

You should buy Anne Coulter books instead. She is the leading spokeswoman for the Republican party because she knows and speaks our truth. Quotes from her:
• "I think [women] should be armed but should not [be allowed to] vote...women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend it....it's always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care."-- Politically Incorrect, 2/26/01
• "...a cruise missile is more important than Head Start."-- Speech, 11/01, rebroadcast by C-Span in Jan. 2002
• "In his brief fiery ride across the landscape, Joe McCarthy bought America another thirty years. For this, he sacrificed his life, his reputation, his name. The left cut down a brave man, but not before the American people heard the truth."-- The Drudge Report, quoting from Coulter's new book, Treason, 6/19/03

• "We hate them. Americans don't want to make Islamic fanatics love us. We want to make them die. There's nothing like horrendous physical pain to quell anger. A couple of well-aimed nuclear weapons will get our opposition out of the way."-- Column, 9/25/02
• "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."-- Column, 9/13/01
• "We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too. Otherwise, they will turn out to be outright traitors."-- Speech to Conservative Political Action Conference, January 2002

• "Soldiers are just cowards with their backs against the wall. The lowest IQ men in our society, those incapable of normal careers enlist. Their choice in life; prison or the military. Some will have to die in the support of our cause."-- Intervention Magazine, 11/06/03
• "The only beef Enron employees have with top management is that management did not inform employees of the collapse in time to allow them to get in on the swindle."-- Column, 1/24/02
• "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."-- New York Observer interview, 8/20/02
• "Then there are the 39 million greedy geezers collecting Social Security. The greatest generation rewarded itself with a pretty big meal."-- WorldNetDaily, 12/10/03

My hero is the Ex-House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, GOP presidential prospect, and architect of the Republican Party's failed impeachment of President Clinton. He only failed because Newt was having an affair. Who could blame Newt, his wife went and got sick with cancer. That was completely different from Clinton.
Unlike Clinton, Newt was smart enough to divorce his wife after she got sick and could no longer drag him down with her.

Lastly, how dare you stumblingly expose your miscreant incompetence with rantings against the Patriot Act. In my mind
Some Americans have too many Constitutional rights. The Bill of Rights should not even apply to the blue-collar middle classes who are too stupid to get involved. No Bush hating media or newspapers should have 'freedom of the press,' since they only have their rights and freedoms because the rich allow them to have them. Ever see some poor slob or middle class idiot who owned a newspaper company?

You defamatory libelous, uneducated swine should keep your comments to yourselves or we'll send your job overseas. Go out and burn this book now! I'll pray everyone who buys this book will burn in hell!

Rating:
Summary: Breaking the code...
Review: I carried a copy of this book with me to the seminary one day and was asked by one of my fellow students, 'How can you read that? It is so anti-catholic, isn't it?'

Yes, there is an anti-catholic undercurrent here. It is part of the artistic license of an author to be able to get away with such things -- is it the author, or the stories and characters in the plot that are to blame? In fact, without the anti-catholic strand running through this novel, it loses some credibility; just as a show without the character you-love-to-hate would be diminished, so too would this novel. And that is how I have treated this (given that I generally have an anti-anti-catholic bias) -- it is a piece of the novel, and thus a piece of fiction. Often the pieces of history that would support this anti-catholic bias are historically inaccurate, and any good editor could catch them -- this is part of why I must view it as intended to be part of the fiction, rather than an essential element of the author's intention. As a diatribe against Catholicism specifically or religion generally, it would be a failure.

As it is, The Da Vinci Code is an intriguing mystery novel with interesting characters and fascinating plot development. It reminds me in certain respects of Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose', with intricate plot developments that hinge on history, art, symbols, and mystery that might never be discerned.

We have secret societies and great historical secrets here. The Priory of Sion (an actual ancient society) is featured, being the same society to which the murder victim (an art historian and museum director at the Louvre) and Da Vinci both belonged -- the secrets are handed down from age to age, and yet, appear in plain sight (through art work of Da Vinci, no less) for those clever enough, or with sufficient initiation into the gnostic knowledge, to understand.

Age-old mysteries such as what exactly the Mona Lisa is smiling at, and what is the secret of the Holy Grail, get intertwined as the deepening mystery takes our hero Robert Langdon and heroine Sophie Neveu through Europe past and present. There is an element of Indiana Jones here, too, who had his own secret society trying to protect the secrets of the Grail. Also, the authorities are after the duo becomes the object of suspicion (due to Langdon's name being found in the final message of the murder victim, Sauniere) in addition to being the ones sorting out the mysteries.

Again, reminiscent of Eco, there are multiple mysteries in multiple layers here. Symbols, language and linguistics, codes, and historical mysteries crop up on a regular basis as the chase commences in Paris and proceeds apace to London. There have been other murders! There are other issues involved! Is history about to be rewritten? Just what is history?

In classic style, the real mystery is not who did the killing (although I'm not going to tell you that here, anyway), but rather why the murder (and the other murders) took place. This is the kind of book that draws one in and asks to be read again to make sure clues were not missed and dropped along the way. There is a relatively tight weave here, without too many loose ends. A good read, an intelligent mystery -- just remember, this is a work of fiction.
Four and a half stars.

Rating:
Summary: A Real Page Turner
Review: I could barely put this book down! Dan Brown is an excellent storyteller. He makes this very controversial topic read like an action novel. Excellent read.

Rating:
Summary: Plot bad, Expose IMPORTANT
Review: I could not put the book down though I almost NEVER read mysteries or thrillers, they're all so predictable. Important information is posessed by some unsupecting schlub, strange people try to kill you but righteousness triumphs in the end, and oh yeah, you HAVE to fall in love and get the girl . Yawn. This book was a tad too pulp in plot for my taste.
However, this book exposed me to informnation I've never given much thought to. I found it mindblowing. No wonder we think sex is dirty and women have been kept down throughout the ages. I was raised a catholic and I don't doubt what Mr. Brown says the Church did to condolidate it's power. I've always thought religion (particularly Judeo-Christianity) was a means of social control. You'll burn in hell if you do thus and so..
I'm sure there are better books on this subject, less pulpy and more informative but this one was my first introduction into the history of western religion and my interest has now been stimulated.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read!!
Review: I could not put the book down!! I received this book for Christmas and finished it in three days. I'm going to purchase Angels and Demons

Rating:
Summary: superb read, very fun
Review: I could not put this book down and had to finish it in 3 days. this was my first Dan Brown novel and I hope he can continue writing great stories such as this one.