Rating: 
Summary: Everything Good is Bad and Everything Bad is Good
Review: I dont like thrillers. I avoid them on the bookshelves. However, I bought this because of the subject matter. Da Vinci intrigues me and this book tied together all the loose theories about his sexuality, the Mona Lisas' smile and the hidden meaning in his Last Supper. This would have been enough, and all that I expected from this book but Brown doesn't stop there. Not only are Da Vincis' secrets revealed but material that heretofore has only been available in obscure out-of-print books.I loved the lecture-like documentary sections on symbolism and the distortion of history. This is the stuff I wish I had been taught in history class. The truth! The only thing that would have made this book better(for me) would have been the omission of the thriller genre and had it been written as non-fiction. As it is, I still recommend it highly! Its interesting that the protagonists' dilemna is whether or not the world should be privy to these earth shattering secrets while Brown gives it to the reader and thus the world in a form that makes it dismissive. Yet,on the other hand,it probably sells better as a novel,(thus disseminating the info to a wider audience) and also, cushioning the secrets in this genre may ease the pain for those offended at the thought of the existence of pre-christian spirituality and its distressful demise and cover up.It does turn everything upside down doesnt it?
Rating:
Summary: Fabricated History or Real Truth?
Review: I encourage anyone who reads this book to do so with an open mind. Whether the historical facts related within are actual truth or not, that does not take away from the fact that this is a good book. The pace is fast and what Brown relates interesting. I particularly like the idea of the sacred feminine and the secrets behind Da Vinci's paintings. As a Christian, this did encourage me to explore further the history of Christianity and the Catholic faith.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting topic, pedestrian writing
Review: I enjoy thrillers, and have more than a passing interest in history and theology. But this book was tough to finish -- the writing is pedestrian at best, and truly awful in places. Clichés abound. I'm a technical writer, and it disturbs me that such a poorly-written book has ascended to the top of the best-seller lists.
Rating:
Summary: Da Vinci Code warning label
Review: I enjoy well written novels. This one was well written for the first 100+ pages. But faltered with the action and chase scenarios. When the plot was developed I found myself not caring about it and lost the interest I had developed in the early stages of the novel. A word of warning: the book should be previewed before purchase. I would recommend reading pages 119-121, 124-126, and pages 231-233 to see if you are comfortable with the author's theme. For those who are not, it would be a waste to purchase this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I enjoyed most of the book, a definite page turner, but when I got to the end, it was like many other books in the genre, disappointing. The end simply didn't make sense and the dots just weren't connected. It was a let down after the roller coaster ride. I also thought the characters rather one-dimensional.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but...
Review: I enjoyed reading this book BUT if your main interest in this book is learning things about early Christianity that the average Christian doesn't want you to know, you are better off reading something else because Brown gets too many facts wrong to be trusted. It is simply wrong, for example, to say that no one thought of Jesus as divine until the Council of Nicea. (What about the docetists?) There were in fact a variety of early views that clashed. Try reading instead The Secret Gospel by Morton Smith. There are no car chases in Smith's book, but it is an interesting account of finding what seems to be a passage from a secret gospel of Mark. Moreover, it shows how a real scholar thinks, which includes considering alternative explanations. And Smith's conclusions are quite unorthodox, if that's what you're looking for.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to the hype
Review: I enjoyed the book and found the premise to be facinating. Good thing, because the details are tough to get through--very technical in some aspects. Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the book somewhat spoils it. Even more unfortunate, Dan Brown (author) does not draw a clear line between historical fact, his own hypothesis, and sraight out fiction. The reader, will need to read all of this with a grain of salt. The storyline has just enough elements of truth to be plausible, but not probable. Remember, IT'S FICTION!
Rating:
Summary: The Last Supper
Review: I enjoyed the book immensely. Just a comment on the review from "A reader from Evergreen, CO, United States": Please look carefully at Leonardo's painting of The Last Supper. To the left of Mary Magdalene/John we see Saint Peter with a furious visage and a KNIFE (!) in his right hand. His left hand is making a gesture of "I'll slice his/her throat!" across the throat of that figure of Mary/John. It's there to see -- Leonardo painted it that way. There is more to that painting than meets the eye -- and Dan Brown's book wrote it that way --saying the equivalent of "There's more in heaven and earth than in your history . . ."
Rating:
Summary: DaVinci or Monty Python?
Review: I enjoyed the provocative information about the Magdalene but it was spoiled by a mediocre "who dunnit." The killer (big psycho guy, lacking melanin) was something I'd have attributed to Monty Python. I recommend borrowing it from a friend or the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Some intriguing thoughts
Review: I enjoyed the religious intrigue of this novel and the clever way it blends history with intelligent speculation. Another novel like this is Glenn Kleier's THE LAST DAY, which is also a suspense thriller of the highest order, involved with the even-weightier matters of the Second Coming and fascinating twists on Revelations. Both of these books offer a banquet of food for thought, and I recommend them to readers who like to think outside the religious box.
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