The Da Vinci Code

With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh

After all these years Dan Brown's bestseller still tops the list of most read and discussed and argued over novels...quite an accomplishment...but the Code is far more than that. It's a scientific inquirer that makes you want to research the book soon after opening its binding...yet it's more than that. The historical and artistic aspects of it will raise your awareness levels to heights that you'll be unable to resist discussing them with friends, families, and even strangers. Chalked full of puzzles that get the reader involved early and a pace that never slows down...combine to create a novel for the ages...I highly recommend reading it...if you haven't already. I would also recommend to readers of great historical novels..the book "Sirens by Tin Geo" Sirens: A Novel all the above applies for this title as well...except its roots are Greek Myth.

Rewrite history and you have bestseller that sold million of copies worldwide. The masses can't be wrong? It depends. The book is fun, but far away from any masterpiece. If the reader knows history of Europe, the religious dogmas, the raise of Christianity, then there is no better book to gets good laughs while reading it.

Catholic church has denied the ultimate truth and sealed the greatest mystery behind Vatican's doors; the Mary's blood line and cover up of her relationship to Jesus. Gift wrapped in a religious sect chase for Holy Grail and its secrets. Dot by dot clues everywhere waiting to be solved, exotic locations to visit, romance at Paris, mystic Opus Dei religious sect and everybody is on chase or being chased. A sure formula to success.

The problem is that the historical elements are too incoherent and cause reader to keep getting dismayed by the "Uh" and "Oh's" of the mistreatrements and conclusions. Brown's historical bricks build the house to stand on rumors (represented as facts), imaginative connections (unreal facts) to seal the plot and falsehoods to pave the walkway. The thrill is not there because too much is covered in the book: all religious issues are subjected to pot of hodgepodge where Brown cooks and boils almost any ingredients teared from their real historical backgrounds. The less reader is familiar with the tenets the book knots together, the more he is undoubtedly exited by the conclusions and conspiracy theories drawn.

One (1) star. The idea is interesting, but the prose used in the book is blatant, reads like movie transcription (which it did), and uses wrong approach to appeal intellectual readers: smashing and cooking everything in a Holy Kettle dries out the story and depletes all vibration. On the bright side, if one is unfamiliar with the history of Europe and Christianity, the reader will get a ride of a lifetime for sure. For those readers: 3 to stars.

Dan Brown took an established plot formula, injected a few tricks from action/adventure flicks, and then spiced the concoction with religious controversies that insured broad and shrill media attention. Brilliant. The Da Vinci Code sold 100 million copies to become one of the best selling novels of all time.

The borrowed plot formula comes from Robert Ludlum. A man and a woman come together by chance and get enmeshed in a deadly mystery which forces them to run for their lives. A chase occurs in exotic locations, mostly in Europe. With both good guys and bad guys in close pursuit, the thrown-together couple must solve a deep puzzle to save the free world and their own lives.

Action/adventure flicks jerk you into the story from the get-go and use sub-second cuts to give the impression of frenetic movement. The Da Vinci Code starts with a gruesome murder in an bizarre location and then the entire 400+ page plot takes place in a single day. Despite the brevity of the storyline, the book has over a hundred chapters--some as short as a half page.

The Da Vinci Code challenges core Christian beliefs and presents elements of the Catholic Church as a vast, centuries-old conspiracy intent on preserving power at any cost. This was a theme that was sure to generate expansive publicity and even admiration in some secular quarters.

Combine these three elements with a smooth writing style that never distracts the reader from the story and you have a blockbuster bestseller.

I liked the book. In fact, I read it twice. But then, I love action/adventure mysteries and ignored the cultural sniping. If you like a good story--and you're one of the sixteen people who haven't read The Da Vinci Code--then buy this book because it's a fun read.

The Shopkeeper
The Shut Mouth Society
Leadville.

I finally got to pick up The Da Vinci Code, after seeing the movie a couple of years ago. I think by seeing the movie first, and then reading the novel afterwards makes the book much richer. I was impressed that the movie followed the novel pretty closely, with only minor changes. What makes this book so impressive is that it really makes you think about the concepts in the novel. It is clearly marketed as fiction, yet the Catholic Church seemed to treat this novel as heresy.

As a novel it makes you really think about the possibilities in a plausible manner. Even the History Channel still replays the Da Vinci Code revealed special, which walks through the points made in a book. Isn't this the purpose of a really good book, to make the reader think about the story long after reading it?

Now I'm eagerly awaiting the next movie from Dan Brown, Angels and Demons - and then I'll read the novel after seeing the movie!

I knew better than to take this book at anything more than what it is: A work of fiction. With that approach, I found it very fun to read. The plot is interesting, the characters are well written and believable, and there is enough back-story to help suspend disbelief.