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Summary: An incredible, fast-paced techno-thriller.
Review: This fabulous book draws the reader in with an incredible plot and refuses to let go. Filled with plot twists and hidden agendas, each revelation leads to a new possible solution. The reader constantly finds his or her own grasp of each situation being pulled away.
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Summary: Absolutely phenomenal! Treat yourself.
Review: I just read an advance copy of this book and absolutely loved it. I literally stayed up until dawn to see how it played out. It's got a great showdown and wild twist! This novel is both action-packed and highly intelligent -- with plenty of inside government info for spy-novel fans. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Brown crafts technology & suspense in a fast-paced thriller!
Review: This book grabbed my attention and never let me go! I was kept guessing until the end. For anyone intrigued with the possibilities of technology today, Digital Fortress is a must read!
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Summary: This is a great book, no doubt about it. Read in one sitting
Review: Do yourself a favor - get this book and find a nice Saturday afternoon to read it. What's great about it is that it not only is a great story, it's so relevant to everything that's going on in the world today. I actually came away feeling like I learned a lot about the government and the way it's dealing with the internet and the kinds of people involved. My favorite book in a while.
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Summary: Not bad, but obviously one of his earlier books
Review: Ok- first off... I really did enjoy this book. However, now that I have all 4 of Brown's novels, I have noticed a certain formula that Dan Brown uses.1- Use the word "Indredulous" as often as possible (although he kept the word to a minimum in "Digital Fortress" less than 10 occurrences).
2- The bad guy MUST be known by a term/phrase instead of a name (here he is known as "North Dakota").
3- The bad guy is double crossing the good guys... and you are NOT supposed to suspect this. 4- The novel must take place in the course of one day.
5- Your hero must wake-up and not have a clue that he will spend his entire day many miles away from home, while being chased by bad guys.
6- All good guys must be experts at something very arcane.
7- The ending must be weak. If you follow these steps you too can write a Dan Brown novel. ORRRR you can use this formula to figure out the book you are currently reading after about 100 pages. Of course, tweaks the formula for each of his books. However, "Digital Fortress" is clearly the little brother of all Brown's books. The plot is interesting and while the it certainly is a "Page Turner" you notice pretty quickly that everything doesn't quite add up. Like when the deaf guy notices all of the people entering the street because he HEARS a bell being rung. As others have pointed out, Brown has taken quite a few liberties with computer programming. Even though it took me two tries to get through FORTRAN, I had very little trouble figuring out a few of the mistakes. For the most part I enjoyed the novel. Since I know the Brown "Formula" it didn't take me very long to predict EXACTLY what would happen... but hey, sometimes a little predictability is ok!
Rating: 
Summary: A good weekend read when you want to kill time
Review: I have so far read 4 of Dan Brown's books (Angel & Demons, DaVinci Code, Deception Point & Digital Fortress) and three features of his writings stand out. First, audacious plotlines; Brown does not believe in small measures but goes out on a limb. The plotlines are way over the top but have just that crucial amount of credibility to draw in a reader, even when he knows it is fiction. Second, the pace is mercilessly quick; the entire plot of the book plays out over a few days at most. Last but for me the best of all, his books have a wealth of esoteric information that one would not normally read about. I found myself enthralled by a never ending series of factoids that had me rushing to the Internet for explanation or elaboration.
Digital Fortress follows the above lines. A quick capsule : Set with a cryptographic background, it describes a battle of wits between a governmental agency focused on breaking codes (used by good and bad guys alike in order to forestall terrorism) with a former employee who passionately believes in individual privacy. In a rapid-fire series of thrust and counter-thrust, the action cuts between Washington and Madrid with the standard does of blood, explosions and romance. Unlike Brown's other novels, this is very undemanding of a reader's intelligence - the average reader will see the signposts well before the protagonists themselves.
Sadly, there are flaws aplenty that seriously impact the plot credibility. Apart from the likelihood of an amateur professor being used as a proxy agent, the ease of the bypassing of the Gauntlet anti-virus software, particularly when Gauntlet safeguards not only TRANSLTR but also the databank is simply not possible. In such a situation there would be multiple layers of safeguards, not just a single bypass attributable to a single individual no matter how senior. More to the point, having raised the whole issue of individual privacy vis-Ã -vis governmental oversight, Brown never follows through on the implications. A pity, as this is of key topical importance as well.
Nevertheless, this is a good weekend read when you want to just enjoy a story and not get too caught up in the process. Three stars for that, with a star each subtracted for the plot credibility lapses and inadequate research.
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Summary: People love to whine
Review: I've read some of the other reviews on this board, and they seem to be coming from a bunch of whiners. Not to surprising considering this is Amazon. People are quick to point out it is technically inaccurate, but are not smart enough to tell you what those inaccuracise are. Not to mention they are assuming most of the world are software engineers. Anyway, I thought this was a great read, and a real page turner. Dan Brown does seem to use a formula, but doesn't every successful author? This book is worth reading unless you are one of the reviewers on this board whose life revolves around Star Trek and Japanese amime. If you have enjoyed his other work you won't be disappointed by this.
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Summary: Exhilarating thriller
Review: The more Dan Brown I read, the more I enjoy Dan Brown. The man is a master of the fast paced thriller and it is fun to watch his growth from one book to another even if I did begin my acquaintanceship with his blockbuster "The DaVinci Code." Brown's books always start fast and "Digital Fortress" is no exception. Ensei Tankado dies in a Seville plaza. He raises his hand, fingers outstretched . . . and dies. Susan Fletcher, a National Security Agency cryptographer is roused from her dreams first by a call from David Becker, her university professor boyfriend who tells her he has to postpone their planned weekend romantic retreat in order to fly off to an unknown destination. Seething and disappointed, her anger if interupted by a call from Commander Strathmore, her NSA boss asking - commanding - that she come in on this Saturday to help on an emergency project. It seems Tankado has launched an attack on NSA's most secret computers. From that point on, Brown takes you on a non-stop adventure - and it's fun. Brown's characters are well rounded and don't engage in super-heroics, though they do seem to catch more than their share of lucky breaks. But Brown's plotting carries you over those points so fast that you fail or simply don't want to notice them. For the thriller fan, "Digital Fortress" is an exhilarating read. Jerry
Rating: 
Summary: He needed a computer tech advisor
Review: There are so many inaccuracies in this book that it makes it difficult to keep reading. It gives a new slant to The Da Vinci Code. If that's as full of errors as this one, then the Catholic Church can rest its concerns. I could enumerate them, but this book isn't worth the time or effort. I'm sorry I bought it.
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Summary: Don't believe the hype...
Review: It is time for a reality check. Neither Tom Clancy nor the NSA has anything to fear from Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress." Immediately one thinks, "This is a novel written by yuppies, for yuppies." The shallow, off-the-shelf, characters are totally uninteresting and bland... You keep telling yourself, "Just deal with it. I'm just reading this to find out what the NSA can really do." Well, friends, it's a disappointment. Anyone with the technical acuity of a 6th grader will be bored with this book. There are no solid details. It's sooo watered down. You know how Clancy can go off for pages on some arcane weapon system, or how a satelite works, etc...? Minute details, right? Brown gives us NOTHING like that kind of insight. Digital Fortress reads like a fattened up movie script. Most of the bulk of the book is an irritating cat and mouse game that doesn't do anything for the story. There is nothing revolutionary here. The technical shortcomings will be obvious to anyone with the slightest hint of sophistication. The subject matter was over the head of the author, and it shows. It's almost embarrassing. I was so excited about this book when I first heard about it. Jesus, was I disappointed... This thing may appeal to highschool kids and bored housewives that need something to do while the laundry is drying. It's not good for much else. If you're interested in the world of electronic intelligence gathering, read Bamford's "Puzzle Palace." As dated as it is, it is still "the" text on the NSA. Hager's "Secret Power" is also one to get. These books are non-fiction. I gave "Digital Fortress" a 5 only because it manages to move along at a brisk pace.
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