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The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code

List Price: $44.95
Your Price: $29.67
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: surprised by how much I enjoyed it
Review: This book is a tremendous amount of fun. It's a beach read -- Brown's not trying to be Umberto Eco -- that I zipped through in a day. What's genius about it is that Brown takes something that most of us are steeped in and interested in, a particular faith, and asks the reader to approach it from a historical context instead of a divine one. He does a very good job of gathering a lot of facts (about Opus Dei, the Knights Templar, etc.) and weaving them together in a plausible "what if" scenario. Best of all, he gives a great gift to the reader in that he sparks your interest in investigating these things for yourself -- an impressive accomplishment.

He's a curious and inventive writer of pulp thrillers and he deserves his success. I'm looking forward to reading his other work.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Over-rated
Review: This book is a very average mystery decorated with some religious history, commentary and theory. As a religious studies student, I found that the religious references confused and far-fetched. I did however find some of the book interesting, but the characters and plot were predictable and forgettable.

At times this book is fun, but it's primarily bland and silly.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The New Philosophy
Review: This book is a wonderful book for people of all ages to read. It will open your eyes to a new way of thinking. I believe it will change your life if you follow these rules closely and are prepared for your life to be better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: More than worth it...
Review: This book is a wonderful examination of many of the beliefs that the world currently accepts as fact. The research and detail transport you through the story at an amazing pace. One of the strange things is that the entire story takes place in about a day and a half. For those reviewers, who have complained about the "expert" forgetting standard DaVinci history at points, neither of the main characters gets any sleep until the last 6 pages. They travel all over Europe on no rest. His forgetfullness can definitely be forgiven.
This book definitely ignited my interest in this topic. Be assured that the next time I look at a piece of art, I will remember a lot of the hidden meanings that are revealed here by Dan Brown.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ignore the Catholic's right wing reviews
Review: This book is a wonderful, historical, fictional NOVEL. If read with that in mind, it will fascinate you. Should you choose books based on reviews, then beware that it has twisted the undies of conservative Catholics! You who are looking to give it 1 star in the hopes I would be spared the mercy of reading such lies really do need to get a life! At some points a reader may even question truth from fiction, but at the conclusion I seriously doubt that the Catholic Church is in any jeopardy of losing true believers. A well written mystery for anyone -religious and non-religious readers. Enjoy!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: "Historical" Libel
Review: This book is a work of fiction contradicted by scholarly writing and historical authorities readily avilable. Yet, there is a real danger that readers will take it as historical fact swallowing whole the sensationalist writing, anti-Catholic bent, and conspiracy plots. Based on a perusal of the reviews here, many readers do take the writing as fact!! On the one hand, it's laughable that Americans rely on novels and Hollywood movies for an understanding of history. On the other, it is very sad and consequently, Mr. Brown should be embarrassed to propagate so much falseness and bigotry.

Most concerning, it mocks all that is revered by Christianity by cloaking inaccurate information as fact. Moreover, it defames and slanders real organizations such as Opus Dei and the Catholic Church by assigning them roles as participants in modern-day criminal and deviant acts. Apparently, it is permissible to write a Catholic-bashing book. In sharp constrast, look at the media frenzy that has arisen surrounding Mel Gibson's The Passion for even daring to depict Jews in a bad light. Would a publisher ever dream of printing such a book about Muslims or Jews?! No. But Catholicism is fair game.

The novel itself is poorly written consisting of shallow character devlopment and poorly crafted suspense; it relies on silly riddles and cliff-hangers at the end of ridiculously short chapters to ensure the reader will continue reading (in a book that numbers roughly 450 pages, there are 105 chapters). Overall, I am disappointed that Mr. Brown is making a fortune off unwitting readers.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AWESOME-I couldn't put it down
Review: This book is about a murder inside the Louvre. When a Professor meets a cryptographer, They are in for one long adventure! The book never ceases to be exciting, from one journey to the next.
I would reccommend this book to just about anyone!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing Book
Review: This book is absolutely amazing. I'd recommend it to anybody who has the time to sit and read. You might want to read Angels and Demons(also by Dan Brown) before reading the Da Vinci Code though since it is the beginning of Robert Langdon's story.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Reading at a 12th grade level
Review: This book is actually quite depressing, because its popularity is based upon a readership fairly unfamiliar with Western history (and Western art history). A few other reviewers are right on target in bringing up the fact that St. John is always portrayed as a "feminine" looking youth and that it is a real rookie move in art class to say "is that a girl in the painting with Jesus?". Folks with any regard for St. John or Mary Magdalene or Leonardo or the Knights Templar or Constantine or Isaac Newton or Victor Hugo shouldn't read this book unless they are looking to raise their blood pressure.

Material in this book that hasn't been lifted from a legitimate source like "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" appears to have been copied from Fundamentalist comic books ("Constantine worshipped the sun god, and was not a Christian!"). Other parts are strangely New Age, touting the human nature of Christ and the pairing of the feminine and masculine in the Deity. This book has the capacity to make almost every reader angry. Why is it so popular?

If you want make-believe "conspiracy theory" history, read Ishmael Reed's "Mumbo Jumbo", which is at least presented as a joke.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book is amazing, I haven't finished it yet so I'm hoping it continues this way, but if you have the chance to read it, DO.


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