Rating: 
Summary: Good idea, mediocre writing, lazy editing
Review: This has all the makings of a bestseller (mystery, conspiracy, murder, romance), but the quality of the writing handicaps this book. Although Brown obviously scoured books and other sources to piece together his plot, he ought to have put the same effort into studying the general layout of Paris and the psychology of her people. Although it might look great in a movie, it's not physically possible to drive into the Tuileries Gardens from the direction the hero, Langdon, did in Chapter 4 (It's ringed by a twelve-foot wall on that side; there are switchback steps of course, but....). I am also unsure of why the DCPJ officer who drove Langdon from the Ritz to the Louvre left the hotel (located in Place Vendome) drove past Opera Garnier and then back through Vendome before actually heading toward the Louvre. And during Langdon's and Sophie's escape from the Louvre in Chapters 32 and 33, they might have saved an awful lot of time and actually made it to the Embassy before the DCPJ officers if they had just driven straight down rue de Rivoli (which becomes avenue Gabriel at the same exact place where the Embassy is located)...and when Sophie "cuts sharply past the luxurious Hotel de Crillon," had she looked to her left, she might have seen the Embassy just on the other side of the (very small) street, a whole lot closer than "less than a mile away." (Brown is also not quite up with the times; it took several references to a "rotary" before I realized he was talking about a "roundabout" and the heroine's "SmartCar" is generally referred to as a "Smart.") There are many symbols of France, and to a symbologist, perhaps, the Eiffel Tower would reign supreme, but not in the opinion of the general Frenchman-in-the-street. As far as Brown's general writing, I kept forgetting that Sophie was French, because her dialogue was written in American vernacular, and I had trouble imagining that Langdon felt anything more than brotherly toward her (her patronized her, he protected her, he educated her...hmmm, strange chauvanistic behaviour for a believer in the sacred goddess...but he never seemed to truly be attracted to her.)The protaganist, Robert Langdon, "senses" things at least twenty times in the first 100 pages when Brown should have been more precise, allowing his character to see, hear, guess, assume, deduct or even *know* those very same things. As other people have mentioned, the (non)religious aspects of this book are rehashed, centuries-old heresies and conspiracies, but I wouldn't have minded so much if I hadn't wasted my time reading such a poorly edited book. I wonder how many unpublished authors with outstanding manuscripts were turned down so that Doubleday could pour money into marketing "The Da Vinci Code"? Skip this book. If you're interested in the Holy Grail, the sacred goddess, or any of the other fringe religion aspects of this book, you could find the information much more quickly by doing a search on the internet...and it would probably be a better read.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't get it
Review: This has been on the top seller's list for a while, everyone is talking about it, and I don't understand what the big fuss is. I don't really see where the controversy comes in because people with at least some education or who do even the littlest amount of research (google, anyone?) will easily pick up on how genuinely ridiculous some of Dan Brown's "facts" are and understand that it is a work of fiction. But, I don't care about the factual validity to it because it *is* a fiction book. It looks to me that because he isn't the best writer, Dan Brown had to take (very) generous license to make everything to fall into place. What I care about is that it isn't even incredibly entertaining. It has an extremely formulaic approach and is filled with little "puzzles" to solve throughout. Maybe it's just me, but I grew bored with puzzle-solving before I even hit high school, which worked out well because these puzzles seemed to be at junior high level in difficulty. His main character, Robert Langdon, has more knowledge of what is going on than the reader, which always feels like a cop-out on the author's part. If an author won't reveal to the reader what the character already knows, it's usually due to an attempt to keep the reader turning the page to find out the tidbits that are kept secret since the story won't retain their attention; this does work, but it never makes a good book. Dan Brown seems to excel in this technique and I must admit that I found his writing so mediocre that if it wasn't for my irrational desire to figure out certain plot points that Robert already knew and wouldn't tell us, then I would have stopped reading. A good book should be able to reveal everything to the reader that the main character knows and still keep the reader hooked, because otherwise, why bother telling Robert's story if the author's not even going to tell it? Also, I hate chapters that end with "dun, dun, dun!" so you have to start the next chapter to see if the person really loses his or her head or if the hero really caught the bad guy only halfway through the book. Yet again, another writing stunt I thought I had left behind when I stopped reading Nancy Drew. I did like the historical sites sprinkled throughout, from museums to cathedrals to chapels; it was fascinating to learn about some places I've never heard of. Again, he took great license with the historical facts, but at least, because of my curiosity, it led me to do research on the locations and find out some interesting facts about medieval landmarks. The only reason I can figure that such a poorly written book is doing so well is because of all the publicity generated over the "controversy." The reason I picked up this book is because I bought into the "everyone is doing it, so it must be good" mentality. My recommendation? Don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: This is just plain silly
Review: This has got to be a record number of theories that can packed into one story. I have never read such a disjointed, mishmash of unresearched untruths in my entire life...The Georgia O'Keefe and Disney tie-ins were pretty absurd to say the least. Why do people eat this ...up? I am going to ask for my money back.
Rating: 
Summary: Left me speechless...
Review: This has got to be one of the most amazing mysteries I have EVER read. I initially resisted this book becuase of all the initial hype (don't ask!) but finally decided to give it a shot- I'm so glad I did. This book grabbed me from the first few pages and I stayed up all night to read it. As a first time mom of a 3 month old, willing to give up precious hours of sleep is a BIG deal! I wish this book had been another 300 pages long, I did not want it to end. My only complaint is that I wish the publishers had included illustrations of the three paintings discussed in the novel, instead, I just hopped online to see if I could catch some of the things Dan Brown talked about. Loved the book and also "Angels and Demons" is very good too!
Rating:
Summary: A Real Page Turner
Review: This has got to be the best book that I have read in a very long time. Having a Catholic school education, it certainly made me question some of things that I was taught. This could very well be true. Also, I will never be able to look at another DaVinci painting again.
Rating:
Summary: Hardy Boys meet the Pope
Review: This has to be one of the most unusual and fascinating mystery novels! At times it is thought provoking; at other times, it is reads like a junior high adventure story, but it always makes the reader go on to just one more chapter. The mixture of art, religious symbolism, paganism, and secret societies is fascinating. Although to some, this may appear as anti-Catholic, I didn't find it so, but felt that a respect for real faith in a loving God came through. The situations are bizarre and contrived, but this truly fictional book caused me to think about how much we don't understand, and that the road to how we got to where we are as modern day "religious" people has never been straight. This book made me shake my head and smile and think of Shakespeare's line: "Lord, what fools these mortals be [and have been]" Read it for what it's worth, nothing more, but if you want a real page-turner with some interesting historical minutiae, do read it.
Rating:
Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: This intricate web of fact and fiction is quite possibly the best book I have ever read. Dan Brown does a great job of keep the mystery suspenceful while also showing you things from almost everyone in the novels perspective. I learned more from this book than I have in any other, the fight between the Priory of Sion and the catholic section Opus Dei leads to an interesting climax and alot of action.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: This is a 5 star book if ever I've read one. I'd like to thank the publisher for printing it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good premise, bad execution
Review: This is a book I have very mixed feelings about. While I am very glad that the facts of Christian history are finally reaching the general public, & that the indispensable "Holy Blood Holy Grail" is back on the best seller lists thanks to "The DaVinci Code", I regret that the novel itself is not a better one. Putting the underlying premises aside, & simply reading "the DaVinci Code" as one would any other thriller, the reader is left with one impression: Dan Brown is not a particularly good writer. Without the (to many) sensationalistic aspects of this story, I doubt Dan Brown would ever have found many buyers of his books. His primary fault as a writer is that his characters (from protagonists Robert Langdon & Sophie Neuveu down) are cardboard. They never "live". Each is given one or two defining "quirks" such as Langdon's Mickey Mouse wristwatch, but a quirk does not a character make. The reader simply has no idea who these characters are. They react, they make speeches to each other, but they never come alive as individuals in the reader's mind. In a thriller, this would normally be a fatal flaw, since, to be thrilled, one has to care about the characters as if they are real people. Dan Brown never achieves this in "the DaVinci Code". If you have already read "Holy Blood Holy Grail", you won't find anything particularly new or interesting about "The DaVinci Code". If you haven't, by all means read / buy this book (AND "Holy Blood Holy Grail"). It is a good introduction to some 2000-year-old secrets. Just don't expect good narrative fiction, because Dan Brown has not delivered that.
Rating:
Summary: A Religious Experience
Review: This is a book of fiction, which incorporates many historical anecdotes regarding Christ's life. Having never heard any of these anecdotes, I thoroughly enjoyed the "alternative" theories explored in the book. Nowhere does the author force feed the reader any particular version of the "truth," but rather he allows the reader to think for him/herself. The storyline, I thought, was fast-paced and exciting. The more I read, the more I felt at ease with some of my own personal views that would contradict those of organized religion. I think the best aspect of the book is that it harmonizes the literal interpretations of religion with artistic interpretations of it. The truth, as is often the case, most likely lies somewhere in between. I felt at peace with my own views after reading this book, and therefore felt enlightened. Finally, as is the theme of the book itself, read the book and judge for yourself whether you like it or not. I personally, loved it; you may not, but decide for yourself! That is the essence of religion freedom.
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