Rating: 
Summary: Perfect beach Book
Review: This summer's hot bestseller is fast-paced, well-written and fun--just take it all with a grain of salt! Create a rather tweedy American professor, a gorgeous red-headed Italian detective and a bizarre murder, and you have the stuff of hundreds of mysteries--but toss in the current fad for art-related novels ("Girl with the Pearl Earring") and interest in the seamier side of Catholicism, and you have a winner! The "DaVinci Code" presents a timeless theme, the search for the Holy Grail, as a search to uncover the truth about the sacred feminine in Catholicism, which the male dominated establishment Church has supressed for centuries. Brown's introductory footnote regarding the truth of much of the material in the novel overstates his case--even the most cursory search on the internet suggests that the facts are highly disputed, Brown's interpretations of Leonardo's work hardly mainstream, and even the existence of a group like the Priory of Sion is a lot murkier than the novel suggests. Much has been written about factual inaccuracies in the book--"The Last Supper" is not a fresco for example, and the "Madonna of the Rocks" is painted on wood, not canvas.But never mind--it's a great read. The book will send you to the library to look at some of Leonardo's works again, and I'm sure there's already a big increase in tourists at Rosslyn Chapel in England and St. Sulpice in Paris, not to mention the Lourve. The action incredibly takes place all in 24 hours, and at the end all the villians but one get let off the hook in a rather simplistic conclusion, but don't let that spoil the fun. Brown has hit on a winning formula---one we're sure to see at the movies soon!
Rating: 
Summary: An Edge of Your Seat Thriller
Review: This thriller starts off fast from the beginning and never slows. From the opening pages this suspense filled novel makes you grip your seat tensely awaiting the next encapsulating event. Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon has no idea what he has gotten himself into when he submits a rough copy of a book to his editor for review. The book, holding many links to ancient pagan religions and references catches the eye of one Jacques Sauniere, renowned for his position as curator of the Louvre museum in Paris. When Robert is aroused out of bed by the French police to investigate the murder of Jacques Sauniere, he ends up in a precarious situation. Wanted for a murder that he did not commit, Robert, with the help of French symbologist Sophie Neveu, eludes the French police while helping to discover a secret in danger of being lost forever. Taking many different perilous and deceiving paths and solving riddle after riddle throughout the book, this duo inches closer every moment to discovering something capable of changing history. This book keeps you guessing until the final pages, leaving you stunned with its amazing ideas and raw brilliance.
This book holds so much for every reader to be amazed by that it is hard to pick certain points that you liked about it. One of the best things about this novel is the ingenious riddles that fill the pages. The mind games located throughout The Da Vinci Code consume you and keep you guessing with every new puzzle. Also, suspense is present from the very first paragraphs, making the book that much more unbearable to put down. Geography buffs and people familiar with certain parts of England as well as France can get an extra dimension out to this book because of the real life places the story takes place in. It is hard to name all the pros regarding this novel, this is sure to be a classic in years to come.
Though The Da Vinci Code is seeping with good moments all the way through, it is not impervious to several minute flaws. One small problem with a character in this novel name Bezu Fache near the end of his role causes the reader to have to change their view of the person entirely. This sudden character change effects how you think of the start of the story and takes a slight edge, if possible, off of a part in the novel. Also, the description regarding another person's motions and positions towards the end of the novel lacks fluency. More detail is needed to totally convince the book's audience of several events that occur near the end of the book. With these two minor book foibles perfected, this novel would have been near perfect.
It is clear after reading The Da Vinci Code that this book should be broadly recommended everywhere. Though known as fiction, the story makes you think what the world would have been like if history had been recorded differently or through different opinions. With very few errors, it is hard to put down this novel in any way. You will be on the edge of your seat for the majority of the story and will be amazed by the riddles and supposed ancient secrets that you discover. In conclusion, this thrilling mystery is a must read for all, grasping the minds of thousands with its secrets, twists, and turns.
Rating:
Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: This time, symbologist Robert Langdon runs around Paris--not Vatican City (see Angels & Demons)--following a trail of brain-teasers to find a longlost treasure. This time it's the Holy Grail. I really feel this book lacks the riveting suspense of its angelic and demonic predecessor. Gone are the superb deathtraps and frightening life-or-death situations that I recall from Langdon's first foray into doping out riddles while unknown conspirators try to kill him; here I felt more like we were game-playing, and occasionally the good guys should look over their shoulders. I'm reminded of my experience watching Die Hard With A Vengeance, when we were supposed to get all excited while Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson did quick-math and fiddled about with jugs of water. I felt actual excitement when the bullets started flying, rather than when the heroes worked on brain-teasers that the writer picked out of the puzzles n' fun section of the weekend newspaper. But that is the price we pay when an action yarn turns too much into gun-to-the-head crossword-puzzle Hour. Dan Brown likes to display knowledge, and so I sucked up a lot of facts out of the thin, decorative, much-trampled carpeting that is The Da Vinci Code. I thank him very much for the eye-opening lessons on the true history of the Holy Grail which the Monty Python gang should have been looking for, but weren't. And, admittedly, Brown is a slick enough thriller writer that The Da Vinci Code earns four stars for zoom-zoom alone. But he did this already--yes, that's right, in A&D. All these puzzles and cryptograms leading to "the embarrassingly obvious" over and over again made me decide that this book regressed back to Digital Fortress, where the plot is simple and the solutions to the codes, etc., are simple. It's just the getting-there that's complex. Angels & Demons rises above, by daring to go over the top, with so many plot twists, and so many larger than life action scenes, that The Da Vinci Code, even with all its IQ Tests, can't compete. Surprise villains unmasked, yes. False conspiracies hiding true conspiracies, hiding the ultimate answer to what's really been going on all along--sure, fine. But Angels & Demons is a lot more fun, because it is more suspenseful. Put your thinking cap on for The Da Vinci Code--or don't; just sit back and let Dan Brown do brain-teasers for you--but watch as all the brain-games drown out the tension. Four stars for slickness, puzzles, and history lessons.
Rating:
Summary: I agree...this is an excellent thriller!
Review: This truly is an extraordinary book, and I honestly could not put it down! THE DA VINCI CODE goes well beyond the primary plot and takes us on a quest for knowledge unlike anything we currently believe. With excellent research on his side, Dan Brown reintroduces us to history and Christianity that we never even considered possible. My personal thirst for knowledge and answers were brought out in this book. As much an excellent and entertaining read as other books by Dan Brown, such as ANGELS AND DEMONS, DIGITAL FORTRESS, and DECEPTION POINT, not to mention certain science fiction and fantasy books that also captured my imagination and mind over the years, such as STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, I, ROBOT, RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA, FOUNDATION, RINGWORLD, CRYPTONOMICON, SNOW CRASH, NEUROMANCER, DARKEYE: CYBER HUNTER, ERAGON, HALO: FIRST STRIKE, SPEAKER OF THE DEAD, and many, many other great and highly imaginative books.
Rating:
Summary: Made traffic bearable.
Review: This unabridged edition of this intriguing book kept me looking for reasons to go driving. I will also reread the book just to cross reference the history and art references. For the too busy Americans, all of us, this is a great read (listen).
Rating: 
Summary: Too Clever by Half
Review: This very popular book uses alternative ideas of the history of Christianity as the basis for the plot. The author has taken a large number of crackpot ideas about the history of Christianity and European history in general and stitched them together to produce a conventional thriller. In general, all these ideas center around the common theme of a hidden or secret history of Christianity suppressed by the Church. The plot elements are cleverly integrated using a series of puzzles. The overall story is cast as a kind of Grail legend with virtuous knight (a la Parsifal) and an evil sorcerer type (a la Klingsor). The quality of writing, however, is poor. The characters are schematic and exist only as devices to move from one gimmick to another. The action of the plot per se is rather silly. Not recommended, even for light reading.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent thriller and historical eye-opener
Review: This was a completely enjoyable book to read. The author took a very interesting topic, and took it through all kinds of twists and turns to the readers delight. Definitely worth reading for both the story and the interesting facts.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: This was a fabulous, fast-paced, intriguing read. The plot was as intricate as a maze and highly entertaining. It was particularly fascinating to learn so much about the sacred Feminine throughout history. I seldom read a book that teaches me something I never knew before..particularly in Math of all things. I'm very happy to learn that Mr. Brown is working on a sequel. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for an exciting, unputdownable read. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: The modern got in the way of the ancient
Review: This was a fun book to read. The historical information about DaVinci, secret societies and alternate interpretations of the Bible was interesting. I thought the characters were very one dimensional. I never developed any empathy for them at all. They were simply vehicles to get to the very creative clues and puzzles in the story. I found myself hurrying through the plot elements, to get to the next clue or historical information. Overall, it was enjoyable. It was very fast paced, and hard to put down.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, but awful writing style.
Review: This was a fun summer page-turner novel - quite suspenseful. It was griping, partially because of the suspense and plot developments - but maybe mostly because of the fascinating things I learned, page after page, about history. I mean surprising and maybe shocking history! In fact this book is EXTREMELY provocative, especially for Christians ... if you take it seriously. Much in the book is about real-life organizations, events, facts, etc., but I'm highly skeptical of a number of aspects of it. The entertaining thing is trying to figure out what is true and what is fanciful, conspiracy-theory type creative thinking. Though this book was fun, fascinating and educational, I have to add the negative side: the WRITING is TERRIBLE. I found it laughable in quite a few parts!! It's SO terse, with NO inner character development, and NO emotion. An example is the grade-school-level effort at developing romance between two of the characters - this consisted of only about 5 sentences out of 454 pages! I know not to expect much writing syle in this genre, but this was really bad. Still a fun read, though!
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