Rating: 
Summary: What Makes a Thriller Thrill Us?
Review: I don't usually read "bestsellers" but my wife brought this home from the library and as an author myself, though not nearly so successful a one as Dan Brown (author of this book), I was moved to take a look. I started reading it and was swept right up. It was fast paced, polished and intriguing. In fact, I put down another book I was reading to finish this one, so it certainly worked for me at that level.But it didn't work at a deeper level. In the end The Da Vinci Code seemed highly artificial in construction, with characters that were barely more than ciphers inserted in the plot to play their parts but capable of little more. They had no inner life to speak of and nothing about them to make me believe in their lives or experiences. The plot itself hinges on an idea of conspiracies and secret societies that span millenia and involve a hidden history of Christianity. But the notions presented in relation to this are all relatively common place to anyone already familiar with the history of religion and do not suggest any real conspiracy of ancient secrets. I won't say too much here about them, for fear of giving away the story's thrust, which, after all, is its one real virtue. But suffice it to say that the endless puzzles within puzzles, the seemingly arcane expositions when individuals who should have a better handle on facts seemingly don't, the mystery of people who are not what they seem, the idea of hidden beliefs about a "sacred feminine" (whatever that is) that have been long suppressed by institutional religion, and the endless bait and switch tactics of the exposition begin to grate. It got to the point where I knew that, as soon as one thing was revealed to us, it would only prove another way-station in an intellectual treasure hunt that was seemingly premised on all sorts of forced allusions and esoteric interpretations that could not be guessed in advance (a rather unfair trick, it seems to me). About two thirds of the way through, I did guess the identity of the hidden bad guy and after that it was just a matter of waiting to see how the author brought this to the surface. When he finally did, it proved an anti-climax that left me somewhat cold. And the book's final end, itself, which follows the revelation of the hero's antagonist, struck me as particularly forced and a let-down. There wasn't much of a secret there, when all the sound and fury had blown itself out. Still, I have to acknowledge that the book kept me reading and was interesting. Is that enough to warrant bestseller status? Well, perhaps it is, when conjoined with a lot of pseudo-speculation about religion and belief. At the least the book entertained and that, I suppose, is why it sells. Mr. Brown has my admiration for that. SWM
Rating: 
Summary: Let me patronise you
Review: I don't want to be totally negative about this... Dan Brown is undoubtedly a skilled writer and has managed with The Da Vinci Code to write a book that keeps you going from start to finish, it is a genuine page turner which always leaves you wanting more. But I think of all the books I have ever read this is without a doubt the most patronisingly written, the most simple-minded. If you want a mindless thriller (but one whose thrills are fairly limited) then this is the book for you.... if on the other hand you want one that doesn't insult your intelligence (for example an expert in code cracking who cannot crack the most obvious of codes, an art historian who walks into a room and thinks "Salvador Dali the famous surrealist painter" - I mean, please, are we supposed to believe these people might exist and are respcted in their chosen fields?!!??) then this is definitely NOT the book for you. You might say its only a holiday read, only a thriller, but most thriller writers that I have come across do not attempt to map out every single point to the reader, do not end up making the reader feel insulted by the simple-mindedness of their style. Don't waste your precious time on this, its not worth it. The only reason I would recommend it is to give you a few hours amusement at how laughable the whole thing is.
Rating: 
Summary: Everything Good is Bad and Everything Bad is Good
Review: I dont like thrillers. I avoid them on the bookshelves. However, I bought this because of the subject matter. Da Vinci intrigues me and this book tied together all the loose theories about his sexuality, the Mona Lisas' smile and the hidden meaning in his Last Supper. This would have been enough, and all that I expected from this book but Brown doesn't stop there. Not only are Da Vincis' secrets revealed but material that heretofore has only been available in obscure out-of-print books. I loved the lecture-like documentary sections on symbolism and the distortion of history. This is the stuff I wish I had been taught in history class. The truth! The only thing that would have made this book better(for me) would have been the omission of the thriller genre and had it been written as non-fiction. As it is, I still recommend it highly! Its interesting that the protagonists' dilemna is whether or not the world should be privy to these earth shattering secrets while Brown gives it to the reader and thus the world in a form that makes it dismissive. Yet,on the other hand,it probably sells better as a novel,(thus disseminating the info to a wider audience) and also, cushioning the secrets in this genre may ease the pain for those offended at the thought of the existence of pre-christian spirituality and its distressful demise and cover up.It does turn everything upside down doesnt it?
Rating:
Summary: Fabricated History or Real Truth?
Review: I encourage anyone who reads this book to do so with an open mind. Whether the historical facts related within are actual truth or not, that does not take away from the fact that this is a good book. The pace is fast and what Brown relates interesting. I particularly like the idea of the sacred feminine and the secrets behind Da Vinci's paintings. As a Christian, this did encourage me to explore further the history of Christianity and the Catholic faith.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting topic, pedestrian writing
Review: I enjoy thrillers, and have more than a passing interest in history and theology. But this book was tough to finish -- the writing is pedestrian at best, and truly awful in places. Clichés abound. I'm a technical writer, and it disturbs me that such a poorly-written book has ascended to the top of the best-seller lists.
Rating:
Summary: Da Vinci Code warning label
Review: I enjoy well written novels. This one was well written for the first 100+ pages. But faltered with the action and chase scenarios. When the plot was developed I found myself not caring about it and lost the interest I had developed in the early stages of the novel. A word of warning: the book should be previewed before purchase. I would recommend reading pages 119-121, 124-126, and pages 231-233 to see if you are comfortable with the author's theme. For those who are not, it would be a waste to purchase this book.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I enjoyed most of the book, a definite page turner, but when I got to the end, it was like many other books in the genre, disappointing. The end simply didn't make sense and the dots just weren't connected. It was a let down after the roller coaster ride. I also thought the characters rather one-dimensional.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but...
Review: I enjoyed reading this book BUT if your main interest in this book is learning things about early Christianity that the average Christian doesn't want you to know, you are better off reading something else because Brown gets too many facts wrong to be trusted. It is simply wrong, for example, to say that no one thought of Jesus as divine until the Council of Nicea. (What about the docetists?) There were in fact a variety of early views that clashed. Try reading instead The Secret Gospel by Morton Smith. There are no car chases in Smith's book, but it is an interesting account of finding what seems to be a passage from a secret gospel of Mark. Moreover, it shows how a real scholar thinks, which includes considering alternative explanations. And Smith's conclusions are quite unorthodox, if that's what you're looking for.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to the hype
Review: I enjoyed the book and found the premise to be facinating. Good thing, because the details are tough to get through--very technical in some aspects. Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the book somewhat spoils it. Even more unfortunate, Dan Brown (author) does not draw a clear line between historical fact, his own hypothesis, and sraight out fiction. The reader, will need to read all of this with a grain of salt. The storyline has just enough elements of truth to be plausible, but not probable. Remember, IT'S FICTION!
Rating:
Summary: The Last Supper
Review: I enjoyed the book immensely. Just a comment on the review from "A reader from Evergreen, CO, United States": Please look carefully at Leonardo's painting of The Last Supper. To the left of Mary Magdalene/John we see Saint Peter with a furious visage and a KNIFE (!) in his right hand. His left hand is making a gesture of "I'll slice his/her throat!" across the throat of that figure of Mary/John. It's there to see -- Leonardo painted it that way. There is more to that painting than meets the eye -- and Dan Brown's book wrote it that way --saying the equivalent of "There's more in heaven and earth than in your history . . ."
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