Rating: 
Summary: Challenging, Intriguing, Inspiring
Review: I won't give a summary, since that has been done numerous times here, but would like to say that this book kept me fascinated the entire time I read it. The skill with which author Dan Brown compiled what must have been reams of historical data and integrated it into a fast-paced thriller is simply astounding. Be sure to read with an open mind - it's a challenging read, as well as inspirational. Excellent book and one I intend to read several times - simply so I can absorb all this book has to offer.
Rating: 
Summary: An all-around good book
Review: I won't hesitate to say I loved this book. It has a good plot and it's almost impossible to put down. I enjoyed the anti-Christian theme. I also went and looked at the fresco of the Last Supper and everything Brown talks about in the book is in that painting. It was a well put-together novel. If I had to say anything bad about it, it would be that the ending needed work. It let me down. If the characters had found the Grail, it would have fit in with the mostly unbelieveable plot. All in all, a great read and probably one of the best books I've ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: A real disappointment
Review: I won't rehash the plot since there are so many reviews before me. I can't believe there was so much hype on this book. It took me weeks to finish it because I just could not get into it. The only reason I am giving it two stars is because the last few chapters were real page turners. However the ending was a complete dud.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Views Sure to Spark Much Debate
Review: I work at a bookstore. A little over a month ago, we got an advanced copy of this book and a letter from the publisher and thought nothing more of it. The next week, we got a letter from our home office asking us to read the book before its release. I was the first to read it. I was completely amazed, suprised, and delighted to find The Da Vinci Code a very refreshing read.The book is based on the idea that the Holy Grail is actually Mary Magadaline and that the early church hid documents and changed who she actually was in order to further its own cause. Taken from actual historical and theological works and ideas, Dan Brown crafts a remarkable story around a 2000 year old controversy. Robert Langdon is a professor at Harvard suddenly finding himself mixed up in the bizarre murder of the Louvre's curator. As the story moves on, there are many twists, turns and shocking suprises that are completely unexpected. Helped by Sophie, a French cop, Langdon helps to unravel the mystery of the Holy Grail and the secret society that watches over it. This book is truly amazing and has lead me to consider other books with similar ideas like "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" and the "Templar Revelation" among others. If you have any interest in Christianity at all, read the book!
Rating:
Summary: So glad I picked this one up.
Review: I work part time at Borders Books and had an opportunity to read an advance copy. What a joy! I love thrillers, art history and history in general. This one has got believable characters, a great meshing of multiple plotlines, and a couple of nice surprises at the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable. I've been recommending it to Borders customers ever since.
Rating:
Summary: Big Gaps in the Premise
Review: I would have enjoyed "DaVinci" a lot more if the basic premise had a leg to stand on. It was disappointing, especially since I really liked "Angels and Demons". Brown's protagonist, Robert Langdon, takes it as historic fact that Constantine the Great invented Christianity as we know it. According to Langdon and his friend, Sir Leigh Teabing, Constantine decreed that Christianity would become the official religion of the Roman Empire at the Council of Nicea, and he decided which of the gospels would become canon and which were to be destroyed. The marriage of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, and the existence of their child, was to be suppressed--by force, if necessary. However, as any thirty-second search on the web will tell you, Constantine only *legalized* Christianity. It was *Theodosius* who made Christianity the official religion of the empire about 65 years later. In between them came Constantine's nephew, Julian the Apostate, who tried to dismantle Christianity during his brief reign. Julian was convinced that it was his destiny to restore paganism to primacy. Would he not have used Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene as part of his campaign to discredit the "myth" of the chaste, holy Jesus? In addition, the bishops of Rome did not exert primacy over western Christendom until more than one hundred years after Constantine's death. The Eastern patriarchs *never* accepted the authority of the bishops in Rome. A monolithic Roman church, able to squash all dissent, simply didn't exist until maybe the time of Charlemagne, around A.D. 800. In short, there were too many people, too many places, and too many years that the "secret" of Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene could have been preserved and spread for Brown's theory to work. Suspension of disbelief requires throwing out basic facts of Western history that any intelligent person should have learned in high school. I realize that Brown didn't set out to write a history, but the book would have been more enjoyable if Brown had done some basic research. Even if he'd just made Theodosius the originator of the conspiracy, instead of Constantine, the plot would have been more plausible! Finally, Brown's attacks on Christianity in general, and the Roman Catholic church in particular, go beyond what's required to advance the plot. The book comes off as a thinly-veiled device to present pagan goddess worship as more spiritually pure and historically accurate than what's been preserved in the Bible and other first century sources. But maybe that's why it's selling so well.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the most enthralling book I have ever read
Review: I would recomend this book to everyone. I just got it and I have not been able to put it down. Its a bit of a slow starter but very soon it will pain you to have to put it away for even a small amout of time. (which is saying something for all the back logging the plot requires) I have ever read Dan Brown before but I love his style and can't wait for his next book.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 stars for plot, but substance ...
Review: I would recommend this book for plot, historical fact combined with a contemporary story, and puzzles contained within. The problem I have is with the liberties Mr. Brown takes on several serious religious theories. Jesus having a child, etc. There are books that approach this story utilizing more traditional religious theory on the Holy Blood, the Royal Bloodline in France, and the quest for the Holy Grail. Try a book titled THE GOAT WITHOUT HORNS.
Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I would recommend this book to anyone who questioned the catholic faith. It reveals a lot of different ideas that seem pretty concrete. I couldn't put the book down! I loved it! It was a well-written mystery that had many twists and turns that added to the excitement of the book. Nothing was predictable. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Suspense
Review: I wouldn't give this book a blanket recommendation, because some of the theology/history discussions and elements present might be a bit too controversial for some. But for those of us who like to question even our most firmly held beliefs, this book revisits some interesting themes and gives room for some deep thought. I thoroughly enjoyed it myself. It had a good mix of suspense and history and art and theology. Kept me strung along til the end, too, with a complex, twisty plot and characters that I cared about. However, I did feel a little let down with the ending, just seemed like he had to try to hard to end it. Too much happened too quickly in the last five-ten pages. None the less, I plan to read some more of Dan Brown's books--and some of those listed in his bibliography too!
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