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Summary: Some interesting knowledge within...
Review: You can learn a few things about the illuminati within these pages.Bottom line: This book is just another round being fired at the Catholic Church in order to subvert it and to weaken it's power against the new world order.
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Summary: Worth Reading for Two Reasons
Review: You can read lots of reviews on the details of the book, so to just net it out simply -- there are two levels of reasons to read this book: 1. It's a great story. It reads as well as any good Tom Clancy type book. 2. Fascinating learning about Church and religion. As I read more on the background research, some are questioning some of the details of Brown's research. But nonetheless, the overall topic of the history of the Church and competing viewpoints is revealed in a fascinating way, without the heavy reading of a history book. I felt like I was learning something while reading fun fiction. Enjoy!
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Summary: Reader's Paradox....
Review: You can't put it down, but you hate to see it end. At least, that's how it was for me. My first exposure to Dan Brown...I loved this book. It taught me things as it entertained me... yes, the ending came on a bit quick, but it still "got me"...
I have since purchased a couple of his other books and can't wait to jump back into this gentleman's mindset. Entertains & makes ya think. My kinda book!
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Summary: A good page-turner
Review: You know, kids (and I'm speaking here to the many reviewers who found the book unbelievable), you could use the same arguments to insist that James Bond stories are unbelievable, the Hobbits are just "little people," and that amateur detectives can't solve mysteries better than the police because they don't have the latest hi-tech gear. And if Mr. Brown takes any of it to heart, I'm sure he cries all the way to the bank. If you're going to read *anything!* having to do with Knights Templar, the Grail, the early history of the Church, secret societies, or France in general, you need to just sit back and enjoy the nutty ride. CONS: The "quick-cut, planning for the movie" style does gets old if not done really well (it's done mostly well). The flashback transitions are kind of crude, especially at the beginning. Some of the plot twists (especially at the end) arise from the author's selective portrayal of events in *our* POV (read "misdirection"), rather than the character POV. This left me feeling a bit manipulated (I prefer the author to have the decency to hide his/her manipulations of me and leave it to my wife to point it out later). Those familiar with the core backstory elements will find Brown's portrayal of them simplistic, and the novel's experts' acceptance of a sole track of grail lore a bit bothersome. Those who are unfamiliar with same will find it all very alarming and whacky, especially Christians who've grown up with the "based on historical events" belief set. PROS: It's fun. I stayed up until 4am the other night reading it, and finished it the next night, and I don't usually do that. A page-turner is a page-turner and that gets points. Excellent descriptions of place. People are pretty well-drawn (except Teabing, who comes off as dialog and crutches); but even when you lose track of who is saying or thinking what, they are drawn well enough that you can almost always work it out without back-tracking. Despite my problems with Brown's interpretations of research (and "Hello!" this is a novel), there's been a lot of new research since Holy Grail, Holy Blood was published in the early 80's. It's probably all bunk, but it's bunk that surrounds the very human creation of the Catholic Church in the 3rd century, which is not well-documented, the events of which very much were shrouded in secrecy, and which goes to the heart of the faith that dominates Western thinking. I find this fascinating. VERDICT: A great airplane or beach book. Whether you want to read it as part of your daily dose of novels will probably depend on personal preferences. I'm a one novel every month or so kind of guy, and I sucked it down in four days.
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Summary: Best Book of the Year
Review: You may not agree with the premise of this book, but it is fascinating! Besides being a fast=paced mystery, it is a short course in art history as well as the various legends of the Holy Grail. It was absolutely the best book I've read this year.
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Summary: Great!
Review: You must read this!! Dan's best work yet! PS. Has anyone gotten Jonas' password in the webquest? For the life of me I cannot figure it out. Any hints???? Thanks!
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Summary: Dan Brown is simply a genius new age novelist.
Review: You should "enjoy" reading this novel but again you should read it only as a fiction. As a successful new age writer, Brown tries to mix his new age ideas with facts and in the end, he hopes people will buy his arguments as facts. Unfortunately, there are too many people who can't think critically and thus they just "swallow" whatever they read even if it's only a fiction. You can believe whatever you want to believe but facts will remain facts.
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Summary: How did I miss this?
Review: You will be amazed at the revelations that come forth in this book. Dan Brown uses a fictional story to reveal some fascinating theories concerning the true meaning of the Holy Grail. I had to continually ask myself if what I was reading was "true", or fiction. I have a Masters degree in the Arts and have never heard of any of the intriguing notions set forth in this book. If you love word origins, you will love this book. If you love the history behind History, you will love this book. I also liked the short chapters (some only one or two pages long) so that I could stop reading quickly when I had to. The trouble is, I didn't want to stop reading! Christians, you have to be really open-minded. But, I think if you are not too literal a reader of the bible, this book will expand your horizons.
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Summary: Are you kidding?
Review: You'd have to be fool to think this is a good novel. As pure fiction it's badly written and unimaginative. But, of course, it postures as "possible history." As "possible" as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion! It's a pure play at widely held prejudices. Nothing more.
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Summary: The Great Da Vinci Swindle
Review: You've got to be kidding me - *THIS* book has sold over 6 million copies and become an international sensation? That a book this badly written, characterised and plotted can be a runaway best seller is bad enough. That the ludicrous conspiracy theory it peddles, in between all the cliches, terrible dialogue and hackneyed chase scenes, is actually being given creedence by some readers is much, much worse. This is an astonishingly stupid, stupid, stupid book. Other reviewers have already outlined Brown's flaws as an author, but what bothers me most is the way favourable reviewers (including some professionals) keep talking about his "impeccable research". Did we read the same novel? Anyone who is familiar with "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" would recognise that about 80% of the (ahem) "information" Langdon drones on and on and on about has been lifted directly from that classic piece of lowbrow, pulp, pseudo-historical conspiracy. In fact, on the first page of Chapter 60 Brown effectively gives the reader his whole bibliography: Lincoln, Baigent and Leigh's "Holy Blood, Holy Grail", Picknett and Prince's "The Templar Revelation", and Margaret Starbird's "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar" and "The Goddess in the Gospels". These four books - widely ridiculed and utterly discredited pieces of paperback speculation of no academic standing whatsoever - represents the bulk of Brown's "impeccable historical research". That he is able to convince people that the pastiche of nonsense he extracts from these crackpot books is credible says something about our culture's historical illiteracy. And about its chronic lack of informed critical thinking. An intelligent 12 year old would be able to dispose of much of Brown's "impeccable research" given access to an internet connection or a decent encyclopaedia. Brown has one characters lecture about the suppressed gospels found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls - a 15 second search on Google could tell you that *NO* gospels or Christian writings of any kind were found in the Qumran material. Brown says the Council of Nicea set the canon of the New Testament. A few minutes browsing reveals that the canon was *not even discussed* at that Council and that an official canon was not set until the Council of Trent 1300 years later. Brown says that the Witch Craze was orchestrated by "the Vatican" and resulted in "five million" women being burnt by "the Inquisition". In fact, the Witch Craze was a largely *Protestant* phenomenon, the numbers killed over a 300 year period are around 20-50,000 and 20% of them were men. And so it goes on. Virtually everything Brown presents as "fact" in this stupid novel is either wrong, completely wrong or wildly and unbelieveably wrong. Many of those who have criticised this book have been Catholics - which is understandable, considering how their Church is presented in the book. But this book is not just offensive to believers (I'm an atheist), it's an insult to anyone with a knowledge of medieval history and the history of early Christianity. Or anyone with a brain. I'm with the others who have recommened Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" instead - it's smart, well written, amusing and well researched. And, unlike "The Da Vinci Code" it laughs at stupid conspiracy theories. Brown's terrible novel shows why they deserve to be ridiculed. One star because you can't give them no stars. Terrible.
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