Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)

I quit reading fiction back in 1985, but I read this because I was told the plot had elements of Gnosticism in it (a subject I am interested in). The book was about what I expected; no character development, simple and predictable plot, that that main dude...whatshisname...the one Tom Hanks played in the equally abysmal movie...kept figuring out important clues at the beginning of every chapter. Riiiight. Two and a half hours of my life I'd like to have back.

Really enjoyed a lot of the controversy in the book. The movie was entertaining too, but I like the book better. CHRISTIANS REMEMBER: THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. NO NEED TO GET BENT OUT OF SHAPE. A lot of the conspiracy theories have been around for a long time, but this book brought attention to a lot of them. And you know me; I love a good religious controversy. If you are secure enough in your own faith, you will probably enjoy the book, it was well written and a fun read.

Not true!

stupid....read "Breaking the DaVinci Code" instead. This gives ACTUAL biblical accounts instead of man made opinions from a loonie old guy.

I have the book in storage and have yet to read it, but I've been exposed to its contents and can see Christ marrying Mary Magdalene. Why not?

never got that one...

i havent read it yet tho... so im not sure

I know that a lot of Christians got bent out of shape about this book, but it's a work of fiction. Fiction = not true.

Drugstore book-rack trash, like the rest of Brown's stuff.  I'm not talking about the tempest in a teapot "controversy" that some folks got excited about, and which wound up ultimately selling a lot of copies.Its a competently written thriller, no more and no less.

Can't just let a mediocre book be a mediocre book, can we? Eh, it presents a somewhat entertaining idea, but anybody who goes out of their way to bash it because they think Jesus wants them to is crazy. Alot of the ideas in it will likely never be proven right or wrong, so I don't see what all the fuss is about for anybody confident in their faith. (or lack therof, for that matter)

I tried reading it but I got bored so I started reading War and Peace instead.

I realize that it is just a story, but it gets a one rating for the fact that too many people believe too much of it. One of the more deplorable aspects of the book is it's horribly inaccurate depiction of Opus Dei.

even as it is a fast paced, intriguing and tense story, the Book is a fictional writing of Brown, unfortunately claimed to be based on true evidence and documentation (most of which have been proven false).

I commend Brown for distilling about 4 other non-fiction books into a work of basic and simplistic thought and making probably billions.

I actually ordered this book because of all the hype that surrounded it. I was angry in the end that I had paid retail for it (instead of buying it at a garage sale, as is my usual practice). For one thing, the book was not well-written. Brown's characters seem flat; his hero periodically stops the action and delivers ponderous lectures against the Catholic Church (and, no, I am not a Catholic). In addition, Brown claims to base his premise on historical documents and events, but he is inaccurate in so many respects, which several other reviewers have noted, that I could not take his conclusions seriously. I began to suspect that his research was specifically selected to support his polemic against the Church. And if MSN is to be trusted, he did not even do all the work himself. His wife, Blythe Brown, "was an essential contributor to his million-selling historical thriller. She led the massive research effort, supplied countless notes and suggestions and offered an invaluable femal... Read more

A below-average beach-book. . .flat characters to say the least. . .what a terrific premise ruined. . .I will get revenge on the employee who swore that I would enjoy this. . .

This is not Great Literature by any stretch of the imagination. The writing and the use of language is quite pedestrian, which is expected, as Dan Brown is essentially a franchise author and this book was written for mainstream consumption. Also, the two main characters, Robert Langdon and Sophia Noveau, are devoid of any palpable and meaningful depth. Dynamics and synergy in their relationship are also lacking and they come across as mere cardboard cut-outs meant soley as vehicles to carry Brown's plotlines along, which, I might add, was done effectively. With that said, this was not a bad book to spend a Sunday reading. A good page-turner, with the plotline as the main selling-point. It is around four-hundred pages in length, and I managed to get it all in in under a day. My girlfriend bought me the illustrated version, which is a high-gloss, beautifully-bound edition, with stunning photos of The Lourves, Westminster Abby, Rosslyn Chappel, La Pyramide Inversée, etc. located i... Read more

Mindless entertainment is good for a plane ride. Brown is a good storyteller, but not a good writer. The characters are paper thin, but the plot gets your blood flowing. No more, or less, fiction than the bible.

Good suspenseful book... slow movie. I actually caught z's during this movie, which is not like me. I like Dan Brown, but don't really understand why this book has gotten the praise it has when some of his other books, like "Deception Point" and "Angels and Demons", were even better in my opinion.

It is a fairly good novel, but not phenomenol. The hoopla surrounding it is phenomenol. I attribute this fact to my assertion that human beings are always searching for spirtual comfort and support whether it is atheism, Mohammedanism, fundamentalism, Buddhism, etc. Our learning level is rapidly declining and many people have no idea of religion or history. This book fills their need. It proves that at the right time, in the right place, and in the right context, mediocrity sells!

The book is fiction as the author Dan Brown states it is. Don't try to make it into anything else! Believe it as much as you believe the "Planet of the Apes." It is not meant to be factual so therefore it is NOT factual.

I found this book very entertaining and woke up my interest in history on this subject. I didnt find anything offensive to the Christian religion, just another way of looking at things. Nobody should feel threatened or attacked, just because somebody wants to write about a subject from another viewpoint. If something is stable and rock solid, a book like this shouldnt do any harm.

This was a page-turner that uses suspense to captivate its reader so that Dan Brown can promote ancient paganism and bash historical Christianity. The following statements are made to refute the error of this the Davinci Code. First, Brown says that the Church made up the divinity of Jesus in order to sustain itself. He says it was a close vote at the Council of Nicea and the truth is the vote was 323 to 2 which in my mind is nowhere close. After saying that Jesus is a mere mortal he explains that the quest for the Holy Grail includes finding the bones of Mary Magdalene and worshipping the bones of the divine feminine. Supposing Jesus did impregnate her as Brown claims, if he was just a mere mortal himself then what would make her divine and worth worshipping just because she carried a mere mortals baby. Second, Brown claims the 80 unaltered gospels were rejected and only the four that supported what the Church wanted them to support were kept. The reason the four were kept, for... Read more

People can say whatever they want to regarding the content of the book, but I will say that it was greatly entertaining. How much of what is written in this book is true is debatable...although most of it is probably theological conspiracy theories. However, the book makes you reconsider what you may have learned about religion and history. Whether or not you feel strengthened in your faith after reading this book or begin to doubt what history has taught us, I feel that Dan Brown has done an excellent job of writing an entertaining novel as well as challenging his readers beliefs.

I enjoyed reading this book. Lots of brain teasers when it comes to codes used throughout the book. For sheer entertainment, it was more than worth the time it took to read it. The book is controversial because it assails a lot of traditional Catholic beliefs (what the book at the outset claims to be facts are claptrap, fiction, and fantasy). Unfortunately, a lot of people have bought into the veracity of the book, and have taken it to be gospel, so to speak, rather than the fiction it is.

I think its an interesting prespective. At least he is trying to think outside the box which is more than I can say for some people.

this isn't literature. it's a booklength screenplay. something to make dullards seem smart on the morning bus ride to their jobs.

Decently written, interesting and inventive plot. I don't think it will ever win any literary awards, but it was great entertainment.

This is a book rightly deserving of its colossal fame. It is both fast paced and educational, an unusual combination. Although some have complained that the writing style isn't of a particularly poetic and wordy nature I say: Ultimately which is more important, something that is 'literary' or something that makes damn good and compulsive reading? A novel's purpose is to entertain, and this book does that spectacularly. Also, for those who have read this book, but none of Dan Brown's less well-known works I can highly recommend the others. In fact 'Angels and Demons' may even be superior to 'The Da Vinci Code' - it's tough to separate them.

I'm ashamed to say that in the last 10 years, I've written more books than I read. But while languishing in an airport, I took the plunge and got Da Vinci Code. It was an outstanding book -- a thinking person's mystery. It delved into subjects I was clueless about: Catholicism, Art History, and something called the Sacred Feminine. I think the general premise of the book (which I won't give away) may outrage some devout Catholics. Some aspects of the book were a bit clunky, particularly the code-breaking escapades which -- in some cases -- played out like something you would see in the back pages of Games Magazine. I cracked a few of them without a sweat. But overall, Da Vinci Code has enough plot twists and intrigue to make it a very worthwhile read.

great book.

The research that went into this book, along with the symbolism / riddles that form the basis of the plot, make it worth reading. I didn't find the writing style particularly compelling, but I respect the amount of work that must have gone into writing the 'Da Vinci Code.'

This book was just ok. The writing was a little too flowery and cliched for my taste. The female protagonist was described as having maroon hair. Right, and who's her hairdresser? I didn't really buy the premise of the book, but it's an entertaining page-turner.

I don't know if I would consider this a literary book, but it is a very good page turner. Some of the facts are controversial, and none of the characters are that interesting, but the story is very intriging and there are many twists.

I LOVE this book, it's extremely education even if some of the examples aren't all the way true. I HATE PAT ROBERTSON! HE will burn when Christ comes back to devour his soul.

Not a poetic writer, but very educational. Dan Brown ingeniously weaves in riddles, history and religion with the interesting plot of this thriller.

The Da Vinci code is about a Harvard symboligist Robert Langdon who is called late at night to the Louvre museum where the curator has been murdered. Besides the body are symbols which lead Langdon to find more clues in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. He joins forces with a cryptologist and from there the story unfolds into an exhilarating, mind blowing, smart thriller. One of the best books I've read in a long time. Dan Brown weaves a fine intricate story that hooks the reader from the beginning