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With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.
A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought.
Average Customer Rating:
Much More Than A Super Suspense Thriller!!
Once I began this extraordinary book, I could not put it down. "The Da Vinci Code" is so much more than a gripping suspense thriller. Dan Brown takes us beyond the main plot and leads us on a quest for the Holy Grail - a Grail totally unlike anything we have been taught to believe. With his impeccable research, Mr. Brown introduces us to aspects and interpretations of Western history and Christianity that I, for one, had never known existed...or even thought about. I found myself, unwillingly, leaving the novel, and time and time again, going online to research Brown's research - only to find a new world of historic possibilities opening up for me. And my quest for knowledge and the answers to questions that the book poses, paralleled, in a sense, the quest of the book's main characters. What a trip! What a read!
A violent murder is committed in the Louvre Museum. The museum's chief curator, who is also the head of a remarkable secret society that has existed since the death of Christ, is found dead and gruesomely positioned on the floor near The Mona Lisa. In the minutes before he died, this very complex man was able to leave clues for his daughter to follow. The daughter, a brilliant cryptographer, along with a famed US symbologist, follow her father's codes and leads, hoping that he will, through his death, finally tell her what he wanted to confide in her while he lived. The secret society included members such as: Leonardo Da Vinci, Boticelli, Gallileo, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, Jean Cocteau, etc. These folks really Did belong to this society, which Really existed! This is when I first began my online search.
The mystery, or mysteries, take us through England, France and far back in time. We learn about the secret of the Knights Templar, and the symbolism in many of the world's most treasured paintings, as well as architectural symbolism in some of history's most sacred churches. Of course, we also learn who committed the murder and why - although this is almost secondary next to the real epic mystery the novel uncovers.
If there are flaws in the plot, I was too busy reading to discover any. That is probably the sign of a terrific book! The writing is excellent and the characters are a bit on the super-hero/heroine side, but who cares? Is what "The Da Vinci Code" proposes true? Well, the research is correct. The historical events and people explored in the book are real. But no one knows the Truth...nor will we ever, probably. I think that some things are meant to be a mystery. With all the world's diverse religions and each individual's belief in what is Divine - the Truth would have to destroy the beliefs, hopes and lives of many of the world's population. So, perhaps, in the divine scheme of things, there are many more Truths than one. Don't take the book too seriously. Just read it and enjoy!
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Readers of Laura Esquivel will recognize in Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code" the same initially inspired meeting of physical science and the arts that formed the basis of her "Swift as Desire." In her novel, Esquivel forged a strong connection between the unlikely fields of telegraphy (as a literary endeavour) and astronomy. In Brown's novel, he begins with an interesting plot that utilizes some actual mathematical patterns in Leonardo DaVinci's masterpieces. Unfortunately, it is a meeting that gets similarly bogged down by the middle with its own premise. While Esquivel gets tied up in romantic psuedoscience, Brown gets attached to a single religious metaphor that eventually turns into a (seeming) political agenda.
This is a murder mystery in a sense, but feels for the most part like a treatise on women in Christianity. The implications of the so-called "sacred feminine," a religious devotion to female... um... well, we never quite find out why women are so great..., are both too heavy handed and light-weight, and lose their force by the 12th chapter. The conclusion has little to do with the evidence set up throughout the book; and in the last hundred pages, the main character is interpreting almost everything as a symbolic womb. Much like the soundtrack to "Eyes Wide Shut," a movie Brown references in "The DaVinci Code," he takes an interesting premise and beats his audience over the head with it, rather than letting them discover it gradually for themselves.
There is an influx of new information preceding each chapter's remarkable discovery that detracts from what was an interesting, cryptologically-centered premise with good evidence. I suspect this has something to do with the critical praise that has elevated the novel to "a work of genius". This is not without merit. There is much promise here, and much passion that is just a little too latent, that I couldn't help feeling at points like I was reading a laundry list of cool things that Brown wanted to address at some point. He waits until a critical juncture in the events before unloading vast quantities of symbolic history on his reader- some of which is questionable in its accuracy- and then pulls his characters through it almost as an afterthought. There is much made of the goddess worship by the main character, but in the end this same character spends more energy mentally undressing churches than he does discerning the unique qualities of his inevitable love interest. In the end, we know that she is as smart as he is and has nice legs, but their attraction is a mystery. For all we can tell, they get together because he's a guy and she's a gal and they have matching diplomas.
That said, the beginning of the book is very good- there are some genuine laughs and intriguing questions that get misplaced. Brown conveys a genuine love for the work and the tangents it takes him on that ultimately prevents you from judging the glaring problems too harshly. Unfortunately, you get a sense that Brown is lost for most of his brainstorming session, and ends up at the last forty pages needing to end the book and not wanting to.
For more in depth pondering of these questions, read anything by Kurt Godel, or maybe even come back to Dan Brown in a few years. The book was entertaining and I'd be interested to see what more he can add with his current influence.
A guilty pleasure
My wife read this book first and enjoyed its mysteries, revelations and pacing, but was uncomforable with its portrayal of Christianity. I share her feelings, but we both agree the novel is worthwhile as a guilty pleasure. The book is cleverly and expertly done. The use of real historical organizations, such as the Priory of Sion, Opus Dei, and Knights Templar give it a serious, true-life sense. The fact that larger-than-life historical figures like da Vinci were involved with -- and even led -- The Priory of Sion gives it wonder. And author Dan Brown has cooked up a clever premise in which the foundation of Christianity would be shaken if the "truth" were known. And so the chase is on, with a symbologist, a cryptologist, and eventually a Royal historian solving riddles and rhymes in their search for the Holy Grail, with the French and eventually English authorities nipping at their heels as they are blamed for an increasing number of murders.
But what starts out as a fascinating cerebral adventure with a near literary tone can't quite hold that highminded course. What commences as wine and filet mignon dwindles to cola and hamburger. Maybe that's what happens when you cross the channel. The richest parts of the book come when we are in the head of the protagonist, Robert Langdon -- especially at the beginning, when he sees a historical, even ancient, symbolism in practically every object that meets his eye. These roots of our now familiar symbols are fascinating. But when the chase is on and ongoing puzzles need to be solved, they become tedious and even simplistic. The "difficult" clue concerning Sir Isacc Newton and an orb? Duh! And the "unseen" bad guy was all too obvious. Plus, I don't really think the French and English police are as dumb, naive and comical as this book would lead you to believe. However, when Ron Howard and his "Brilliant Mind" team produce the movie, as I've read they will do, I'm sure a lot of these discrepancies will be ironed out. Hopefully, the movie will hold to that rich Mona Lisa atmosphere the book so promisingly begins with. I have faith.
As for the attack on Christianity, when He was arrested Jesus told Peter to put up his sword. Because, if He needed to, He'd bring down legions of angels to kick butts. That's good enough for me. Meanwhile, everyone should enjoy The Da Vinci Code and take it for what it is -- a work of fiction built from elastic facts, like looking at clouds and seeing myriads of differing visions. Anyway, Langdon's true insights on symbols are worth the price of admission.
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Much More Than A Super Suspense Thriller!! 
...and scene. 
A guilty pleasure 
