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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:
Too much hype
I was told this book was great and ground breaking. I didn't see it. The big secret really isn't really a secret at all if you know anything about Christianity. Anyway, I bought it because of the hype and I guess I expected more. I also bought, THE REFLECTION OF EVIL by A.T. Nicholas and was very pleased with his novel. His book blew me away. I highly recommend it.
puzzling ponderous thriller
I haven't read such a good book in a long while. I love "detective" / puzzle / mystery type of novels (Sherlock Holmes, Christie, Elizabeth George, Forsyth, le Carre ...), and this book has all these plus more. Without placing much of a spoiler, I'll try to let non-readers know why ...
1) Brown's book is very tightly woven - he had a lot of "clues" upfront, there are no loose strings. Compared to George's thick tome with a lot of fluff and heart-rendering fillers, "Da Vinci Code" was fast paced.
2) One needn't understand "artsy" stuff to enjoy this book. Brown explained it succinctly, yet enough for general readers to follow the story.
3) A powerful message within, makes one wants to think about ... life, the universe etc
4) After one finished reading, one could go back re-reading immediately without feeling bored -- there's so much discovery along the way.
5) Although I had visited Louvre 10+ years ago, it makes me want to re-visit, to "prove" the "facts" of his fiction. There are commentaries that this work is fiction, though Brown had a disclaimer at the front to say all descriptions of art are accurate ... Needless to say, this book also brought about cultural appreciation.
Underwhelming.
I don't understand the overwhelming popularity of the book. There are interesting theories presented within it, to be sure (and if not backed by actual research, then Brown has done a wonderful job at fabricating evidence to back them) but the theories are wrapped in a thin plot that does little more than move us from one location to another so the main character can lecture about other theories. Without going into too much detail, the story goes that Leonardo Da Vinci, among other great minds throughout history, belonged to a secret society that watched over the secrets of the Holy Grail. Da Vinci hid in his paintings many clues to the true meaning of the Grail. Interesting. And I probably would have enjoyed a non-fiction book about those theories. But to be fair, this is a work of fiction, never intended to be non-fiction. Even at that though, it only mildly succeeds. The characters are poorly developed, the writing does nothing more than advance the plot, the dialogue is bad, the constant use of italics to convey the thoughts of the characters is irritating as is the use of cheap and tired plot tricks to build suspense. As a cat-and-mouse crime caper, I've read better (James Patterson to name one author, if those are your kind of books). Overall, the book felt small to me. The timeframe, the storyline, the resolution-none of it lived up to the hype. Interesting premise, but the execution is probably suited more for a movie than a book.
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DVD's
Too much hype 
puzzling ponderous thriller 
Underwhelming. 
