The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Da Vinci Code
Book Review: "Carramba what a surprise!"
Summary: 1 Stars
Exasperating... this is the only word I can find to describe this insult to the writing art. It could be forgiven only if it was the work of a budding 14 years old aspiring writer.. The characters are stereotypical mannequins monstruosly bumping aroud in a shallow, totally unrealistic plot devoid of any originality. The Harvard professor is shy and reserved, the english lord is snob and the french cryptologist.. well she is hot! Inconsistencies and blunders are scattered all over the place, and leave you in this strange state when you don't know if you want to throw the book away in a fit of rage or have a great laugh at such an helpless author. The Harvad professor and the cryptologist together have the brain of a turnip, fighting hard to solve little riddles that would be a joke for kid. But what made really burts with laughter was the choice of the super secret passord that should have securely guarded the cryptex (basically a bycicle lock) containing the precious Holy Grail secret.. the Gran Master chose his grandaughter's name! Anyone who has even a slight familirity with security knows that a loved person name is the first and most obvious and stupid password choice of a dummy! :)
Another comical side is the attitude of Langdon and Sophie towards feelings and sex... when you read that Sophie has interrupted all contact with her beloved grandfather you imagine all sort of violent things..murder.. pedophily, ..rape and it finally turns out she just caught him giving a "ride" to a middle aged plump lady? Coooooome on!!!! And ok, you had to have a couple to make the story just a bit more stereotypical.. but at least make something reaistic, comlex and deep happen! No, by the end of the story Langdon and Sophie share only a timid kiss "full of promise". Is the author a teenager or just trying to win the favours of the neo-con prude wave?
And the final blow.. at the end of all that road, the little secrets and passords and riddles.. there is nothing like the Grail but just a happy family reunion! In the best tradition of old telenovelas....
Citing a really trashy italian TV show I could yell "Carramba che Sorpresa!".
Book Review: "DaVinci Myth" is more accurate
Summary: 2 Stars
This review will be unfortunately a bit longer than I want it to be, as I care to spend little time writing about a book I consider to be a second rate, cheap, dimestore thriller. I picked up this book to see what all the hoopla was about, but much to my disappointment, it was what I consider the "Big Mac" of books: tastes good, but no nutritional value.Da Vinci code is a formulaic franchise (yes, I deliberately use that word) that reads like a Spielberg movie. Dan Brown is a hybrid of all the other popular mainstream thriller authors out there that are currently making bazillions of dollars on the rights of their novels being sold for silver screen production. (I'm looking at you, Chrichton, and you, Grisham) But I believe Mr. Brown, has done himself a service in that he was able to save himself some extra cash when the inevitable transfer from book-to-movie comes around. He will not have to hire any scriptwriters, because the book already reads like a movie script. No changes necessary.
For those of you who understand where I am coming from, yet steadfastly refuse to be deterred from reading the book, the only positive critique I can give is this; it *is* a page turner. But, then again, is that really a positive comment? If that were the case, Danielle Steel or Judith Kranz would be considered the literary geniuses of our time. Heck, for that matter, so would Penthouse Forum.
Another element that strikes a discord with me is how good Mr. Brown is at in blending fact with fiction. I understand that common practice and Brown is certainly not the first to interweave these two elements to create a plausible synopsis, but the difference here is that it seems to be undermining people's faith in religion and that Christianity is one big conspiracy. I won't go into detail about the fabrications that Dan Brown has made in the book, lest I give the story away, but rest assured there are plenty of websites and articles out there that debunk the authors many presumptions. This is a work of fiction and people need to keep that in mind. In conclusion, the only conspiracy here is the marketing one.
Book Review: "awesome"? more like "awful"
Summary: 1 Stars
This is a poorly written book in which unlikely non-characters chase after one another at breakneck speeds or make hairbreadth escapes, pausing only long enough to impart to one another unreliable information. I can't remember when I last read such awful prose. If you can stomache sentences like the following -"Everyone in the reception area gasped in wonderment at the sight of the half-naked albino offering the bleeding clergyman" - then be my guest. You have been warned.Book Review: "Bestseller" does not equal "great"
Summary: 2 Stars
This book proves why the term "bestseller" should not be equated with the term "greatness." Bestseller just means that many people have heard about a book and decided to go take the chance and buy it. If you take this book at pure fictional value, then it is a decent suspense. But, it hardly deserves the accolades and the attention it is getting. Controversial? Yes.
A masterfully crafted work of art? No. There are many "movie" type action sequences and convenient escapes by our protagonists; it becomes a bit cliched to the reader after a certain point.
This, for the most part, was a slow read that was tough to get through because of its lack of depth. The only deep part of the book is the seemingly endless "facts" that are discussed about Da Vinci, the church, the Holy Grail and this amazing code that has seemingly no end to it. The characters are constantly trying to solve the code, but the process of bringing these facts to play is absurd. And these "facts" are really not real facts (only facts for the sake of the book).
Much of the dialogue, combined with stereotyped good guy/ bad guy situations, make for a mediocre story. The protagonists manage to just get by the bumbling police, who manage to blow several key opportunities to get them. It would not have been surprising to hear the police captain scream "Don't blow this case" to a lowly, but eager rookie officer who wanted in on the chance to nab our heroes. The characters are either evil and corrupt, or good and benevolent; it is as simple as black and white.
If there is an aspect that should be applauded it is Brown's ability to take many aspects of history (as factious as they are) and attempt to intertwine them into the plot of a story. But, these attempts fail because they beg too many convenient coincidences, and the authenticity of the characters is seriously lacking as a result.
This book will probably end up being some major motion picture in a few years, with big stars and a big budget.
As far as being a unique work of fiction, this fails.
Book Review: "Code" Blues
Summary: 1 Stars
Watch out Michael Crichton, you've got competition. With "Da Vinci Code," Dan Brown rivals you for one-dimensional characters, preposterous plot and misogynistic flourishes. However, he does you one better with his crypto-paranoid conspiracy theories centering around the Catholic church and forays into third-rate art criticism. The appeal of "Da Vinci" is mystifying, especially when Brown's "Angels and Demons" is a far better book, if you want a religious thriller. That one actually thrills. This one just makes you snicker with its completely inept writing style, character development and plot. Never has Paris been so slighted in fiction-this book is supposedly set in the Louvre but Brown's Louvre has all the atmosphere of a mall poster shop. If you must read a thriller, try Dean Koontz. If you must read Dan Brown, try "Angels and Demons." This "Code" isn't worth cracking.