The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Da Vinci Code
Book Review: 2 stars is too kind
Summary: 1 Stars
I totally agree with operation-mobacracy. Only I think 2 stars is 2 too many. Brown is a hack.Book Review: 3 Days of Reading Bliss
Summary: 5 Stars
My Mom got me this book for Easter knowing I'm a fan of Arturo Perez-Reverte, Umberto Eco, and other writers of the "intellectual thriller". A week later, the peanut butter egg is still on the counter, but I've gobbled up the book. Dan Brown has succeeded in creating a rich, exciting, smart thriller more addictive than jelly beans. His characters are tremendously interesting (if a bit cliche), his description of Paris, London and Scotland perfect, and the controversial ideas presented very intriguing. Few thrillers are intellectually stimulating and still very exciting. "The DaVinci Code" succeeds at both.Book Review: 3 Solid Stars
Summary: 3 Stars
The DaVinci Code has a 3.5 star rating overall, and that's probably accurate or somewhat high. There are a LOT of misinterpretations and flaws in the book, but there is also much to enjoy.This is a novel, a work of fiction. However, Brown has done limited homework and portrays this novel as a vehicle for promoting alternate and plausible histories. This is my biggest fault with the novel - that it pretends to be a peer-reviewed historical thesis. Brown's personal feelings and biases are rampant throughout the work, which is fine for a fictional novel but has no business in a historical treatise.
And often Brown is simply wrong. The number Phi, for example, appears to have magical properties until you learn it falls out in natural processes. The ratio of male to female bees in a hive tends toward Phi due to the way male bees are formed. The packing of seeds in a flower ratios to Phi because it is by far the most efficient arrangement and is a product of natural selection. However, Brown offers Phi as proof of Devine Creation, via protagonist Harvard Professor Robert Langdon and a math student during his lecture. To me this is irresponsible, like saying that the number Pi being buried within Egyptian pyramid architecture is proof of alien involvement. Sloppy and wrong, and annoying things like this riddle the book. Claiming the word "alphabet" comes from the first two letters of the Jewish language, "alef" and "beit" while completely ignoring the fact that the first two letters of Greek are "alpha" and "beta".
Brown also goes far overboard concerning symbolism and hidden meanings. According to Brown, anything anywhere concerning the number 5 is a hidden allusion to the sacred female - the way Venus moves in the sky, the rose, iambic pentameter, my hand, the number of pennies in a nickel - ok, I made up the last two, but some of his inferences are absolutely wrong. And these are just the instances I caught. A true historian would probably shudder at the leaps Brown takes via the characters, who are all supposed to be the most learned experts in the field.
And for such smart people there is an appalling lack of logic. From the first, where Sophie takes Langdon's transmitter and hides it in soap, then throws it onto a moving truck - I think I saw Cindy Brady do something similar in "A Brady Christmas", but this Harvard Professor remarks that she "is a hell of a lot smarter than he is." What a black mark on Harvard. And like the Keystone Cops the Parisian policemen all chase the truck, leaving the two fugitives alone in the Louvre to saunter on their merry way, even though this is one of the most sensational murders of modern time. No logic.
The codes are ridiculously easy. There was good logic hiding the keystone in the vault, but a modern CNC machine would have easily cut off the top of the Cryptex without destroying the contents. You could take it to a machine shop for 1000 bucks. If I had the most important secret of 2000 years in my hands, I would have spent the grand and had the answer in 20 minutes instead of jumping through those ridiculous hoops. There are far better ways to hide secrets then 14th ca technology, and I would imagine the Grand Leader of the Priory of Sion would know that.
Finally, the literary style itself is sophomoric. The 1 page chapters are geared for an audience that cannot concentrate on one subject for more than 10 minutes. There is no character development whatsoever, and the lack of logic and unbelievable circumstances allow for little character empathy.
So after all this, why did I give it 3 stars? It is, simply, a very readable book. A good book for late at night when you don't want to think too hard. Plus, the concepts were fascinating to me (which unlike other reviewers I'd never been exposed to before). I am not nearly as critical of his prose as others - I liked his dialogue and methods for advancing his viewpoints. Again, there is no character development, but the characters themselves are secondary to the central thesis, like watching a Discovery Channel historical recreation rather than an HBO movie. And while the character's lack of logic and Brown's incorrect assertions were definitely annoying, I found that they didn't really take away from my overall reading enjoyment. However, I have amended my original rating to 3 stars. The ending is definitely a product of an anxious publisher, and destroys the book.
So despite the many criticisms, I did enjoyed reading "The Da Vinci Code" and though it only merits 3 stars.
Book Review: 3 levels of interest!
Summary: 5 Stars
A great who done it, on the surface! Following Da Vinci as a person, his interest of history and spirituality was intense! All the clues are there. His belief system shines through. The book was well written. Can not put it down once you start. I will read it again and again. Recommend to all.Book Review: 3 stars for plot, but substance ...
Summary: 3 Stars
I would recommend this book for plot, historical fact combined with a contemporary story, and puzzles contained within. The problem I have is with the liberties Mr. Brown takes on several serious religious theories. Jesus having a child, etc. There are books that approach this story utilizing more traditional religious theory on the Holy Blood, the Royal Bloodline in France, and the quest for the Holy Grail. Try a book titled THE GOAT WITHOUT HORNS.