I just finished the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown.  This book has caused quite a stir.  Some think it is sacreligious.  It is a work of fiction.  I started out by reading a review of the book which was very negative.  I finished the book and while all the points made by the reviewer were entirely correct, e.g., Leonardois how Leonardo Da Vinci should be called and a author referred to him as Da Vinci (i.e., 'From Vinci") that was beside the point.  It was a great read.  Shake off your pre-conceptions and read the book as a great mystery and you will enjoy it.  If you can't shake off your pre-conceptions about Christ and the church you will have a hard time with it.

Regardless, it is a book that I think that everyone will enjoy, even repressed Lutherans.


Don

I really liked it, kinda like a modern Indiana Jones, without all the action.  Ron Howard's gonna direct, can't wait to see how it turns out.

I'm not religious so I couldn't give a stuff about the church stuff. I don't mind about all the fiction being confused with facts -- or the errors in the book.

But I can't get by the fact that the book, in my opinion, is terribly written. But hey, it has a good notion and will probably be a really good movie. It already has a lot of fans!

I read Da Vinci Code after I read Angels & Demons ("Robert Langdon's first adventure") and I hate to say I thought A&D is better. I loved Da Vinci Code but the one thing that really got me annoyed was that Langdon fell from a helicopter and saved himself by holding a tarp, and just walked out of a hospital. That's almost as bad as jumping from a tree with a plastic grocery bag above my head.

There was a interesting programme on TV about the so called facts behind the Da Vinci Code, basically concluding it was all bull sh*t. Saying that, the story of the surrealist gang that planted the rumours then forged documents to prove the existence of a non existent secret society was fascinating, and worthy of an adaptation in itself.

i just bought this book. hopefully i will like it.

Andrew

I enjoyed it, though some of it seemed cheesy at times, it's an entertaining read.

HATED IT!

1)  The writing if awful.  The characters go from being mind-numbingly stupid to guessing an entire plot element in one go.  The word "of course!" is used several dozen times, as in "Oh wait, he was talking about blah blah blah, of course!" and suddenly figuring out the next stage of puzzles.

2)  It's offensive.  I say this as a person who isn't even christian.  The main plot of this book deals with trashing christianity for its cute sex-based idea of God.  Not only that, but it tricks you into assuming it has a case, by mixing in the ridiculous nonsense with things that are true so as to confuse you.

3)  It makes numerous mistakes.  I'm not talking about the intentional ones fabricated to creats the myth; when the author talks about Phi, he mentions over and over that all these measurements come out to exactly 1.618 - phi.  However, that's as accurate as saying pi is exactly 3.14.  Phi is an infinite, irrational number, which starts with 1.61803398.  This is one of many mistakes.

4)  It's offensive, in a different way.  It trashes an entire sect of the catholic religion, and even the full catholic religion, for the sake of creating realistic villains (btw, it fails completely).

Don't read this book.

im sure we will all make a note since this book is 'anti-christan'

DONT READ IT! OH MY GOD


i think this is all bullshit
it is a wonderful book.
of course people will hate it and like it
but dont tell people not to read something when obviously many people like it

Andrew,

I think your review is spot on.   I don’t think other people should read this book.  They might, heaven forbid, start thinking.  Even worse, they might evening start to, like, look into things and do evil, evil things like research.  My God!  They might evening question authority!  

I loved the book.  I thought it was great.  I am, however, appalled at the simpletons who trash the book.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a large body of people who read this and somehow get sucked in to thinking that it is fact.  It is a work of fiction.  It is extraordinary funny to read reviewers say that it fabricates myths and it is offensive.  It is fiction.  It is a fun read.  All those pathetic simpletons who stand up and say, "There are errors in the book!" are probably the same people who stand up in the middle of Peter Pan and say, "Wait!  Little boys can't fly!" and "There are no such thing as fairies."


It is a fun read.  It is a piece of fiction.  Read the book and have an adventure.  Lastly, and most importantly, make up your own mind.  Please don’t let some ignorant zealot tell you not to read something.  Read it for your self and make up your own...@#$%^&*(&^%$#@  Citizens.  Remain calm.  Please go about your business.  Nothing to see here.  No need to do anything thinking.  Please, do not question anything.  Believe everything you hear...

I read this a while a back and thoroughly enjoyed it. This adventure style novel isn't the sort of thing I'd usually read but a friend persuaded me to give it a go.

The writing overall is fairly poor and the dialogue is terrible. What makes this such a fascinating read is the 'facts' that Brown reveals throughout the plot. Despite the disclaimer, they are presented as 'facts' in the way that Langdon discovers them. Obviously this is why the book caused such a stir on its release. What amazes me is that a fictional novel could cause such an outcry in religous circles. No fewer than 10 books have been written since its release denouncing this work of fiction as lies. Of course it's lies, it's FICTION. The fiction is well researched and a lot of it feels authentic but why would religous leaders condemn the book so vehemently unless they had something to hide?

Story-wise, the Da Vinci code is excellent. Where it fails is in the poor quality of writing and bland dialogue. The characters are one-dimensional and stale, particularly Langdon and the Leabing character. I read Brown's Digital Fortress and found it had similar problems with poorly dveloped characters and bland dialogue. Brown is not a 'great' writer but the Da Vinci code is a fascinating book nonetheless. If you take it for what it is, it's a very rewarding read.

Quoted from Impulse I loved Da Vinci Code but the one thing that really got me annoyed was that Langdon fell from a helicopter and saved himself by holding a tarp, and just walked out of a hospital. That's almost as bad as jumping from a tree with a plastic grocery bag above my head.

The 'tarp' moment is actually in 'Angels & Demons,' and I agree, it does strain credibility. Both the books are good stories that aren't particularly well written.

I must also say that the theories in 'The DaVinci Code' have sufficiently piqued my interest to look into them a bit more.

Oh, right. Thanks, RD. Yeah, I get the books mixed up a bit. I agree with above opinions .. the style is just okay and the dialogue is plain, but the fiction weaved in fact is fantastic.

I'm not allowed to read this book, and because I'm 14, I can't do anything about that. But I wouldn't want to anyway. I am a Christian, and I have NOTHING to hide. (Der Spieler).
It may be fiction, but if the guy really is a Christian, why would he write a book full of lies about Jesus?

And by the way Jerdol, we don't have a 'cute sex-based view of God.'

He's not the only one who's thinking those things. He's just the one that published that fiction and got people to read it.