There is a simple way to assess this book. Obtain a copy of Holy Blood, Holy Grail -by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. Written in 1982, now recently updated. It goes it to the subject at a far deeper level, although obviously not a novel. Whether or not the whole thing is a scam I really couldn't say. Interesting read all the same. A few years back I was in contact with someone who claimed to be in the 'Priory of Sion'. There might be something to it? Back to Dan Brown's book. Read both books and decide for yourself where the story came from? I have always thought that the person on Jesus's right in the painting The Last Supper a woman, much to the chagrain of art experts. Oh Michaelangelo liked painting androginous youths.
All I can add further is - Et in Arcadia Ego........

Appallingly badly written. He uses convoluted conversations, that no experts would really have, to get his ideas across. Ridiculous twaddle.

I generally enjoyed the book. i had read it without any preconceptions and found i settled into it easily. His characters are not the deepest, but they are only there as subplot, as the appeal of the book comes from stories of religious heritage, mysterious society's and our fascination with spirit belief. If you need your books to be anything more than stocking fillers then this book will leave you rather unfulfilled.

The story has good pace, teasing you with dark locations and then tearing you away to the temporary sanctuary of the next dark corner. In many ways i liked the short chapters switching between characters and scenes, but it also dilutes the plot of the book, more so later on in the book when the characters seem less real.

I think the main problem with the book is the author's failure to maintain character structure. Having the grail plot told through a jumble of characters works until the plot is needed to come out. When it finally arrives, he's still bound to tell it through his characters, his chosen method. However with the plot being centre stage, the characters have to step back into scenery. This creates a false character effect when compared throughout book, as in some real and some not. Unfortunately I think this detracts from the book's final appeal, as the story loses some of it's integrity when the author gives up on his characters.

still worth a read and highly recommended.

The Da Vinci Code is a fantastic book. Shorter Chapters, genius twists, I felt I could really get into the characters minds.

Intellectually stimulating, very inspirational read. Dan Brown is an absolute genius!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. However, I read this before Angels & Demons and found that it was much better. I've heard others say that they liked A & D more, especially those that read that one first.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Da Vinci Code! I read it long after the hype had died down, thinking that it couldn't possibly be as good as everyone had made out. However, it surpassed every expectation I had of it! It was truly captivating! I couldn't put it down! Admittedly, at first it was rather difficult to follow (with many sentences in French), but I think this added to the authenticity of the book!

Also, I had seen the film before I read the book, and the book I'm afraid is 110% better without a doubt!

A really enjoyable read!! I'd definitely recommend it to others, and I will be having a look at Dan Brown's other work!

I thought this book was absolutely superb! My husband read it and told me it was great and tried to tell me what it was about - it sounded boring! Any description or explanation anyone tries to give of this book just won't do it justice!
The book is very cleverly written, with each character given such depth and importance along the way but the plot flows brilliantly and is very easy to read. The wonderful thing about books is that if they are well written, you can imagine everything so vividly, and this is one of those books. I couldn't put it down and read it within 2 days.
Whether or not people choose to believe the religious concepts and twists in this novel, either way it is a fascinating read in my opinion.
I would also like to add, please don't judge this book on the film - I loved the book but was very disappointed with the film as large parts were either missed out or skimmed over!

I started to read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and after a short while I abandoned it to the coffee table where it sat until it got the better of me, and I decided I would give it another try. I did, and it sat once again on the coffee table for another week or so. After speaking to an author friend who said he just couldn't get to grips with the book, I thought I wasn't so dim after all, and I gave it another once-over. I felt I knew Robert Langdon, the main character, and although the story is extremely far-fetched to the point where surely Dan Brown's days must be at least 116 hours long, instead of the 24 in my day (because I would be in a bed on the intensive care ward if I had an hour in the day of Robert Langdon), the story ran along at a worthy Gold medal position. So much so, I was reading just as fast!! I did eventually finish the book and poo-pooed much of it, but it was brilliantly written with great emphasis on Mr Brown's facts throughout, and having been, seen and stood next to the La Pyramide Inversee some years ago, I can't help wondering...if? But the main reason I wanted to finish The Da Vinci Code was to find out if Robert Langdon's Walt Disney Mickey Mouse watch survived another adventure, and I still didn't find out!!

What i love about this book,is the use of baffling codes,it really is pure genius. The depth of the story unfolds closer to the end of the book as characters are clearly not how they appear. Unlike Angels & Demons [also by dan brown] characters are explained in much more depth, this makes the story compelling and at times shocking. A reader with a wider knowledge of Da vinci's work may find the story, easier to digest. But still, a gripping read.

Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code, all very fun and a lot of the depiction of scenes and events are quite believeable. The two main characters are just about brought off the page in terms of the depth, but Fache rather steals the show as the most plausible and with whom I had most empathy. Without giving anything away, characters introduced later in the book are far more 2 dimensional and the whole thing tails off as a realistic story later because of it.

But that's not my main issue... which is why is Brown so convinced he has to signpost what we are meant to feel by putting statements in italics? Perhaps it was the publishers or his editor or the mailboy; but whoever it was it gets right on my nerves - do you not trust my intellect and think that I cannot figure the gravity of the statement for myself? Do you think you have to prescribe what I should be thinking at the end of each paragraph? How old do you expect your readers to be.

The rest of it is a nice romp, very readable and certainly a book you can zip through quickly enough, but I found it a little of an insult to my intelligence that someone felt it necessary to tell me what to think every 2 minutes. Still, now I know, right?

Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code the most overrated book of all time. A completely predictable, formulaic murder mystery. The religious "revelations" are nothing new; particularly to anyone with a modicum of historical awareness. I cannot believe the hype that surrounds this book. The hype is extraordinary; the book is just plain ordinary.

I thought Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code was a good read, obviously with a book so hyped up as this the mind boggles on what to expect.
It opens up the mind to other possibilities about religion and Jesus Christ's heritage and offers a delicious twist to an ancient tale.
The main thing to remember is that this is fiction and if you disengage the brain it is a good interesting read.

I can't believe that people are actually able to write bad reviews about Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. It has to be one of the best I've ever read. I must admit it wasn't the most challenging book to read but as for suspense and twists within the storyline it was amazing. I loved this book and really could not put it down. I have also recommended it to lots of people since and everyone has agread with me.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is perhaps the worst I have ever had the misfortune to read. Having heard the hype I was very disappointed to find out that this is all there is to this book...hype. The characters are supposed to be experts in the field of cryptography etc, but cannot work out the most basic cloth-eared cryptic clues. I mean, a five letter word that has to do with Sir Isaac Newton? Give me a break! Written by an author who knows nothing. Add to this that it has been written in an appalling style. Don't waste your time!

Got Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code under the audio book exchange at the motorway services. I seen loads of reviews in the media and I'm still undecided about it's accuracy. It's very believable because of the track record of the Catholic Church and all it's secrecy but maybe a little OTT on the conspiracy theory front. I'm inclined to believe a lot of it could be true but I'm not a fully signed up member.
However - whether you believe the story or not it's still damn good if you accept it as fiction. We listened to the CD over a couple of 5 hour trips and it was great in that it kept our interest and kept me awake towards the end of the journey. Had it not finished 10 miles from home we'd have sat in the car, or driven around the village or taken the CD indoors to hear the end!

Browm treats his readers as if we were complete idiots, no development of characters, suspense? What suspense. Too predictable, staggering and lurching from one location to another like a drunk in a foggy night. Pathetic. The Da Vinci Code is a complete waste of money

If there would be one word to describe the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, it would definitely be: AWESOME! It was amazing how everything untied itself page after page. I tried to predict what happened, however, the ending was very unexpected. The only problem possibly, is that the ending needs a bit of fixing. I have read many books in my time, but this one just blows it all away! If you enjoy history and all about religion, this is definitely a book for you! I loved that it explained everything. It explained how the Bible was rewritten, and it explained how the new groups were formed, such as Opus Diei. Just an overall good book. Unique is all I have to say, and the work of a great mind!