novelesque_life's review against another edition
1.0
ZERO STARS
"While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.
In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever." (From Amazon)
One of the worst books I've ever read. I finished it only because I worked in a book store and it was expected. Brown over explains as if the reader knows nothing.
"While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.
In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever." (From Amazon)
One of the worst books I've ever read. I finished it only because I worked in a book store and it was expected. Brown over explains as if the reader knows nothing.
keagsbosch's review against another edition
4.0
Not at all a must read, but definitely worth reading if you have some spare time. The novel makes you really think about the church. REALLY INTERESTING READ.
danteo's review against another edition
1.0
As with most people who ended up hating this book, I picked up the Da Vinci code based on other people’s recommendations. This is supposedly an intelligent book, while doubling as a fast paced thriller. I should have known better of course, as the above description often equates to pseudo-intellectual trite.
One complaint I frequently hear is that Brown tends to get his facts wrong. I’ll admit I’m not really in a position to judge that, as I’m not familiar with the actual facts. Although I trust the opinion of the many reviewers out there more than Brown’s research, I’ll let this one pass.
What is unforgivable however is, well, just about everything else in this book. The writing is simplistic, the dialogues are horrible, the characters are no more than cardboard figures and the plot is ridiculously inept. The plot twists are so predictable, that I feel embarrassed for Brown the way he tries to make everything seem like a mystery. And don’t get me started on those numerous flashbacks. Sophie’s flashbacks about her grandfather is still understandable to a degree, but what about the ones of Langdon lecturing in front of a class, or talking to his publisher? These scenes are nothing more than convenient information dumps and is a case study for lazy writing if ever I saw one.
However, the puzzles in the book are mildly entertaining for the casual reader, although you’d expect Langdon and Teabing to have less trouble with them. Another problem is that there is little logical sequence in the solving of those puzzles. They just suddenly come up with the solution or by coincidence, and as a result, you often feel cheated as a reader.
It’s bad enough that this terrible book managed to sell millions of copies, but it’s even worse that for years I had to endure listening to my friends, most of whose opinion I normally trust and respect, gushing about how amazing this book is, and how it was the most intelligent thing they’ve ever read (with the possible exception of Angels and Demons, which I’m never going to read now). This is nothing short of an insult for literature as a whole.
One complaint I frequently hear is that Brown tends to get his facts wrong. I’ll admit I’m not really in a position to judge that, as I’m not familiar with the actual facts. Although I trust the opinion of the many reviewers out there more than Brown’s research, I’ll let this one pass.
What is unforgivable however is, well, just about everything else in this book. The writing is simplistic, the dialogues are horrible, the characters are no more than cardboard figures and the plot is ridiculously inept. The plot twists are so predictable, that I feel embarrassed for Brown the way he tries to make everything seem like a mystery. And don’t get me started on those numerous flashbacks. Sophie’s flashbacks about her grandfather is still understandable to a degree, but what about the ones of Langdon lecturing in front of a class, or talking to his publisher? These scenes are nothing more than convenient information dumps and is a case study for lazy writing if ever I saw one.
However, the puzzles in the book are mildly entertaining for the casual reader, although you’d expect Langdon and Teabing to have less trouble with them. Another problem is that there is little logical sequence in the solving of those puzzles. They just suddenly come up with the solution or by coincidence, and as a result, you often feel cheated as a reader.
It’s bad enough that this terrible book managed to sell millions of copies, but it’s even worse that for years I had to endure listening to my friends, most of whose opinion I normally trust and respect, gushing about how amazing this book is, and how it was the most intelligent thing they’ve ever read (with the possible exception of Angels and Demons, which I’m never going to read now). This is nothing short of an insult for literature as a whole.
xanderekpl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
burksandcaicos's review against another edition
5.0
Jesus had a baby with Mary Madgalene and the Illuminati and Masons are trying to kill everybody who knows. Fucking incredible.
ninaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
maare's review
4.0
Interesting read. The book has a great mystery element to it, though some revelations feel unrelated to the story itself.
lilianap's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ellietonkin's review
3.0
3.5⭐️ I was prepared to give this a higher rating due to it being a cultural phenomenon. I’ve wanted to read this book for a long, long time and I think, because I left it so long, I expected something groundbreaking. This book was fine. It was a fun read, it had some interesting concepts and I enjoyed the characters. The story started off very strong, action-packed and I had high hopes. The middle meandered and the passage of time was highly unrealistic. The ending was a disappointment. Unfortunately, I think this will be my first and last Dan Brown book but I don’t regret finishing it at all. This genre (conspiracy-religious-history-murder-mystery?) is one of my guilty pleasures and I’m glad that I finally read the most infamous one of it’s kind! I’ll be picking up Scott Mariani’s newest book in the Ben Hope series next.
lexierae830's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was pretty good. It’s a more modern classic, so I wanted to give it a try. It was rather confusing to follow for me, but the mystery kept me guessing, so much so that I never quite figured out the ending (even after I read it, haha!). Definitely would recommend to those who enjoy a good mystery!