juanis450's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ssmiljana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
thewordwitch's review against another edition
1.0
This is a reread for bookclub, and it's so terrible. I'm DNFing it.
shashwat's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant & Informative. It was the first Dan Brown book I read & am a fan ever since.
jessmanners's review against another edition
3.0
I mean, this was fine! I can't tell if it felt like well-worn territory just because Brown embraces cliches, or if it felt like well-worn territory because he invented the cliches. I don't really mind that so much--I like puzzles, and I like conspiracies, but the problem with the latter is that there's always this sense that they need to go higher ("this goes all the way to the top!!"), and you can't really get much higher than the son of God, so I guess this is the apex...but even still, the "truth" about the grail just felt sort of...meh. (of course, I couldn't help thinking about the truly awful, and clearly Da Vinci Code -inspired manuscript I read when I was an editorial intern, which was all about the true hunt for WMD...which actually stood for (wait for it...) the Womb of Mass Destruction...anyway, I digress).
It felt like there were a lot of things he wanted to have both ways...like, he wants us to care about solving the mystery and finding the Grail, but he also wants us to buy the speech at the end about the power of faith and not knowing and all that, and he wants to criticize the Church while also being really careful to make it clear that he isn't actually criticizing the Church...and I feel like I had another example, but I don't remember what it was.
Maybe if I had read this around the same time I read [b:The Golden Compass|119322|The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)|Philip Pullman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505766203l/119322._SX50_.jpg|1536771] I would have loved it--the gleeful reaction to encountering sacrilege-lite...
Anyway, I suppose it's time I knew what happened in a book that millions of people have already gotten to...it only took me 20 years!
It felt like there were a lot of things he wanted to have both ways...like, he wants us to care about solving the mystery and finding the Grail, but he also wants us to buy the speech at the end about the power of faith and not knowing and all that, and he wants to criticize the Church while also being really careful to make it clear that he isn't actually criticizing the Church...and I feel like I had another example, but I don't remember what it was.
Maybe if I had read this around the same time I read [b:The Golden Compass|119322|The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)|Philip Pullman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505766203l/119322._SX50_.jpg|1536771] I would have loved it--the gleeful reaction to encountering sacrilege-lite...
Anyway, I suppose it's time I knew what happened in a book that millions of people have already gotten to...it only took me 20 years!
davidlz1's review against another edition
2.0
Since I had intimate knowledge of the texts Mr. Brown used to develop his story, his novel was found to be quite lacking. I can see where it would be a perfect airplane book, but the mystery will only be there if the reader has no previous knowledge of the elements from which he draws.
bookishbuddies's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars!
The thing I liked most about this book is how compelling it is. It is such a pageturner! I also think the riddles and codes were brilliantly crafted. I loved how everything had a double meaning and I also quite liked the big reveals at the end. The writing style is really simple and didactic in my opinion, which is something that could be worked on, but honestly, it's not even that big of an issue in my mind. After reading and enjoying both Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, I will hopefully be able to start with The Lost Symbol soon as well!
The thing I liked most about this book is how compelling it is. It is such a pageturner! I also think the riddles and codes were brilliantly crafted. I loved how everything had a double meaning and I also quite liked the big reveals at the end. The writing style is really simple and didactic in my opinion, which is something that could be worked on, but honestly, it's not even that big of an issue in my mind. After reading and enjoying both Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, I will hopefully be able to start with The Lost Symbol soon as well!
alghesny's review against another edition
4.0
Just what I wanted it to be. Fun, thrilling, informative, and engaging. I’m a sucker for Dan Brown
idelfiedel's review against another edition
3.0
Das Buch lässt sich super gut lesen und ist nicht langartmig.
Es ist eine echt spannende Geschichte, die auch toll erzählt wird, jedoch stören mich ein paar Dinge.
1. Es passiert grob immer das Gleiche.
Die Guten kommen einen Schritt weiter zum Ziel →die Bösen behindern sie → die Guten müssen Flüchten → die Guten kommen einen Schritt weiter zum Ziel → usw.
2. Auch wenn sich das Buch flüssig lesen lässt, gibt es manchmal zu viele Informationen, die man liest. Irgendwann kommt man nicht mehr hinterher.
Generell fand ich die Story spannend, sie hat mich aber nicht so gefesselt wie manch andere Geschichten. Das Ende des Buches finde ich aber trotzdem sehr gelungen und ich bereue keineswegs, dieses Buch gelesen zu haben.
Es ist eine echt spannende Geschichte, die auch toll erzählt wird, jedoch stören mich ein paar Dinge.
1. Es passiert grob immer das Gleiche.
Die Guten kommen einen Schritt weiter zum Ziel →die Bösen behindern sie → die Guten müssen Flüchten → die Guten kommen einen Schritt weiter zum Ziel → usw.
2. Auch wenn sich das Buch flüssig lesen lässt, gibt es manchmal zu viele Informationen, die man liest. Irgendwann kommt man nicht mehr hinterher.
Generell fand ich die Story spannend, sie hat mich aber nicht so gefesselt wie manch andere Geschichten. Das Ende des Buches finde ich aber trotzdem sehr gelungen und ich bereue keineswegs, dieses Buch gelesen zu haben.