Da Vinci Code

[MatDatPhatKat]

Absolutely. I think that, if the book hadn't been hyped so much, I might have felt ok about it, but I wouldn't have rushed out to buy any of his other titles. People who say 'The Da Vinci Code' is the best book they've ever read have obviously not read that many books.

[tarablanca]

Yes Dan Brown may be overrated all thanks to the Christian population, but I actually enjoyed his book very much. His plots were very well woven and the book was especially well-researched for a thriller. To be honest, there are much worse writers on the best seller list these days. So I 'm not complaining. Books are also not always about the language, they are also about storytelling. If you have a great story to tell, the language can be overlooked. I liked the trio although my least favorite was The Lost Symbols--the ending was disappointing.

[ksloan1604]

I have read all of Dan Browns books and I also think Da Vinci code is over rated, but I really enjoyed Angels & Demons and Deception Point. If you have not read these you should give them a try

[LatinumHeart]

I enjoyed the book. Thought it was an exciting read, I never finished Angels and Demons. The movie was awful

[allmyposts]

No No!!


I read the book, I loved it. I don't think it is overrated ..

Not just the Da Vinci Code, the other books viz Digital Fortress, Lost Symbol were all awesome!!

Heavy research, speaking about controversial topics and keeping the reader hooked .. these are the characteristics which made these books famous!

[maryam_54]

Meh, some parts were definitely overrated...especially the ending when he goes down on one knee, and you know yada yada yada. However, I feel like after you get past the first couple chapters, you're just totally absorbed into the book. It took me only 3 days to finish that book, and I was so sad that I had to finish it. I really loved the "race against time" aspect of it!

[reader 512]

I think the book was good but no literary masterpiece. He know how to write a page turner but I think it is a little like a modern block buster movie, entertaining, well marketed, and full of action but no work of art. Just my thoughts

[scarletgirl]

"The Da Vinci Code" is an interesting book for a number of reasons. It is entertaining yet essentially light reading. It is also filled with tantalizing bits of information about the history of Christianity and a miriad of other related topics including paganism, Gnosticism, The Knights Templar, art history, and the Holy Grail.
The most fascinating aspect of this novel is the overwhelming public interest and controversy surrounding many of the assertions Brown makes in this book. It may be safe to assume that most people have little or no previous exposure to these topics and it certainly has generated extreme controversy in Christian circles.

[fiddle_dee_read]

I enjoyed this book. It was a page turner for me. Like scarletgirl assumed, I had no previous exposure to paganism, Gnoticism, etc. Reading this book, I really wanted to know more. Any book that makes me want to research and learn about topics beyond the story is a good book to me.

[MysFan]

Great book. All that controversy was over the top, but probably seriously increased sales. I am sure Dan Brown liked that part. Probably liked least the part where so many groups were disclaiming his book as if it were an attempt at non-fiction when it was just a good read. I also appreciated the look at other types of religious sects and especially the Knights Templar. There are so many stories, fiction and non-fiction about these men and I am really fascinated by the topic. Interested in anything any members can recommend.

Interesting to me is the slant that Mary Magdalene (sp) acted as an advisor, not to the group, but certainly to their central figure. There are real examples of women acting as advisors to men of influence behind the scenes in these times.

For the purposes of fiction, Dan Brown certainly embellished. One thing that is not so far-fetched is finding hidden secrets in the older churches and libraries around Europe. I think the only places where there is surely little of this still around are those old churches that have undergone serious renovation. There has been a lot of this in Italy for sure, but all across Europe. Not so farfetched to find nooks and cranies (sp) that might hide secrets. We read about these types of things periodically and sometimes they even warrant articles in National Geographic. So a story line that is bound to capture everyone's interest.

A huge amount of interest was generated with the cleaning of The Last Supper. Now that the painting is clean again, it is has become a large source of controversy. It is hard to believe something revealed to be so beautiful could cause so much angst. We should all just appreciate it for what it says to each of us as we will probably never know what is behind the painting itself.

As to the movie, to me Tom Hanks was a very bad choice for the leading man. It was evident in both The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. Can't imagine who would have worked better, but they just sort of fizzled with him. I am a big Tom Hanks fan and usually enjoy his movies, but in this role, not so much.

[bencyjack1]

I read this book in 2003 or 2004, I cannot remember exactly. I very much enjoyed it as I had always been interested in birth and early stage of Christianity....

[Parnie79]

I read this book some years back, and although I enjoyed the book, I do remember it being a bit hard to get through at times. The subject matter of the book I found to be convincing and even thought provoking at times and I liked the puzzles they had to solve along the way. Do not get why the book was hyped up but an enjoyable escape for the constraints of life.

[Fran]

I read this book some years back, and although I enjoyed the book, I do remember it being a bit hard to get through at times. The subject matter of the book I found to be convincing and even thought provoking at times and I liked the puzzles they had to solve along the way. Do not get why the book was hyped up but an enjoyable escape for the constraints of life.

You should read In God's House by Ray Mouton .... the real RC scandals and skeletons

[MysFan]

Thanks for the suggestion about more on the RC. Very interesting to read both fiction and non-fiction. I have always wanted to have access to the Vatican archives, but then could not read the material anyway as it is probably all in Latin. But it would be eye-opening for sure.

I enjoy so much the books that talk about Michaelangelo and his work on the Sistene (sp) Chapel. And the entire period of the Middle Ages and the formation of various religions. One of the most interesting times for me was when Henry VIII disolved all the churches and confiscated all the wealth, while at the same time destroying much of the history of his own country.

Any suggestions more than welcome.

[Mr- Bishop]

I addressed this 'fictional' book, in my non-fiction book. The great thing about fiction, at least one of the most enticing things, is being possible, if not probable. ( won't list my book title until I read all of the rules of the forum, don't want to upset the mods)

Mr. Brown does that. Yet one thing many readers forget is that it is a work of fiction.

Any worthwhile religion book doesn't have any basis in fiction. I dislike religion, but have to yield to reality, not fantasy.