The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (2003, Unabridged, Compact Disc)

This is an absolutely fantastic book and the 1st I read by Dan Brown. It was so good in fact, that I went out the day after I finished it and bought Angels and Demons and have since read all his other books.

Both Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code chronicle the adventures of Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist. Dan Brown is a stellar writer and includes real history in the books which makes for an educational read. This book has produced quite a stir with its content and has actually spurned books dedicated to revealing the myths behind the fiction.

This is an absolutely fantastic book and the 1st I read by Dan Brown. It was so good in fact, that I went out the day after I finished it and bought Angels and Demons and have since read all his other books.

Both Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code chronicle the adventures of Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist. Dan Brown is a stellar writer and includes real history in the books which makes for an educational read. This book has produced quite a stir with its content and has actually spurned books dedicated to revealing the myths behind the fiction.

As an example here are some of the more "sensitive" topics the book raises:

Early Christianity entailed "the cult of the Great Mother" Mary Magdalene represented the feminine cult and the Holy Grail of traditional lore
she was also Jesus' wife and the mother of his children.

Magdalene's womb, carrying Jesus offspring, was the legendary Holy Grail (as seen in Da Vinci's encoded paining, The Last Supper).

Jesus was not seen as divine (God) by His followers until Emperor Constantine declared him so for his own purposes.

The Nicean Council of the 3rd Century was the context for Constantine's power grab and the relationship of Magdalene as paramour of Christ was quashed there.

"Mary Magdalene's remains and the secret documents that tell the real story were found on the Temple Mount when Jerusalem was conquered in the First Crusade.”

Brown sees a connection between the Nag Hammadi documents (a.k.a., Gnostic Gospels) discovered in 1945 and this storyline.

The "truth" about Christ and Mary Magdalene has been kept alive by a secret society named the Priory of Sion that was lead by great minds like Da Vinci.

Perhaps one of the trademarks of a good book is its ability to create this sort of dialog. Already TV shows have been dedicated to exploring these issues. I can only expect this hype will continue to grow with the announcement of a movie!

Overall ... a MUST read!

A right ripping good yarn. The mystery begins with murder in the Louvre. Professor Langdon, having been called to meeet the curator Louvre, Jacques Sauniere is now suspected of his murder by police inspector Bezu Fasche. But this is no ordinary murder. Jacques Sauniere in his dying moments left a trail of clues the hopefully Sophie Nevue and Professor Langdon would solve. Enter said cryptologist, Sophie Nevue, with her own agenda. Worried for his safety and sure he was not the perpetrator of the crime Nevue whisks Langdon away, bemused and struggling to make sense of the intrigue in which he finds himself. The pace picks up rapidly throughout the book as, peice by peice. Nevue and Langdon discover the stories that have brought them both together and the puzzle they have to try and explain. The burning questions about Jacque Suniere's past and the clues lead from Sauniere to Da Vinci to the Priory of Sion and to the to the possible truth about the Holy grail are answered.

The DaVinci Code is an amazing story. It sends your mind on a journey into the world of symbology and makes you wonder if there is any truth to this work of fiction by Dan Brown. As the characters race through the ancient cathedrals and buildings in Europe, you the reader or listener are drawn into the intrigue and drama of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu's search for the truth. Was there a conspiracy? Are there clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci? Can the characters figure out what is happening? Find out for yourself! I loved this book! It is well written and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. I would suggest it as a MUST read for all mystery/ suspense/ intrigue/ drama fans.

I like this book a lot! I do not get a lot of extra time to read so when I do I put it down or return it to the library if it does not strike my fancy. This one did. I read it for most of the day and night for two days (between meals, baths, etc) until it was done. I had to know what was happening next. I like thrills and mysteries and this had it all. It was woven together well, the blend of history, mysticism and religion. I live in the south..the Bible Belt...and have heard all the who-ha about it making a mockery of the church. A single historical fiction book should not be the piece of straw that breaks the camels' back.

This is a good book. I have it on my book shelf and plan to read it again. I also went and bought the one before it, "Gods and Demons" or is it "Demons and Gods". Either way it was really good too. A book that is a good mystery, a good thriller, and an interesting take on religion

I read mostly personal finance so I am a bit of a fiction bore. I am an analytical reader so this was very fun to track the mystery of the storyline and to place it in to my personal knowledge in religion. If you have no clue how all sorts of little things in the world of religion connect in terms of iconography you will find this book amazing.( In other words: It has LOADS of research that makes is a compelling read.) I agree with some of the other reviews that this can get a bit dragging-on in the development of the characters but if you are a lazy reader and want to hear a great story- get it on audio. It was done very well. This is a must-read for POP culture anyway..

RICH CHICKS specializes in financial education for women and we read hundreds of books on personal finance every year! We have left many book reviews all over this site.