Praise for The Da Vinci Code

I had heard quite a bit about this book, from media as well as first hand from people who had read it. It sounded intriguing and I was curious but I am kind of cheap when it comes to book buying. Luckily for me I found a copy of the Da Vinci code by Dan Brown at a discount book store for just $10.99, I was thrilled and purchased the book immediately.

After reading the book I realized that this would not be an easy review to write. Most book reviews can done with a slight introduction and a small bit of plot information followed by a personal thought or two. But this one is a little more difficult than that. The fact is that this book is so full of details, and historical fact and fiction it is hard to determine how much of the plot to actually write about to introduce the book. I will do my best to keep it as short and direct as possible.

The Plot

American symbologist Robert Langdon who has been visiting Paris in order to give a lecture has been awoken from his slumber from the by a hotel clerk. It seems that the Paris police need to have a word with him. It seems that the popular curator of the Louvre Museum, Jacques Sauniere, has been murdered. Since Sauniere’s appointment book shows a meeting for drinks on that very evening with Langdon he becomes a suspect in the murder of Sauniere. However the clever detective that retrieves Langdon tells Langdon that he needs his assistance is solving the case, rather than telling him he is a suspect. He brings Langdon to the Louvre Museum where Sauniere’s body lay next to a famous painting that he himself had pulled off the wall to alert security of his being attacked. In the process however he had trapped himself inside of the security cage. The detective hopes that while assisting the him Langdon will let something slide and somehow admit to the murder. Of course Sauniere never showed up for drinks, so Langdon and Sauniere never met.

The most curious thing about the murder was not how Sauniere was killed, which was by a gun shot wound, but what he did in the last few moments before he died. It seemed he had a message to get out, a secret message, a message that he could only entrust to one person, a secret that would die with him he did not relay it somehow. So by using his own blood and a black light marker he provides messages and numerical clues that will help his intender and only his intender and one other person figure out his secret. But he knows that his intender must also have the help of Robert Langdon to help get the answers she will need to seek.

Agent Sophie Nevue, a cryptologist for the Paris police enters the crime scene un-announced, it seems she has a phone call from the American embassy for Langdon. It turns out Sophie is the intended message receiver. She knows Robert Langdon is innocent and also knows she needs his help to try and figure out what Sauniere her estranged grand father is trying to tell her. She needs to help Langdon escape arrest, and find the answer to the clues and also help Langdon prove his innocence by finding the real murderer in the process.

At this point you are probably thinking I have given quite a bit of the plot away. Well you would be surprised to find that all of this happens just in the very beginning of the book.

The rest of the book reads like a mystery, but not an ordinary mystery. Not just anyone could figure out these clues. It takes someone, or a few people with a great deal of knowledge about religious history and knowledge of the Holy Grail to unravel this mystery. But Nevue and Langdon are not simply left alone to figure out the answers they seek, there are others who are trying to keep the mystery a secret, and others that seek the answers to the mystery as well. And let’s not forget that Langdon and Nevue are both suspects in a murder investigation. But they just may get a little help from the works of Leonardo Da Vinco. A man called “The teacher” began the entire string of events, also prompting the involvement of the Catholic Church and two faithful members of Opus Dei.

If it sounds like I gave a lot of plot away don’t worry, there is plenty more involved in this book that I did not mention.

My Thoughts

This long but intense book will keep your attention from the beginning until the end. Although it is a large book, it is difficult to put down. The fictional biblical information is intertwined with actual historical information, and this makes for a very interesting read. Also the intricacy of the clues and how they come to answer all of the questions they seek in order to find the ultimate answer is very interesting. As you turn from page to page you will quickly be taken from one answer to the next. The story un-ravels so quickly, and yet there is enough detail to grab your full attention. There is not a lot of fluff in this book and that is makes it all the more enjoyable. There are not huge drawn out explanations of the appearance of homes or humans, etc. there is of course a little but really not much at all.

The story moves very quickly and once you start reading it you will have trouble putting it down. This book will also require your full attention. If you let your mind wonder at all while reading you may find your self having to go back to and review certain things so that you don’t miss any important parts of the story. There is so much detail that if you blink you may miss something. I personally loved how the story progressed, and how one thing led into the realization of another, the story just unfolds masterfully.

I had heard from critics of the book that they considered it to be sac religious and since I am someone who does not wish to be sac religious I was a little bit weary about reading this. The book does challenge the traditional bible but it is purely fiction. I am a Christian and this did not offend me, because I know it was fiction. But I can see some who are religious in the most strictness of terms possibly being offended by this book. The book actually peaked my interest about certain aspects of theology.

If you only like simple minded books that help put your brain on vacation than you probably will not like this book. However if you are up for an interesting book that keeps your brain engaged almost entirely throughout the book you should enjoy this book. I personally thought it was excellent. I would definitely recommend The Da Vinci Code.