This is the Hostess CupCake of modern literature. The plot was spit out of a factory, the story is adorned with superficial enhancements and its definitely not good for you. Regardless of these apparent shortcomings, you will absolutely enjoy every single bite/page. The Dan Brown Plot Factory - read one and you've read them all. Digital Fortress, Angels and Demons, Deception Point. They are formulaic to a flaw. I was lucky enough to have read Da Vinci Code first but if you have read his other books first, do yourself a favor and wait till the movie comes out. You'll be disappointed by the predictability of the plot and the similarity of the heroes / heroines. Superficial Enhancements - there are an endless supply of useless nuggets of information sprinkled through this book. Like a Tom Clancy novel, it often seems the author is more concerned with showing the reader how well versed he is in the subject matter instead of spinning a tight story. Im not an expert on the Catholic Church or art history so I don't want to comment on the accuracy of these useless facts, but they can, at times, unnecessarily weigh down an otherwise fast moving story line. Its not good for you - upon completion, you wont have learned anything new and you wont think about the world in a different way and you wont get into deep philosophical debates about the content with your friends. The theories put forth in the book are interesting but a bit far-fetched and not exactly relevant. There are a ton of facts in the book but none of them are significant enough or organized in a manner that would advance any of the author's theories. But who cares ? It tastes good ! - There is simply no arguing with 126 weeks on the NYT best seller list. If you get past the obvious fact that Dan Brown is not the next Tolstoy, this is a fun and exciting story, the kind that begs to be made into a movie. Get a glass of wine, put your feet up and enjoy !Read full review
I bought this as a gift for a friend, but I've read the book before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Though there are some major historical flaws and theological assumptions made that are incorrect, it was a very interesting book that kept me turning pages. The fact that it's illustrated is a major bonus, because it shows/depticts art, sketches, diagrams, etc. that are crucial to understand. Having the illustrations right there on the page makes the book much more fun and easier to follow when Brown describes a painting or historical artifact, etc. Very good.
This is an amazing book that you will not be able to put down. I was riveted from page one until the end. Having the illustrated version is imperative and so worth the money. I read the book w/o illustrations the first time and loved it but it is absolutely unbelievable with the photos. I am not catholic or an expert in art history but this book really perked my interest because it is fast paced and so well written. The facts used by the author about the religious art and themes were so real and fact based that one cannot help but sit and ponder all that the author brings to light. It is a book that at the very least will keep your attention and make you ponder the accepted wisdom. I higly recommend this to each and every one of you.
As I have been reading on previous reviews, yes, it lacks personality (all Dan Brown's books have the same structure), it lacks scientific base. But, on its favor, I have to say that it hooks you and you just can't put it down. Like a user said, its about ENTERTAINMENT. Dan Brown never pretended he was revealing the real story about Jesus, neither the dirty laundry of the church. I think the church and religious people have made such a big deal about this book not because of what it proposes, but because of what it questions. Think about this, as you read the Code... how many times have you wondered "well, and who can PROVE me it did not happen this way?" I did a good couple of times. What I mean is, with real and ficticious pieces of information, Dan Brown came up with a book so well engaged that can lead people to think we might have just been believing in an analog book for 2000 years. It just makes people realize there is just no scientific proof of anything sustained by the catholic church. There are several books, some of them published long before the Code, that take an attempt to a full analysis of different aspects of the life of jesus, for example, "Holy blood, holy grail". Surprisingly, the demand for this type of books have increased remarkably after the Da Vinci Code was published. All of the sudden the public wants to know more. People want to know what might and what's surely not true about the Code. And honestly, to me it is a good thing. The seek of knowledge is always good, even (and sometimes better) if it means you have to go over some dogmas. Thumbs up to Dan Brown for bringing the world's attention to his book. Hopefully, it will eventually help expand many people's horizons.Read full review
I was surfing and discovered this copy of Da Vinci Code #300301509680. It was the last item I previewed so I put it on 'watch'. Then all these copies of similar Da Vinci Code popped up on the "Don't Let These Get Away" screen. This can be confusing to a new e-Bay(er) with ADD. It would be much better if a member HAD THE OPTION of CLICKING ON ALL of those pictures--EX.: Would you like to see the features of similar items? If yes, click HERE! Sales are important, but so is the happiness of the consumer. Instead, on this particular item, it was confusing because I meant to save an illustrated version and then I thought I was bidding on an illustrated version. Does that make any sense? I'm not wanting to default on my obligation; I just want to know what my options are.
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