• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

The Da Vinci Code

Luciana

Skeptical Carioca
Luciana
Joined
Aug 5, 2001
Messages
10,984
Location
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Should I read it.... should I not...?

What's up with it? iI's currently 3rd in the Amazon sales rank, and the recently translated version in Portuguese is selling more than fresh bread in early morning.

Murder in a museum? That's very juicy, imho.

Has anybody here read it already?
 
I read. It kept me going until I understood what the DaVinci Code is (in the author's opinion). Then I got bored. Still don't know how it ends--Real Life has since gotten in the way.
 
So, Lisa, you didn't read the ending? Well, I don't think that's what I would call a raving review. :) Thanks, anyway.

Anyone else?
 
The english version is a very easy read. It moves like a Hollywood action suspense movie. I'm sure it'll be made into one soon enough.

It's pretty fun overall. I found about halfway through, I began anticipating the twists. Which was a bit of a letdown for good storytelling. But I did finish it, as it reads quickly. I'd read Holy Blood, Holy Grail about ten years ago but mostly forgot it until I was reminded in The Da Vinci Code. Perhaps this is why I thought it a bit predictable. Plus it's kind of cookiecutter fast-paced suspense story.
 
Engaging for a while, but once the plotline grows weary all that's left is pulp. Slogging thru the 2nd half was an act of masochism.
 
I liked it, it's enjoyable. I picked it up at the urging of a friend before the hype (so probably like RIGHT after release hehe).

Beyond some parts just DRAGGING the only other annoyance was if you're at all versed in some of the things he's talking about he takes quite a number of factual elements, but fictionalizes them for his use. Nothing new there, but often it's unclear which is fiction and which is fact in what he's talking about. I just personally found that annoying in areas that I am knowledgable, and more annoying in areas where I'm not extremely knowledgable because then I wondered how much 'twisting' was going on.

That's my main complaint about it though, your mileage may vary. ;) Overall I enjoyed it.

He also wrote Demons & Angels (I may be screwing up the title since I'm too lazy to look it up). I also read that recently and again you have the same twisting occurring, some pretty lousy. It's interesting on one level, but annoying because again you end up feeling that you can't trust any of the references to factual things because so much is twisted or fictionalized.

I personally prefer books that use factual references to be at least accurate. :\
 
My only problem with Angels and Demons was I was rooting for the Illuminati to win.
 
The "Da Vinci Code" is not a bad read. It does grab you quickly but then slog down in the middle. IIRC the entire story takes place over 1 or 2 days. I was amazed at the energy that the protagonist (and his cliche attractive, intelligent female companion) had.

Charlie (Mary Magdelan, Jesus's date at the last supper?) Monoxide
 
Ok then... I might read it some time. I'm not above cheap lit, as long as it's enjoyable. I have never read anything by this author. I'll buy the English original, I avoid translations if I can help it.
 
There is one element of the plot that happens eary on that is so absurd it really destroyed the book for me. I won't say what it is but it is rather like those slasher movies where the hero says "let's split up and investigate". Silly and contrived.
 
My mom gave it to me to read. I read the book description on the inside jacket and thought it the ridiculous improbable thing I'd ever heard of (that week). So, I can't really offer much of an opinion on the book, since I never read it.

What I can very heavily suggest if Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver", which is a much better historical read. And alotta fun too. The thrill of scientific discovery with the thrill of swashbuckling: Super-neato-keen.
 
Ed said:
There is one element of the plot that happens eary on that is so absurd it really destroyed the book for me. I won't say what it is but it is rather like those slasher movies where the hero says "let's split up and investigate". Silly and contrived.
Click to expand...

I found this book to have much less silliness than his previous books. His storytelling is at least improving. It was a fun excercise to go back and look into some of the facts he litters the book with.
 
I loved it until the part where you find out who "the Teacher" is. It's all downhill and silly from there.
I read it in one night - and I mean one night, without sleep, when I should have been studying for exams :)
 
There is a review of the book in the current issue of Skeptical Inquirer. I haven't read it yet, but I have heard the book is based on "Holy Blood Holy Grail" by Henry Lincoln. Now I have read that one, and it is interesting but full of holes.

FYI, Holy Blood Holy Grail was discussed Here and Here.
 
bignickel said:
What I can very heavily suggest if Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver", which is a much better historical read. And alotta fun too. The thrill of scientific discovery with the thrill of swashbuckling: Super-neato-keen.
Click to expand...

My husband got the series that Da Vinci is a part of and says the bad science in it turns him off. Something about the author not knowing what antimatter is. I was turned off by the bad prose. So, we agree on something, which is what usually happens but we always seem to come to our conclusions from different perspectives!

Yes, Stephenson rocks. No argument there. Gave a copy of that book when it was in hardcover as a Year 12 prize to the top Computer Science student. She was thrilled! :)
 
Good idea...bad execution

I thought it was an interesting concept and it starts off good, but it drags on too long. It's just too much of the same trick over and over. Behind this curtain is?....another curtain..and behind that one...another one, etc.

I'll join the Stephenson love-fest and recommend Cryptonomicon for much better crypto related stuff than in the Da Vinci Code.
 
I enjoyed the book and didn't get that it was predictable at all. But then, I read the book over only a couple of days, so I never really had time to stop and think ahead.
 
RichardR said:
There is a review of the book in the current issue of Skeptical Inquirer. I haven't read it yet, but I have heard the book is based on "Holy Blood Holy Grail" by Henry Lincoln. Now I have read that one, and it is interesting but full of holes.

FYI, Holy Blood Holy Grail was discussed Here and Here.
Click to expand...

It's a good article, addressing the (mis)conception that there's any real historical acuracy to the book, although the reviewer does say that the book is entertaining. I haven't read it myself however.
 
Kiless said:


My husband got the series that Da Vinci is a part of and says the bad science in it turns him off. Something about the author not knowing what antimatter is.
Click to expand...

He's right. I just finished Angels & Demons, the book before The Da Vinci Code. Besides being the exact same story as The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon runs around solving a bunch of ancient puzzles...again), the description of CERN is ridiculous.
I think that the author agrees at least in part with the "science is bad and immoral and cannot coexist with religion" stance of some of the characters.

He did get one detail right, though - by my calculations, 0.25g of antimatter would release energy equivalent to about 5.6 kilotons of TNT. He said 5 kilotons. Close enough :)
 
It was a silly book... I found some logic errors that you can drive a truck through (like the fact that the curator could not find a place to hide from gunfire... and then someone is sitting on bench near his body later on, erg... oh, and let's not get into famous museum very flawed security system).

I hate anagrams and word puzzles, yet I knew what the stupid words were to open a couple of the boxes several pages before the characters did.

Ugh... this is why I stick to biographies and history.

Though I did enjoy "The Time Traveller's Wife"... it had some logic errors, but they weren't as silly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom