Will I love The Da Vinci Code?

I think I am probably the last person in the world to read this book!

I know it’s received a lot of attention, but somehow it never appealed to me when it first came out. After reading it, I love the way the author blends art history and cryptography within a complex (and believable) conspiracy. It was such a unique plotline when it came out, and now it’s almost its own genre.

I’m drawn to books that have a real setting that you can visit today, and this one takes place at  The Louvre.

I consider this the classic in this mixed genre.

The clues are fascinating. The premise and ultimate twists are incredibly powerful. The settings are wonderful. The chases and particularly the escapes are perfectly tense and brilliantly conceived.

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is faced with a series of puzzles, laid before him in part by Da Vinci’s work, that may lead to the Holy Grail. Up against multiple, powerful counterforces, he uncovers a secret that could stagger the world.     

I enjoyed learning about religion from Dan Brown. I am not a religious person, so presenting so much research in a tightly bound thriller was an excellent way to keep me engaged and reading.

I came away from this book with a deeper psychological understanding of God and the devil.

I understand many people consider this novel “too commercial” to be taken seriously. But for me, it was serious entertainment because it was a fresh take on the Holy Grail legend and the myths and historical facts surrounding it. I found the story absorbing and the thriller element captivating.

The intertwining of art, history, and cryptography kept me hooked; Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu's journey to decipher hidden messages in famous artworks was fascinating, and the pacing was relentless, with each revelation leading to even more intriguing mysteries. This novel delivered a fascinating blend of intellectual puzzles and high-stakes adventure,… show more.

I can never understand why so many critics and readers are snooty about Dan Brown. For me, he does what every good storyteller should do: takes you on a page-turning journey. And his style is both readable and erudite, whatever the snobs might say.

Although this could technically be described as a crime thriller, it remains perhaps Brown’s best action-adventure so far, and regardless of whether Tom Hanks is your idea of Professor Robert Langdon or not, the thrills just keep on coming as you follow breathlessly through the streets and landmarks of Paris, London and beyond. Stylish and swaggering.

When a book opens a whole new perspective, and turns your world upside down, that’s a great work. Such is the case with The Da Vinci Code for me.

When any work of fiction can make such a compelling argument in a fast-paced thriller format, it is truly masterful. So much of my writing style I can attribute to Dan Brown, who may go down as one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.

Revelations about the Holy Grail is a truly big idea. I love fascinating facts, so that this was written by a teacher is evident in the way the story unfolds.

We learn surprising information (or theories written as fact about Christianity) interwoven into this tale which makes it riveting. Also, we’re energised by the fast pace, delighted by the treasure hunt, and caught up in the Q&As that unfold as we learn what the Grail actually is and what it means. 

The mini-lectures woven in add an extra dimension to a story that makes it meaty, nourishing us with knowledge… show more.

What's a Dan Brown thriller doing on my list of recommended "scary" books?

I believe that scary doesn't have to mean supernatural, horror, or gore. A scary story is a tale that disturbs you, where each turn of the page brings a sense of impending doom or dread and fills you with unease. Brown's classic thriller also contains some epic world-building.

Most of all, Langdon and Neveu are constantly looking over their shoulder, desperately trying to stay one step ahead as they try to solve the puzzle. That's what injects a scare factor into this story. Brown brilliantly weaves the… show more.

No one does it better than Brown at weaving a tale as complex and perplexing as the symbols, puzzles, and labyrinths within the story.

His reluctant hero, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon must combat a hidden threat while trying to decrypt clues left by Da Vinci in his various paintings and monographs. The story features a secret society—the Priory of Sion.

This ancient society, whose members reach back to Da Vinci, is protecting a historical secret that stretches back to the time of Christ. Can Langdon and co-protagonist Sophie Neveu crack the ‘code’ and stop their deadly competition before the authorities… show more.

This best seller needs no introduction for most readers, and despite lacking originality and containing a number of inaccuracies masquerading as facts, is included on my list because Brown excels in several ways as a writer that I admire very much; he evokes settings really well, paints characters like protagonist Robert Langdon superbly, and is a master of the page-turner. You simply have to keep on reading a Dan Brown novel, you can’t put it down. I’m also including The Da Vinci Code here because there is some commonality between its plot and that of my latest novel, although… show more.