The Da Vinci Code

Title: The Da Vinci Code

Author: Dan Brown

First Published: March 28th 2006

Series: Robert Langdon #2

Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 481

My Copy: Physical Copy

My Overall Rating: 8/10

Goodreads Summary

An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe. An astonishing truth concealed for centuries . . . unveiled at last.

While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion—a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci—and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.

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My second Dan Brown book! I finished Inferno not so long ago, and I was immediately entranced by his writing, so I decided to read one of his most famous books: The Da Vinci Code. Luckily for me, I haven't yet watched the movie, so I was able to enjoy the book spoiler-free.

From the first page onwards, I was already immersed in the book. First chapter already has four murders (three of which are mentioned) so you can see that I was very interested already. The mystery begins straight away, but it isn't like the typical murder mysteries that you read - less of the whodunnit questions, but more of whydidhedielikethis. Before dying, we learn that the victim purposely forced himself into a weird position, leaving clues for Robert and Sophie, the granddaughter of the victim, to solve.

I sense one recurring theme so far: the fact that Robert is always being chased by the police and he usually as no idea what is going on. Sophie seems to grasp things a lot quicker. But the two of them are a good team, one symbologist and one cryptanalyst. What doesn't stump them? They begin as acquaintances, but their relationship builds steadily into a friendship, maybe even more as hinted in the last chapter ;) *Spoiler alert* But I've read Inferno to know that doesn't happen :( *Spoiler over* Although I do admit they didn't solve the mystery all by themselves.

I loved the mystery and how it incorporates history. I wonder if there are really many hidden symbols in all of Da Vinci's works and if the Church really did wipe out all of the pagan religion (though I don't doubt they did). Most of this does seem like a conspiracy theory, but it works for the book.

I did not see the major plot twist coming! So many betrayals, so many things aren't what they seem to be. I wouldn't have guessed who the Teacher was, so I was really shocked when I found out who was behind this all. The person who I thought was orchestrating this was actually a pawn in the game.

This is one of the few Adult Fiction books I've read, and I enjoyed it very much. I most definitely will read the other books in this series!

My Chosen Quote

“Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire.”