The Da Vinci Code (Thing 2)

We read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.

There's a murder at the Louvre and Robert Langdon must solve the mystery of the man's death. Before the man died, he created a code for his treasured secret to not be forgotten. The man's granddaughter agent Neveu helps Langdon solve the murder, but they must run from the police. The police think that they did it! This story tells the truth about the Holy Grail in all its glory.

I wasn't a huge fan of his writing style; he liked to describe things that didn't need to be described or just use words that didn't need to be there in the first place. Also, his characters were very two-dimensional; they all reminded me of cardboard cutouts with one personality.

I would give this book

It dragged a bit, but the plot twists were really fantastic.

The Da Vinci Code (Thing 1)

While in Paris, Robert Langdon, a symbology professor, is dragged into a dangerous riddle involving the art of Leonardo da Vinci. Partnering with cryptologist Sophie Neveu, the two become fugitives in a race across Paris and London involving secret societies and religious fanatics.

The best part about this book was by far the symbols and hidden meanings in various works of art. You would think that the action-packed adventure storylines would be the most entertaining, but I actually liked the chapters that dealt with deciphering codes and analyzing paintings most. The adventure became something more like a nice bonus. Overall, the plot was what made it worth reading, because otherwise, the book didn't have much going for it. The characters were flat, the writing was awful (not even just okay--it was truly terrible), and the foreshadowing wasn't so much foreshadowing as it was the author hitting you over the head with a random piece of information you knew was bound to show up later. The book as a whole could've benefited from a lot more editing, too, since cutting several thousand words would have tightened the novel up and made it read faster.

I give this book

If you're looking for something brainless and fun, pick up The Da Vinci Code. But be sure to find an illustrated copy, since having the referenced artwork right on the page beats having to Google everything that's mentioned.

"Roman Holiday" (Thing 2)

We watched "Roman Holiday" recently.

The story is about a princess that leaves her castle at night and sets out for a new adventure. She gets a sleep injection the night she leaves and ends up falling asleep on the side of the road. A news reporter walks by and gets her a cab back to his place to stay safe for the night. The next morning, he talks with his boss about how he didn't get the story he was supposed to write. During this, he realizes that the woman at his apartment is the princess. He tells his boss that he can get an exclusive interview with the princess, and they make a bet about it.

The movie was in a way modern considering the time it was made.

I would give this movie

"Roman Holiday" (Thing 1)

We watched "Roman Holiday." It's about a princess, Ann, who, on her publicity tour, has finally had enough of her rigid, predictable, overwhelming, and boring schedule. She escapes and runs to explore the streets of Rome, but finds herself exhausted from a sedative a doctor gave her and ends up falling asleep outside. An American reporter finds her and takes her to his apartment to recover, unaware that she's royalty. When he does discover her identity, he joins her on her journey to explore Rome in order to secretly obtain an exclusive interview. But things get complicated when the two end up falling for each other.

I'd only ever seen Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady," so I really liked getting to see her in a role that's pretty much the opposite of Eliza Doolittle (Eliza is a common girl learning how to be a high society lady and Ann is a princess learning how to let loose and live a common life). Though the acting in this movie tended to be a little over the top, the characters were enjoyable and entertaining. The story is fairly simple, but there was a lot of humor, which I wasn't necessarily expecting, so it was a nice bonus. I won't give anything away, but the ending went in a direction I didn't anticipate. I'm glad it did, though, since my guess at what the conclusion would be wasn't nearly as interesting as what it actually was. Some may not find it satisfying, but personally, I liked it.

I give this movie

(Actual rating: 3.5). I'd recommend it to anyone looking to watch a fun and simple classic film. Some older movies can be a little dry, but "Roman Holiday" was not one of those movies.