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.