The DaVinci Code

The Da Vinci Code is a novel by Dan Brown. Dan Brown has also written Digital Fortress, Deception Point, and Angels and Demons. Angels and Demons has the same main character as this book, so the stories might be related. The Da Vinci Code is a mystery/suspense novel, and is about when the curator of the Louvre is mysteriously murdered, and when symbologist Robert Langdon is sent to investigate, he finds some strange things the curator left behind. These strange things send him and his friend Sophie Neveu on an adventure for possibly the most sought-out treasure in human history.

The Da Vinci Code takes place in present day Europe, and starts in Paris. The Curator of the Louvre museum, Jacques Sauniere, is murdered by someone unknown and for an unknown reason. The French Judiciary Police are sent to investigate the crime scene, but find strange messages and symbols he left behind. So then symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu are sent to decrypt and translate these strange messages. But because her the Curator is Sophie’s grandfather, the messages and symbols are directed personally towards her in a way only she can understand.  One symbol leads to another and eventually Langdon and Sophie find themselves chasing after possibly the most desired artifact in human history: The Holy Grail. The Curator worked for a secret society called the Priory of Sion, who are dedicated to keeping the truth of the Grail a secret, until now. But because the Curator is dead, he passes down the info secretly to Sophie and Langdon. But two forces stand in their way. The head of the French Judiciary Police, Bezu Fache, frames Langdon for the murder shortly after the investigation. Him and his partner Luitenant Collet hunt down Langdon and Sophie along with the rest of the Police. The other force is the Catholic Church. The Church is trying to cover up the supposed “truth” about the Holy Grail using their own lies about it. They realize that soon the Priory of Sion is going to unveil the truth of the Grail, so a man named Bishop Aringarosa sends his adopted son, Silas, to stop the forces that are going unveil the secrets of the Grail. Silas had a rough childhood, and since Aringarosa adopted him and raised him Catholic, Silas dedicates his life to the religion and looks to nothing but God in the end. From message, to symbol, to puzzle, everything builds up as Langdon and Sophie search for the Grail and learn new things about human history and Sophie’s family along the way.

I didn’t absolutely love this book, but it was pretty cool. It is very interesting and SUPER detailed. Sophie had great character development. Throughout the story, she learns more about the secrets of her family and her grandfather’s connection to the Priory of Sion. This story puts you in many different perspectives and point of views, switching between Langdon and Sophie, to Fache and Collet, and to Aringarosa and Silas. Its interesting to see how one side works compared to another. The book is full of cliff-hangers and intense, suspenseful moments. The plot of the story was just plain awesome. I loved the whole “quest for the most important artifact in human history” theme, searching for such a desirable and ancient treasure in a very modern time period. This book will never make you yawn, it will make flip page after page. And the story isn’t over when you read the very last page, you will have a bunch of fun to think about, yet unanswerable questions floating around your head once you’ve finished. It’s not the best book in the world, but it’s still very interesting and fun to read. So give it a shot some time.

Book Review by Alex O.