For those who read The Da Vinci Code; Do you think it's overrated?

Question

I personally enjoyed it while reading it, but afterward wasn't too impressed with it.

Answer 1

The book was a great page turner. I do not think it was overrated as a suspense novel. However, I do not think it should be taken too seriously for its content. People have to learn to read critically.

Many of the ideas put forth in the book were not really original. I think some of the ideas have been what "stonecuttters" or Freemasons - and those with similar ideas that are contained under the same umbrella of thought - have been telling members in private all along. Dan Brown does not seem to go into the Ying and Yang (Western interpretation) of the Gnostic doctrine that seems to go along with ideas about Mary Magdalene. I think Dan Brown might have been trying to proselytize in his novel, but he is selective in what he tells.

People who have a problem about taking things too seriously without using their own heads maybe need to be careful about what they read.

I really do not understand what all the hullaballoo about the book and the movie was all about.

Answer 2

I really enjoyed the book, but when I saw the movie I was pretty disappointed. Went to see it twice with two different groups of people. Those that had read the book and those that didn't. The ones, who did read the book were like me when it came to the rewrites and the missing parts. The ones who had never read the book said they found it confusing, because nothing really made sense. Which I admit, there were parts in the movie that confused me also.

Answer 3

I enjoyed it but yes, I felt it was over-hyped. I have read many other books before, some based on similiar ideas, and a number of them were better than 'The Da Vinchi Code'. Even Dan Brown's prequel 'Angels and Demons' was more absorbing read.

Answer 4

I really enjoyed the book, but I haven't seen the movie.

I also liked the prequel Angels and Demons, but I thought it was a little more over-rated and not quite as good as Da Vinci.

Answer 5

The concept of the book was very cool. Being somewhat of a history major, myself though, I was excited that he tried to tie in real historical events, but very disappointed that he used his "fiction" liberties to tie in groups together that never even talked to each other, much less devise this grand scheme of his.

Would have been more realistic to me, anyway, if he used a fictional 3rd party group to tie it all in, instead of reaching out as far as he had to go with the Templars, and etc.

And the whole thing with the catholics wanting to hide the sacred feminine should have gone the other way entirely. Catholics have been criticized from the moment they started the "Maryology", and divided numerous times because of it,.

Hindsight is always 20/20 though, isn't it?

Answer 6

I loved the book as just that...a book. Not as a factual, reference-style book, but as a work of fiction. It was interesting and kept me wanting to read further.
"The book was a great page turner. I do not think it was overrated as a suspense novel. However, I do not think it should be taken too seriously for its content. People have to learn to read critically. " I completely agree with the person who said this earlier. It's just a book, albeit a good one, but not something to get overly worked up about.

Answer 7

Whenever it's mentioned in the press or on TV there seems to be an obligation to deride it and mock the author's success. It's true that it isn't exactly 'Crime and Punishment', but then again it has never made any claims to be. Personally, I found it to be a real page turner despite the author's often lazy style.

Answer 8

People should definetly NOT base changing their religious values and beliefs on the 'facts' presented in DaVinci Code. It is a good read but should not be put on a pedestal as a religious epiphany of rediscovering woman's place in the Church. Though I believe women SHOULD have a more appreciated role in the Church that change should NOT come through a fictional book!

Answer 9

I've seen the movie and read the book and both were pretty good. It was a fast read and the movie was entertaining too so I don't regret the time invested in either.

Answer 10

The movie was awful, when Tom Hanks said 'you are the last living descendant of JC', I started laughing. So did the entire audience at the Cannes film festival.