The Da Vinci Code — Book Review

The bestseller from 2003 is about a conspiracy happening in Franch which leads to murders, disclosure of some dark secrets behind paintings and history, conflicts between the secret societies around the world and much more.

The book starts with our main protagonist Rober Langdon, contacted by French Police in association with the murder of the museum curator at the Louvre, Paris. The curator has left behind a code, which Langdon needs to solve, with the assistance of the police cryptographer Sophie Neveu. Together they embark this quest to solve who murdered the curator and more importantly, why.

I have always admired Dan Brown for his detailed work and exhaustive research about the subjects in his books and he doesn't disappoint you. The controversial paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, rise and development of Christianity and the sacred 'Holy Grail' are the main highlights of the book and Dan Brown have provided everything you need to know about them in his crime thriller.

The writing of the book is seamless, the scenes well constructed in some of the world's most famous museums and churches. The pace doesn't allow you to pause for a breath and the chapters always end with a cliffhanger urging you to always feel like reading one more of it.

The only criticism I have for Dan Brown is the development of the side character(mostly a woman) in his books. Being a cryptographer and raised around a world full of riddles, Sophie Neveu seems unable to crack some of the most important codes in the book, which is a bit disappointing. In the place of Sophie, Robert Langdon solves things for her, making her (and more importantly us) impressed by his skills and knowledge. I am not sure if this is what Dan Brown wants to achieve, but this always pokes me in an irritating way.

Overall the book is an amazing read, a true-crime thriller which makes us question what we know about our own history and what we actually believe in.