WiL-B' S BooK NooK # 1

As promised, here's goes my book review for Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code".

Ok, my first thoughts about the book is that it was either painstakingly researched or painstakingly imagined. I'm not saying that either is bad though. The level of detailed historical discussions throughout the story, factual or otherwise, served not only to interest the reader more but also to clear up the previous ummm... mysteries/puzzles.

Speaking of mysteries, the novel is full of it, coupled with non-stop, fast paced action. Our protagonists hardly even stay in one place. Action thriller + mysterious treasure hunt that kind of makes you wish you were there too, if only for the puzzles, after all who wants to be man-hunted by the police :)

Concerning the identity of "The Teacher", Dan Brown, succesfully hid it by the damn french accent and the spying equipment. Otherwise, Sir Teabing would have been one of the more obvious suspect since he is one of the few people well versed in the Grail mystery.

I'd have wanted the story to be more longer(the more to read the better :) Maybe something like an "Around the World in Eigthy Days" adventure. Having Langdon and Sophie travel around the world solving a seemingly never-ending barrage of clues and puzzles, but oh well...

What I don't like is the profusion(well, not really profusion, not that much anyway, but still a lot) of french words, cypto terms and grail phraseology. Some are explained in the story but not all. I think the book needs a short glossary explaining the more obscure stuff in detail.

Overall, an entertaining mystery thriller. Certainly not a waste of time. The end game unexpectedly with the grail still a mystery, since nobody really got a look at it. The Priory is still a mystery, nobody really knew what happend afterwards to it. On a good note, everybody lived happily ever after, except for poor Silas, Sir Teabing and Bishop Aringarosa... Hee Hee

-Incidentally, a friend told me that i should have read "Angels and Demons" first, for the historical background on who is Vittoria, but since I dont have that book and since Vittoria isn't exactly a part of this story anyway... =P -