The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Category: Monthly Book Reviews, News

Reviewed by Annabelle F (Year 11)

I am aware that this is not the first book in the series, however much like the films, I read this book first and the rest of the series in a very mixed up order too, though I am still to finish. This book is among the top ten most read books, along with the Bible and Twilight, and is perfect for those who love conspiracy theories, history, mysteries and controversy. It is so effective a mix of fact and fiction that, at times, it is very easy to forget where fact ends and fiction begins.  

Robert Langdon is a world-renowned symbologist and Harvard professor, in Paris to talk about his new book. Only whilst in Paris he becomes entangled in the murder of the curator of the Louvre, a beloved figure in France, and finds himself and detective Sophie Neveu (the curator’s granddaughter) in a chase to solve one of the greatest mysteries of all time- that of the Holy Grail. Of course, they have some competition and are wanted fugitives with the French police at their heels, to make things even more complicated.  

Whilst there were some points I found a little contradictory, overall it was a very well composed thriller- an intricate web of puzzles to be solved against the clock. It’s one of those Scooby Doo novels where you really don’t know who is really who and what people’s true motives are; the plot just gets thicker and thicker. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing. It’s one of those books that when you shut it, it kind of feels like waking up, kind of like remembering that the world exists, it’s so vivid and intense that it doesn’t feel like a story. And it will keep you’re mind busy for a good while. It’s in the library, Senior Fiction.