Product Description

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others. In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #792388 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-07
• Released on: 2005-02-07
• Original language: Arabic
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Customer Reviews

A FASCINATING AND INTRICATELY PLOTTED THRILLER...
For a while I resisted reading this book, thinking that it could not possibly be as good as its hype. Well, I was wrong. This is simply one terrific book that will keep the reader riveted to its pages until the very last one is turned. It is a very well-written, intricately plotted thriller in which a great number of esoteric historical facts and interesting theories of a religious nature are woven. Those who read it should, first and foremost, keep in mind that this book is simply a work of fiction.

All hell breaks loose when Jacques Sauniere, the elderly and revered curator of the Louvre, is murdered inside the museum. The crime scene and the body itself are laden with symbols and cryptic messages pointing to renowned Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon. He is invited to the crime scene by the wily Captain Bezu Fache, of the Central Directorate Judicial Police, the French equivalent of our Federal Bureau of Investigation, ostensibly to assist the police. Little does Langdon know that he is, in fact, the prime suspect.

When he meets police cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, they join forces. They are then led on a merry chase by a series of riddles and ciphers that are ground in a historical context. They are always just one step of the French police, who seem determined to charge Langdon with the murder of Jacques Sauniere. During their voyage of discovery, Langdon and Sophie come across a secret society, the Priory of Sion, that has a startling list of former members, which list includes Leonardo Da Vinci, as well as the late Jacques Sauniere. There is also some interesting historical detail about the ancient Knights Templar, as well as Opus Dei, a conservative religious organization currently in existence.

Langdon and Sophie peel back layers of historical clues that point to a secret of such magnitude that some would kill for it. As Langdon and Sophie surreptitiously travel from France to England and seem to be headed closer to the heart of the mystery that they are trying to unravel, an unknown nemesis is closer to them than they would dare imagine. This unknown adversary is marshaling resources in order to obtain the long hidden secret that Langdon and Sophie appear to be on the brink of discovering. It is one that has the potential to have earth shattering implications.

This is a fast-paced, plot driven, rather than character driven, thriller. It hurls itself into the reader's consciousness at break-neck speed, and before the reader realizes it, the book holds the reader in its thrall: hook, line, and sinker. For those readers who love historical detail and unusual facts and coincidences, this is definitely a fascinating book that will hold their interest. It is a page-turning thriller in which nearly every chapter leaves the reader on the brink of a precipice. The book is written in clear, effortless prose, which makes the most esoteric historical details surprisingly easy to understand. Simple in its presentation but intricate in its plotting, it is no surprise that this book has become a runaway, international bestseller. Bravo!

A fun read
I picked up this book with a little bit of skepticism because of all the hoopla surrounding the book. A few days later I was glad I read it.

Here is a word of warning: If you are an ardent catholic this book might offend you. If not this book should fascinate you.

It is a well written and researched book. It excites and propels the reader's interest to turn each page. It grabs the readers from the very beginning takes them on a wonderful journey and never lets up until the very end.

You will learn about the Illuminati and the Priory of Sion one of the oldest and most secret of societies and their relationship with Leonardo Da Vinci.

You will also read about a Roman Catholic organization called "The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei", commonly known as Opus Dei. The Opus Dei gets a bad rap in the book and here is where the Catholics might be offended.

Nevertheless this is a work of fiction and maybe the Catholics just need to develop a better sense of humor. And the ending in my opinion is well worth the effort to get there.

The illustrated version of this book helps you see what the author is talking about but I still get more out of looking it up on the internet.

I guess you can tell that I really enjoyed this book and if you read it maybe you will too.

Cultural literacy thriller
This book starts out with lots of superfluous description of people and places that never ties up or is relevant to the tale. The story takes quite a bit of time to get off the ground. The story line is textbook predictable. You know who the bad guy(s) are before they are introduced. As they say in the trade "it is the last person you would suspect."

Now for the positives. After a slow start the action finally starts to move. If you think it has holes that you could fly a jet through, maybe but if it did not you would have no story. One thing people enjoy in books is things they already know about. With Tony Hillerman it is Navaho culture. With Stephen King it is spookiness based on standard premises. This book also bases its suspense on existing conspiracies weaving current events into age-old mysteries.