The Da Vinci Code

A Novel

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols.

“Blockbuster perfection.... A gleefully erudite suspense novel.” —The New York Times

“A pulse-quickening, brain-teasing adventure.” —People

As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion—a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci—and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.

Can't get enough of The Da Vinci Code? Check out our store devoted to all things Da Vinci.

©2003 Dan Brown (P)2003 Books On Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The Da Vinci Code sets the hook-of-all-hooks, and takes off down a road that is as eye-opening as it is page-turning. You simply cannot put this book down. Thriller readers everywhere will soon realize Dan Brown is a master." —VINCE FLYNN, New York Times bestselling author of Separation of Power

"Dan Brown is my new must-read. THE DA VINCI CODE is fascinating and absorbing -- perfect for history buffs, conspiracy nuts, puzzle lovers or anyone who appreciates a great, riveting story. I loved this book." —HARLAN COBEN, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No One

"Brown solidifies his reputation as one of the most skilled thriller writers on the planet with his best book yet, a compelling blend of history and page-turning suspense." (Library Journal)

Great story and performed well.

Great story and performed well. Loved it. Better than the movie of course. Give it a try.

Fun adventure

Was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was good. Give it a try.

1st AudioBook -- Captivating and fast paced

The narrator does a fantastic job providing various accents for the characters in the story. A combination of fiction interweaved with detailed factual accounts of history, art and even mathematics. For example, the story line mentions Fibonacci series ... I just had tutored my daughter in this for geometry, and now had additional examples of how this series works in nature. How about the Golden Ration--PHI. I was an engineering major and never studied this. I found myself going to the web to see if the Golden Ration really existed. It's true and the research reading was enlightening.

A fast read (listen), you'll find yourself listening longer than you planned.

2 thumbs up.

Great Narator, Fun, fast-Paced book

Some books are more suitable than others for the audio format. This one made two days of boring sanding and painting go much faster and I enjoyed it a lot!

For one thing, the narrator is excellent, which makes a big difference.

The book has lots of action, a fun mystery and fascinating symbology lore! Very interesting if you don't take it too seriously.

I would definitely go for the unabridged version, rather than for the abridgement, as it would be a shame to miss out on all the age-old conspiracy theories!

Highly recommended -- really enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this book (unabridged version), and purchased it based on the excellent reviews the book has received. Having just now read reviews like that written by Stacey from Seattle -- "A Bestseller? A Travesty!" -- I was suprised the writing/plot fell so flat for some people.

There's not much I didn't like about this book. I found the characters increasingly easy to empathize with as the story progressed - sometimes surprisingly so. But what I *most* enjoyed was the way the references to historical works of art, as well as prominent persons and events in history, were woven throughout the story.

Not knowing details about much of the history discussed in the book, I now feel compelled to pull some related non-fiction texts from the library. For a book to be an entertaining fictional read/listen, and at the same time inspire you to want to learn more about real history, is an accomplishment in itself.

Stacey from Seattle criticizes the reptition of some sentences and phrases annoying...and maybe it would be if I were reading the book. But for an audio book, where you can't refer back a page or two, the repetition wasn't annoying and saved me having to press rewind repeatedly!

Sometimes things are resolved and then spelled out fully but, quite honestly (and no offense intended!), some people need it! Paul Michael also does a great job reading.

Riveting!

I absolutly loved this book, it was well written and suspensefull. It had a wide varriety of charachters which gave the book depth and interest. Many parts had a wonderful wry humor, that made it a pleasure to listen to. The narrator was outstanding, he brought a life to the book that many audio books are lacking.

A Must Hear!

Decided to go with the unabridged and WOW! Thought it was suspenseful and ever changing until the end. I highly recommend!

A new Dan Brown fan...

This was a very good book. It started off a little slow but really picked up. The only thing i didnt like was that the epilougue could have given some more post adventure details on how things settled but I guess I can always read the next book in the series.

Captivating and thought provoking

To say the The Da Vinci Code is a page turner would be an understatement! I found myself cursing at the end of each chapter as Brown left me grasping for what would happen next. The art history and world history are both intriguing and thought provoking. You have probably heard the phrase "history is written by the winner." Brown takes us on a journey of religious history through the eyes of the losing team, and delves into the lengths they went to to protect and preserve their truth. I loved the explanations of religious symbols, ancient languages and codes. My journey into the ideas Brown explored has not ended with the silence of my Otis. The Da Vinci Code sparked my interest in learning more about the Louvre, Greek mythology, Da Vinici and even Walt Disney.

couldn't put it down

If you could sum up The Da Vinci Code in three words, what would they be?

I would have to say astonishing, mystifying, intriguing. . This book had soo much detail in it in regards to the Bible and different events that happened to where it made you want to pull out your own Bible to find out if what was written held truth, it made you want to pull up De Vinci's work to see if I can locate the details in his photos that were described in this book.

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best about this story is how it follows the time line and plot of the first book, the sequence is just amazing. I also enjoyed the mystery and plot behind the story not to mention all the historical detail that the story provides, whether it be fiction or non fiction.

What does Paul Michael bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings emotion and suspense to the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it was

Any additional comments?

None