Buy this book. Easily the most fascinating book I have read in a long, long time, The Da Vinci Code was phenomenal. I breezed through it in just one sitting (although that sitting lasted ten hours), but I simply could not put the book down. Dan Brown pulled me in right from the start with his description of the initial murder, but he continues to throw twists that kept me guessing through all the way until the end. For example, the identity of The Teacher was not who I expected at all.
By blending in the historical aspects of an Indiana Jones story with modern Paris, Brown strikes a chord that makes his book immensely pleasurable to read. Despite having never been to France nor seeing any of the artwork mentioned firsthand, his descriptions of architecture and art created excellent visions in my mind. Plus, reading the book with Google in front of me was a perfect way to enhance the experience, as I was able to find pictures of the artwork whenever I needed a frame of reference.
Mixing the perfect blend of action and history, The Da Vinci Code entertained me more than any book in recent memory. Not only was I able to connect with the characters, but I also wanted to learn much more about the various fields of research that were touched upon in one form or another. For example, I was fascinated by the use of symbols in paintings as well as by the anagrams and other riddles that were placed throughout the story. Perhaps, the most interesting times in the story are when the reader is given an opportunity to play detective and make a guess as to how to solve one of the riddles. Each time, I was not expected anything like the actual outcome, but I at least felt like an amateur sleuth.
I cannot emphasize enough that everyone should read this book. If you have even a passing interest in any European history or just like reading to kill time, this book will have you hooked within five minutes. Dan Brown's masterpiece was a marvelous work that will definitely remain one of my favorites for a long time.