The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown, 2003
★ 3.94 from 2.6m ratings on Goodreads
A symbologist is pulled into a murder, a cipher hunt and a centuries-old secret hidden in plain sight across Paris and London. A brisk puzzle chase through museums and churches, told in a plain, lecture-like voice that mixes curiosity, wonder and occasional satire.
Feels like wonder, curiosity and joy. About society, faith and adventure.
Who it’s for
You may enjoy it if you like cipher hunts, art history trivia and thrillers that turn museums and churches into escape routes. Be warned that many readers find the prose weak and repetitive, and even fans often call the writing crude.
Why read it
It offers a fast, curious tour of symbols, paintings and religious history, with a mystery that keeps pages turning even when the sentences do not.
A page from the book
The mirror is honest even when your colleagues are kind.
Langdon had little doubt. His books on religious paintings and cult symbology had made him a reluctant celebrity in the art world, and last year Langdon’s visibility had increased a hundred-fold after his involvement in a widely publicized incident at the Vatican. Since then, the stream of self-important historians and art buffs arriving at his door had seemed never-ending. What readers say
Readers are split: some found it gripping, fun, and mind-opening about religion and history, while others were frustrated by weak prose, repetition, and hype. Even fans often admit the writing is crude.
Dan Brown.Before thrillers, Dan Brown was a singer-songwriter; he released an album called Angels & Demons in 1995, years before the novel of that name.
Books that feel like this
More by Dan Brown
Angels & Demons
Dan Brown, 2000
A Harvard symbologist is pulled from his bed into one night of pursuit beneath Rome, where a corpse is branded with a sign only he can read.
The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown, 2009
A symbologist is summoned to Washington for a lecture and pulled into one night of Masonic codes, hidden monuments and a missing mentor.
Inferno
Dan Brown, 2013
A Harvard symbologist wakes in a Florence hospital with two days missing, a killer outside, and a trail hidden in Dante's hell.
Where to get it
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Questions readers ask
- Is The Da Vinci Code for me?
- You may enjoy it if you like cipher hunts, art history trivia and thrillers that turn museums and churches into escape routes. Be warned that many readers find the prose weak and repetitive, and even fans often call the writing crude.
- What is The Da Vinci Code like?
- A brisk puzzle chase through museums and churches, told in a plain, lecture-like voice that mixes curiosity, wonder and occasional satire. Feels like wonder, curiosity and joy. About society, faith and adventure.
- What should I read after The Da Vinci Code?
- If you liked The Da Vinci Code, try The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett), The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J. K. Rowling).
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