The Da Vinci Code (Chinese edition) (ISBN 7208050031)

NOTE: Simplified Chinese, not Traditional Chinese!:
I bought this for my father for father's day and he was delighted except for the fact that it is written with simplified chinese characters, and since he was educated under traditional the chinese system, it is painstaking for him to read it. In terms of the read itself, everyone knows this is the book to read with the skyrocketing sales numbers to warrant it and those numbers are for a real reason. Awesome book, Dan Brown definitely hits paydirt. All the controversy i.e. people criticizing Dan Brown for rocking the religious boat are just either jealous or insecure. In fact, the church itself is totally insecure--if the book is indeed just fiction, why do you need to go sooo far to defend yourself against the ideas proposed by the book? Just shows that the church really does have something to hide! But I digress... Final comment, there is not enough information on the product description such as the distinction of chinese type being simplified or traditional, and there should. Calling out to Amazon!! P.S. DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE UNTIL YOU FIRST READ THE BOOK!!!

Brilliantly Disturbing:
Not knowing the contents of this book, I picked it up and read it ahead of any knowledge of its contents. From beginning to end, I was attached to my laptop discovering the internal details of all the global arenas Dan Brown takes one to visit. Inside the Louve, I felt as if I was present in the sorid details of the mystery's that envelope the world of Da Vinci's works and Dan Brown's presentation of possible facts being hidden from the world. I, absolutely, got lost in this book and couldn't put it down until the very last written word. Being a christian this book both intrigued me and disturbed me. For me, I walked away, not knowing if I was glad or very upset that I read its contents. It certainly identifies very real "secret societies" and the possibilities of brilliant minds that are housed in those societies. So I am left feeling either very betrayed and deceived or left feeling that those brilliant minds of those secret societies have set up the best distructive device known to faith....doubt. Either way, to me, as a believer, the book is a good disturbance to a very solid faith.

A Skilfully Crafted Story:
For quite some time, I heard people taking about various new things about Christianity, which were not known to me (not that I knew a lot about it). And when I asked them as to where did they get these new finds, all of them generally said that they are reading `Da Vinci Code'. That got me interested in this book. Well, even if it is a work of fiction, the story line is convincing. It appears to be well researched to the extent that at least I felt " is it true?" . The story has been progressed in such a manner that it never fails to keep the reader glued to it. Once a reader gets in to reading this book, it is very difficult to get rid of it till one finishes it. Most of the events depicted are well conceived to appear to be realistic. There is no slack in the story and the reader is forced to think as to what is going to happen next. It is only at the end that some amount of predictability sets in. Many a concepts of mainstream Christianity are under scanner in the book. I don't think any body is going to forget Bible because of this book, but it is also a view propagated by author, though only as a part of fictional book. I don't know to what extent events depicted are true or historically correct, but the book is immensely readable. Must read of every one.

returned:
I actually am still waiting on the credit for returning this product. I was sent back the day I received it. I got the wrong product.

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!