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The DaVinci Code: A Quest for Answers

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Just where does fact end and fiction begin? The brilliant mix of fact and fiction in Dan Brown's Conspiracy story "The Da Vinci Code" raises serious questions regarding the origins and claims of Christianity. Many come away from the book shaken in their beliefs, wondering what is true? Questions like "Was Mary Magdalene really Jesus' wife and the mother of his child?" And more. McDowell skillfully separates facts from fallacy. This is a book you and your friends should have right now! One reviewer wrote "An excellent little book and very easy read. Written as an ongoing discussion among three college students who saw the DaVinci Code movie and then had many questions about the supposed "facts" in the book...only to discover that author Dan Brown is a brilliant author, but lousy historian who fabricates most of his "facts." An excellent little book that really makes you think and want to dig for the truth!" by Mr. Michael A. Dorough "uth dude" (Warner Robins, GA)

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Josh McDowell

482 books594 followers
Since beginning ministry in 1961, Josh has given more than 24,000 talks to over 10 million young people in 118 countries. He is the author or coauthor of 112 books, selling over 51 million copies worldwide, including More Than a Carpenter (more than 15 million copies in print worldwide), which has been translated into over 85 languages, and The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, recognized by World magazine as one of the twentieth century's top 40 books.

Josh continues to travel throughout the United States and countries around the world, helping young people and adults bolster their faith and scriptural beliefs. Josh will tell you that his family does not come before his ministry—his family is his ministry. He and his wife, Dottie, have four children and eight grandchildren.

Connect with Josh on:
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5 stars
56,082 (61%)
4 stars
24,575 (26%)
3 stars
8,224 (8%)
2 stars
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1 star
1,033 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
Profile Image for J. Kahele.
Author 15 books438 followers
August 30, 2015
It is funny how reading books can remind you of so many things. The DaVinci Code was a book I had read this book in May, 2006, while I sat with my father, helping him be comfortable as he suffered through his last days of his life, losing his battle to pancreatic cancer. I remember this book so well. I remember for the short time I read it, I was able to escape the real world and delve into the world of imagination. The writing engulfed me and the story soothed me. I finished this on a Wednesday morning and my father passed, that afternoon. I will forever remember this book and this tale, it will be burned into my mind and my heart.
Profile Image for Nayra.Hassan.
1,259 reviews6,230 followers
August 15, 2017
اجمل ما يمنحنا إياه إي كتاب :المعلومات الممتعة..و
هناك روايات تمت كتابتها لتحتفظ بها في رف خاص :رف الصدارة ..فبعض المعلومات لن تبحث عنها بنفسك ابدا
ولكنك ستلتهمها اذا وضعها لك دان براون في اطار مغامرات شيقة لن تنساها ما حييت..

فمن ينسى الشفرات البارعة واللعب بالكلمات
..والرسائل المستترة..والجناس التصحيفي
..و الوقت المتامر⏳ ضد البطل والحفيدة
و ترتيب الأحداث في يوم واحد في براعة لا تجدها الا عند براون
..و المفاجأة في النهاية

و الضجة التي إثارتها الرواية..الضجة التي أعادت الكتب رونقها 📚و صار الجدل من جديد على لسان رجل الشارع و هو يناقش أحداث رواية..ليست مجرد رواية بل هي حجر حرك المياه الادبية الراكدة

..ا..و رغم حجم الكتاب الذي يقترب من الكومدينو الا انه افضل من الفيلم بما لا يقاس
Profile Image for Bill Benge.
13 reviews3 followers
May 13, 2014
This book offers clear, concise answers to the questions that Dan Brown's book, The DaVinci Code poses that could 'shatter everything Christians believe.' This book defends the Christian faith with well researched facts that destroy the premise for Brown's book. One must remember that Brown's book is a piece of literary fiction, not fact. Brown has a character that is supposed to be a historical professor, who doesn't know history very well and McDowell does a great job of showing the gaping holes in the plot of The DaVinci Code. Many people have taken plot points from the book & movie as though they are historically accurate & correct, but reading A Quest For Answers by McDowell will help a person to take Brown's work for what it is: fiction.
McDowell was a young man who did not believe in God & set out to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ.The more historical facts he found the more he realized that the gospel accounts of Jesus are accurate & converted to Christianity. He has written a number of books including, "More Than A Carpenter", "Evidence That Demands A Verdict", & "More Evidence That Demands A Verdict." He is thorough in this book as well as his others. I would highly recommend this book for those who are looking for truth. Especially those who have read Brown's book & have taken it as fact. I also recommend this book to any Christian who is looking for more facts to defend their faith with.
Profile Image for Soumya K S.
99 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2022
I've heard mixed reviews about this book. It was my biggest wish to read and experience the writings of Dan brown. This one was my birthday gift. There is no need to explain the story line of this book because it is a different experience to read this. Everyone should read this book without knowing about it. So this review is completely spoiler free. This is one of the most controversial book of all the time. So the reader should understand that this is completely fiction. This book directly challenges the authority of vatican by stating real facts in clever fiction. The narration of this book is really interesting. The author has included minute features to give it a real touch.
I'm a big thriller lover so I really enjoyed this one. It was an amazing experience reading this. I've trapped inside this book after reading this. We should not break other's religious beliefs so everyone should take it as a pure fiction 😊
August 17, 2024
LIISA you need. Lisaks wow see raamat räägib nii palju usust ja siin on väga põhjalik uurimustöö tehtud.
Profile Image for Steve lockwood.
54 reviews
December 31, 2009
Amazing. If you thought the Davinci code was historical fiction read the facts. It's amazing how much fiction is made to look like fact. Josh spent the time to research all the facts, add quotes, references etc. They are all published in this tidy book. Its about 100 pages or so. I was blown away.
Profile Image for Maria.
224 reviews
January 19, 2019
Book fucking sucked and we told everyone we thought so. It still sucks today. But some bitches tried to promote it and everyone and their mothers was reading it. It will still suck in the future. Enjoy this piece of shit garbage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sabrina D. D..
1 review1 follower
May 9, 2011
I didn't understand why people couldn't read it as a Historical Fiction... Especially the catholic church.
Profile Image for Regina (◡ ω ◡).
94 reviews21 followers
September 14, 2021
Though it's a controversial (banned) book. It's one of the best I have ever read. The thrill and suspense and the plot twist that I sensed from is like none other than pure art!
Being a Christian I too was offended to some extend. But it's fiction and has to be taken that way and I have to praise the author's professionalism and dedication to this book!
I recommend this book to those who'd love to read a good suspense thriller. The real one!!
6 reviews
January 4, 2018
I definitely learned a lot from this book! Very cool though I think it’s best to start this later in life when you have a better understanding of everything for me personally the vocabulary was difficult but other than that very enjoyable!
Profile Image for Farah.
2 reviews
March 15, 2022
Da Vinci code is a good book, however, sometimes you get lost!
24 reviews
August 12, 2021
A BRILLIANT read. A book that opens the mind and hides more truths in its fiction than society holds in its non-fiction.

A book every mind should explore
315 reviews9 followers
November 28, 2010
This book is presented as an approachable and “friendly” apologetic (or explanatory) response to the furor around Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. One can understand why since Brown claims in the preface that “all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.”

Whether by design or happenstance there are a number of similarities between the original Da Vinci Code and McDowell’s response; each is divided up into very small units and neither has believably human characters. The first of these similarities is easier to explain than the second while both reflect more negatively on Brown than McDowell as a writer. The original book by Brown seemed to be formatted in a manner that made it easy to digest in very small chunks while conveying the illusion of having read much at each sitting. The response appears to be formatted so that each point of rebuttal has a section of its own. This may make it easier to locate specific information but it does make it more difficult for the reader to experience the book as anything but a study companion.

McDowell’s book is written with leaden obviousness and painful dialogue. Characters point out the inaccuracy of various claims Brown puts forth as facts but all the while these same characters talk of The Da Vinci Code as a fascinating page turner. Leaving aside the painfully long time it takes these characters (purportedly college students) to read what they claim to be a hard-to-put-down page-turner they are presented as, at best, naïve readers in the sense that they do not critique the writing, the plot or the characterization of the book that they are supposedly discussing as a group over several weeks. One might almost suppose that McDowell presumes that critical or thoughtful readers will be suspicious as to the accuracy of Brown’s alleged facts when they notice that Brown is barely competent at writing English and clearly unable to create believable human beings who act in believable ways. Unfortunately the pedestrian nature of McDowell’s writing and the obliviousness of his characters to occurrences and claims that are clearly counterfactual suggests that McDowell’s work is not aimed at the informed or critical reader.

When one turns one’s consideration to the purpose of this book this reader feels that it falls far short of its goal. In order for this conceit to work (that the book follows the experiences of three college students attempting to determine the truth of the claims made in Brown’s book) the students should at least be vaguely believable as students. The idea that college students would seriously struggle with the relative factual merits of scholarly books written by academics and a book written by a popular author of mysteries and thrillers makes this reader wonder if the author is writing a book set in an alternate universe. In point of fact what McDowell has done is create ‘straw doubters’ to make the arguments of the experts in the book seem far more persuasive than they would otherwise appear. Time after time, as an ‘expert’ demonstrates that something in Brown’s book is factually wrong, one of the students will say something to the effect ‘but everything in the book can’t be wrong so why not believe this other claim it contains?’ After the four or fifth time something such as this would happen in real life the expert would suggest that when a source has been repeatedly proven to be unreliable the reasonable thing is to take all further claims with a grain a salt rather than presume that, for a change, Brown is correct.

It further undermines the utility of this book as a study companion to The Da Vince Code that McDowell’s “experts” explanations of, among other things, the conversion experience of Constantine and the Arian “heresy” are so over-simplified as to be misleading if not simply wrong. At least some of McDowell’s readers will themselves do the research to notice this and end up doubting the veracity of McDowell’s debunking of Brown at least as much as they doubt the veracity of Brown.
September 4, 2021
“The Davinci Code” to me is proof that hype is not equal to quality. This book caused a huge outrage when it first released due to it’s extremely controversial claims and through all this it gained a cult following in literature culture. I decided it was time I finally gave this book a read. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed.
While I hear Dan Brown gets better the more modern his books are, I cannot say I enjoyed my time with “The Da Vinci code. The book is a murder mystery story that’s overshadowed by it’s complex theori regarding the bloodline of Jesus and the curriptivity in the Catholic Church. It feels like Brown is far more interested in talking about these ideas rather than telling a compelling story as every plot point and character just felt like a tool to get to the next conspiracy. The academic historical accuracy of this book is also inflated by the author and while certain things are based on historical fact, you are going to have to take quite a few academic liberties to be able to accept Brown’s theories. You can see here that Brown wanted to write a story that showed people these complex conspiracies, but he was definitely more focused on getting those conspiracies across as the book's themes and symbolism are extremely disjointed.
It’s hard to deny the cultural impact “The Davinci Code” has had on people. I have to give it credit for getting people to question things in the time it came out and being unafraid to share how unclean the church and the things within it are. While I agree with quite a few general ideas he states, I really wasn’t able to accept his strange theories. And if those ideas aren’t sticking with you throughout the book, then there really isn’t much here for the average person to gain. I feel that there are probably better books out there to get people questioning these topics and so I would recommend you find one of those books instead of spending your hard earned time on this.
4 reviews
Want to read
February 21, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Throughout the entire story it kept changing and showing different views of the whole story. I also liked how this book gave you a choice of what side you would support. Honestly, I had a hard time choosing either side because one of the sides was all religious but thought of themselves better than others. The other side was made up of normal people with normal lives that were trying to protect secrets. It was difficult to decide because both sides were odd and at times didn't make sense.

My favorite character in this story was easily Robert Langdon. I feel this way because he was incredibly smart at figuring the complex puzzles out that I don't think many people would have gotten. My least favorite character has got to be Sir Leigh Teabing. I like him the least because he lies and kills just for his own personal gain. At first he seems like a good guy but eventually he shows his true self when he thinks he's in control.
Profile Image for SusanwithaGoodBook.
900 reviews2 followers
June 1, 2015
This was given to me by a friend who thought I should read it to understand and combat the controversy of the Dan Brown book. At first I was a little put off by the fictionalized account of three friends who are discussing the Da Vinci Code book, but after a bit I understood why he set it up that way and, for the most part, it works. Still, I really hated the last chapter where the author thinks he has to tell people how to "accept Jesus" by praying the "sinner's prayer." He lost me there because I completely disagree with his doctrine and blatant ignoring of scripture (Acts 2:28 says "hello"), but that's really not a discussion for this review. Suffice to say, I'll recommend that people read the first 4 or 5 chapters and skip the last one. Those will do to help you if you have questions about any supposed "truths" in Dan Brown's book.
35 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2008
Maybe it was all the hype but this book went "thud." Sorry to any fans! Just my take on it.
3 reviews
Read
April 25, 2018
This is such a successful novel that it has broken the most sold novels record by 7.5 millions.It is a thriller novel that tells an exciting story of how an expert of code and symbology Robert Langdon was involved in a conspiracy of stealing the Holy Grail and how he finally kept the story coming down. The last secret keeper— Jacques Sauniere who is the curator of Musee du Louvre was murdered, but his faith kept him alive until he found a way to pass the story. Langdon found a clue that leads to Da Vinci and kept going with the help from Sophie the daughter of curator and fell in love with each other at the end of the story.

The best of the book is that all the settings are reasonable. The most important thing that he can keeps you reading is the frequently of the two storylines. A lot of chapters ends with a clue but the next will start with the story of the killer. The even better thing is that the book are full of memories of the characters from time to time and that helps a lot with relax the reader from the nervous story. On the other hand, all the amazing codes in the story are brilliant and all the secret of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper really wider my sight. Besides, the undermining of the characters are pretty interesting, the name of Sauniere is from a real man in the book Holy Blood,Holy Grail. What caused the hate from a lot of people is the claim of all the description of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. However, some historians think Brown is distorting or even fake the history.

The Da Vinci Code is a novel worth reading, it leads the reader into the story like you have been there and see what the characters are seeing. It will be a excellent pastime on the plane or train. It’s not only for entertainment but also can give people a lot of knowledge. It will even be worth when you read it again!
3 reviews
November 10, 2024
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is a suspenseful thriller that combines ancient mystery with religious disputation for a phenomenal read. The novel follows Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist who finds himself unexpectedly thrown into a harrowing chase in Paris with cryptologist Sophie Neveu. Together they attempt to reveal buried secrets and codes after the owner of the Louvre is found dead. The Da Vinci Code was both entertaining and philosophically stimulating. Brown’s writing style and short chapters encourage a rapid pace, keeping the reader engaged. However, the reader might find some arguments to be less persuasive. While provoking, the author's theories are only supported by cherry-picked interpretations of historical events and symbols, and they are displayed in a way that makes them appear more historically accurate than they truly are. Despite this I would still highly recommend The Da Vinci Code to anyone who enjoys fast-paced mysteries and thrillers that blend with history, religion, and conspiracy. Though not all readers may agree with Brown’s theories, it is undeniable that the book is engrossing and provokes intriguing questions regarding how history is remembered and who ultimately decides what truths are preserved. Regardless of one’s agreement with the book’s concepts, it is undeniably an engaging 4-star read that leaves a memorable impression.
Profile Image for Susi Rahma.
1 review
August 23, 2024
The Da Vinci Code adalah sebuah thriller yang menggabungkan unsur-unsur misteri, sejarah, dan agama dengan gaya penulisan yang cepat. Buku ini mengikuti petualangan Robert Langdon, seorang profesor simbologi, saat ia mencoba memecahkan serangkaian teka-teki rumit setelah seorang kurator museum dibunuh.

Kelebihan utama dari The Da Vinci Code adalah kemampuannya untuk menggabungkan fakta sejarah dengan imajinasi fiksi yang menarik, menciptakan sebuah cerita yang penuh dengan ketegangan dan kejutan. Brown dengan cekatan membangun suspense dan mengajak pembaca untuk terus mengikuti alur cerita yang menegangkan.

Namun, meskipun alur ceritanya memikat, beberapa aspek dari novel ini bisa terasa agak klise dan plot twist-nya tidak selalu mengejutkan. Karakter-karakternya terkadang terasa satu dimensi dan dialognya bisa terasa dipaksakan. Buku ini memang menghibur dan menarik untuk dibaca, tetapi mungkin tidak memberikan kedalaman atau kompleksitas yang sama dengan karya-karya klasik di genre yang sama
Profile Image for Fai..
19 reviews
December 11, 2022
Amazing book! This book was recommended by my parents and let me tell I did not regret a single moment of it
This book would always keep you at the edge of up your seat and there’s would be epic twists that you would never be expecting. Not only is it fun to read but there are historical facts and theories written on here that would blow your mind. The da Vinci code itself is half based on true which makes it even more interesting. I can judge from reading the book how much time the author patiently had chose his words and did his research to make this book. The characters were interesting. Personally I like the protagonist a.k.a Robert Langdon. He’s words and intelligence makes him a very attractive character. Altogether Dan brown is an amazing author who took his time to make this spectacular book.
Profile Image for Heb.
29 reviews
October 9, 2024
I was aware that Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code was a magnificent mix of fact and fiction as the book itself is tagged under fiction. As I was reading the book, I was taking information with a grain of salt and reading it for pure enjoyment and thrill.

I highly anticipated to read this A Quest for Answers as I want to differentiate and learn things in actuality. I was hooked at first but as the story progresses, it made me lose interest in reading it as most of it were the things I expected already. In no way I will believe that Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus and conceived a child.

Anyway, the approach of this book was good, but I think having lengthy explanation and things hard to comprehend make the reading a bit tiresome and boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2021
Overall I thought this book was just average. It really just wasn't what I thought it would be. It started off pretty slow to me and I think thats what set my mood towards this book for the rest of the time. It was also very confusing at some points which made it hard for me to enjoy because I was too busy trying to put pieces of the puzzle together. All that said, it still was a very well written book. The author did a great job creating interesting and mysterious characters that got developed throughout the book went along. I give this book 3 stars.
Profile Image for Pureza.
211 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2023
I gave this book a high rating mainly because it talks about several things that I have never known to question about the Bible or Christianity as a person born into a Christian family. Also, I could not follow the most part of the discussions amongst these three friends as I have not read or watched the DaVinci Code. But it did give me new information and knowledge. I specifically like the last few pages. It was the ending that I needed at that moment. I would probably re-read the last few pages but not the entire book.
Profile Image for Ben.
101 reviews
June 12, 2017
This was one of the best books I have ever read. I liked it because it had a lot of information about the church and the knights of templar so I learned a lot about those things. It was cool because even though it was sort of a treasure hunt book, it wasn't cheesy, like other treasure hunt books. It was a real page turner and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Angels and Demons.
Profile Image for NanJi.
1 review
April 3, 2022
I read this book when I was a kid, now I don't remember anything of it but I remember I started to enjoy Art after it!
I watched the movie that holds the same name of the book and till now I remember the enjoyment of watching something I read.
This rating isn't based on the book itself but it's based on the reason why I'm into art right now.

"I can't remember if I finished it or not, I'm gonna read it once I get the chance to!"
February 3, 2024
The book has a very intriguing plot, it revolves around a mystery involving secret societies, religious symbolism, and hidden messages, which kept me as a reader engaged and eager to uncover the truth.
The suspenseful and fast-paced stories make it difficult to put the book down and the novel delves into various historical and religious topics. Moreover, "The Da Vinci Code" tackles themes such as the nature of faith, the role of women in religion, and the interpretation of historical events, prompting the reader to contemplate their own beliefs and assumptions ( at least for me hahah ).
Negative aspects:


If i had a critique it would be that the characters can come across as being one-dimensional or lacking depth, which can make it difficult at times to empathize with their struggles and motivations.
70 reviews
June 19, 2017
Dan Brown's boek is rotzooi. Gevaarlijke rotzooi. Alles wordt gepresenteerd als feit. Dan Burnstein's boek was goed, maar deze van McDowell is duidelijker en een stuk korter.
Of je DaVinci nu gelezen hebt of niet, dit is een goed boek om te lezen als je in het kort wat wilt leren over het ontstaan van de kerk.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews

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