The DaVinci Code: A Quest for Answers

by Josh McDowell

Just where does fact end and fiction begin? This work aims to provide an answer to Dan Brown.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Christian, Classics, Religion, Mystery Thriller

589 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Josh McDowell is a bestselling Christian apologist, evangelist, and author of over 150 books, including Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter. Once an agnostic, he converted to Christianity while investigating its historical claims. He went on to earn degrees from Wheaton College and Talbot Theological Seminary. For decades, McDowell has been a prominent speaker with Campus Crusade for Christ, addressing issues of faith, character, and youth culture worldwide. His work emphasizes historical and legal evidence for Christianity and tackles challenges posed by skepticism and non-Christian beliefs. He lives in California with his wife, Dottie, and is the father of four children, including fellow apologist Sean McDowell.

Reviews

[J. Kahele · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Nayra.Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Bill Benge · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Soumya K S · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 😊

[Grete-Marleen Tarmu · Rating 5 out of 5]

LIISA you need. Lisaks wow see raamat räägib nii palju usust ja siin on väga põhjalik uurimustöö tehtud.

[Anna Wietrecki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing fictional spin on a lot of historically accurate information. Truly keeps you on your toes and challenges prior beliefs and knowledge. Personally forced a lot of speculation and questioning of Christianity and more specifically the Catholic church. Great read for both religious and atheist people.

[Bess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book and began reading it years ago while waiting on a layover at an airport. It was interesting and although it was hard, l had to stop reading it. I cannot and will it read anything that makes light or is a misinterpretation of anything pertaining to God and that was the impression l began to get from it.

[Steve lockwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jay! · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Sabrina D. D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't understand why people couldn't read it as a Historical Fiction... Especially the catholic church.

[Regina (◡ ω ◡) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!

[S A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with the villain

[Spiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Hannah McGinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun

[Farah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da Vinci code is a good book, however, sometimes you get lost!

[James Earp · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Margaret Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Michael Quattromani · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.5/10

Thought about this book months after. Grabs onto you from page 1. Just an awesome journey.

[Charlie Triozzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

“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.

[Owen]

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.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Maja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible written.
Why would you create characters to talk about the book? They are not believable. And they are annoying.

Instead of a scientific comparison between the Da Vinci Code and facts I got characters laughing at how stupid the book according to them was.

[Beegobug · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it was all the hype but this book went "thud." Sorry to any fans! Just my take on it.

[Jochan Joseph]

good

[BookBeeBee · Rating 4 out of 5]

BookBeeBee open The Da Vinci Code and brain feels like it just sat down in airport for long layover. Symbologist man Robert Langdon gets yanked into murder-mystery in Louvre. There is body, codes, secret society, Holy Grail chase, pretty cryptologist lady, evil monk, car chases, museum tours. Sounds fun-fun. And sometimes it is. But also… oof.

Every person in this book talks like walking Wikipedia article. Nobody just says “hi.” They say, “As you know, Sophie, in 1099 the Knights Templar blah blah,” and then turn toward invisible classroom. Dialogue is less “two humans talking,” more “PowerPoint with shoes.” BeeBee keeps wanting to hand them water and say, “You know you can have personality too, right?”

Plot is Scooby-Doo on fast-forward. Clue leads to clue leads to clue: paintings, churches, keys, boxes. Some puzzles are neat-neat; others feel like author whispering “look how smart I am” while hoping you don’t actually fact-check. History bends, theology gets blendered, real groups and symbols get turned into spooky prop pieces. If you read it as serious truth, your brain will grow wrong branches. If you read it as loud fanfic with Jesus conspiracy hat on, it’s… less harmful, still goofy.

Characters are flat like cardboard cutouts holding signs. Langdon’s main traits: owns Mickey Mouse watch, knows trivia, always “puzzled” but never really shaken. Sophie mostly exists to ask, “What does that mean, Robert?” so he can lecture more. Villains are cartoon-dramatic: albino monk hitman, sneery church men, shadowy rich puppeteer. BeeBee feels like they all escaped from different, worse novels and got glued together.

Writing itself is simple-simple, which is okay. But it’s also clunky. Short chapters end with fake-fake tension: “Little did he know, tonight everything would change.” “What he saw next made his blood run cold.” Turn page, it’s just another room and more explaining. BeeBee starts to see behind curtain: this isn’t mystery, it’s strip of cliffhangers stitched together for people who don’t like to stop reading on calm note.

Biggest sin? Not the silly history. Not even the cardboard cast. It’s how seriously the book takes itself while being this dumb-dumb. It wants to blow your mind about faith, art, patriarchy, all the big topics—but mostly just slaps stickers on church doors and yells, “What if… secret?” For some readers, it works and sparks interest in actual art history. For others, it just leaves fake-fact residue everywhere.

BeeBee closes book not angry, just tired. This is fast food for the brain: salty, quick, full of empty calories and wild claims about “ancient secrets” that collapse if you poke them once.

Word I learned: Expositrain
Means: a story that never stops to breathe because it’s too busy dumping fact-fact (real or fake) out of every character’s mouth while yelling “shocking revelation!” at each new tourist stop.

[CherylXu]

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!

[Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ayush Thakur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Da Vinci Code throws you right into a thrilling chase that mixes history, art, and mystery. The story starts with Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor who studies symbols, suddenly pulled into a murder investigation at the Louvre. He teams up with Sophie Neveu, a sharp cryptologist, and together they run across Europe, cracking codes, solving puzzles, and uncovering secrets that have been buried for centuries. It feels like being on a treasure hunt where every clue unlocks another layer of mystery.
My Thoughts
What I loved most is how the book makes you feel part of the journey—you’re solving the riddles with the characters. The pace is quick, chapters end on mini-cliffhangers, and it’s almost impossible to put down. At times, the writing isn’t fancy, and the characters don’t get very emotional depth, but honestly, that doesn’t matter much here. The real star is the story itself and the way it blends fact with fiction, making you wonder how much could actually be true.
It’s one of those novels that makes you read late into the night, just chasing the next answer. If you love puzzles, history, or stories that challenge what you think you know, this one delivers.

[Susi Rahma · Rating 3 out of 5]

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