After finishing Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code, I got chills down my spine. This book is one of the greatest mystery/suspense novels I have ever read. It opened a new world of history for me by making me realize how many enigmas there are in today's society. In this book, Robert Langdon, a symbologist professor at Harvard, gets a late night visit from the French Police. Jacques Sauniére, the curator of the Louvre Museum, is dead. Langdon embarks on a perilous journey to find Sauniére's killer, which then  turns into discovering one of the greatest mysteries known to mankind. Our world is full of symbols and codes, and after reading this book you will notice them a lot more.
Figuring out some of the hidden messages embedded  in the text was the most enjoyable thing for me; I felt like a true cryptologist.  In every chapter you will think you know what is going on, but then the plot will twist and you'll be left in  a state of pure bafflement. The chapters also end with a lot of suspense so there's always the urge to keep reading. It's a very hard book to put down.

In some parts of the story, it feels like you are in the same position as the characters. The book is written so well that it feels like you are watching a movie while reading. Dan Brown also makes the characters come to life so that you feel like you truly know them. With the setting being mostly in France, there is a sense of historical importance and passion added to the meaning of Langdon's expedition. Where the story took place was a key factor of my understanding of the book.

“History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books—books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?’”
This passage underlies the meaning and purpose of the book; to rethink what we know about history. I learned so much about our past and what people believe in when I read this novel. After reading The DaVinci Code, you will have a new perspective on many of the things  you thought you knew, and it will leave you scratching your head with wonder.

  I thought The DaVinci Code was a mind-blowing and amazing book. It had a phenomenal plot and overall meaning to it. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good murder mystery and a little bit of a history lesson. It is a bit of a harder read, so I would also recommend this book to people over 13. Even though it was a 600 page book, I enjoyed it enough to read it in two days. The DaVinci Code  should definitely be on your list for summer reads. You will not be disappointed.