For my first book of 2014 I used a tried and tested method of selection - I stared at the bookshelves until something looked ok. I wanted something fairly modern that wouldn't prove too much of a challenge, and so a book that I seemed to be in the minority for not having read it fitted the bill.
The Da Vinci Code is, for the most part, set in Paris and is effectively one big cryptic treasure hunt. Only the stakes are a bit higher than in most treasure hunts, what with it starting with a murder and the 'hunters' being wanted by the police.
As I'd expected with such a popular book, the writing style was very easy reading (if a bit boring in places during extended 'technical' explanations). What I hadn't expected was to be so amused by the chapters. It was almost like the concept of sections within chapters didn't exist, with many chapters just 3 or 4 pages long. And when I found the chapter that was less than a page long I actually audibly laughed.
The best theme for me was the cryptology as I find codes and wordplay absolutely fascinating. Although it was a worry on occasions how slow the characters were to pick up on certain clues given their professions, most notably the very obvious mirror writing. In general the characters were alright - not strong enough that I grew particularly attached to them but they were deep enough to carry the storyline (the main ones at least).
Overall I'd say that the story was a good escape from everyday life, which is always a good point in a book. While I enjoyed reading it the chances of me re-reading are slim, but I might add another of Dan Brown's books to my huge 'To Read' list. At some point. In the future.
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