I picked up a copy of THE DaVINCI CODE at Manchester Airport in England this summer. It's out in paperback there and it's interesting to note that all the spelling applies the British style (i.e: "colours" for "colors" etc.)
I found most of the book to be mesmerizing. In fact there were times I was rushing back to my hotel room to read the book rather than socialize with my friends. However, I figured out the denouement about 200 pages before the novel ended--and for me it fell apart. Looking back on the novel, I now think it was over-plotted and absurd in some places. The action spans about two days and the hero and heroine never go to the bathroom, never eat (except for some instant coffee) and never get fatigued.
As a young boy I was always bothered by the appearance of St. John in da Vinci's THE LAST SUPPER. To learn that it was actually a woman didn't shock me, nor did I feel the novel challenged Christ's Divinity. It just gave a more human quality to his human nature.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
