Title: overhyped
Product review: My review would probably be more positive if it weren't for all the hype, which led me to expect something truly out of the ordinary (like "Cryptonomicon", maybe). This book isn't bad, but it's not exceptional either. Beyond that, the most useful thing I can say, probably, is that it is more of a "coming of age" story than a "treasure hunt" story. It reminds me more of "A Separate Piece" than "the Da Vinci Code." While there is a lot about the way the mystery book has affected the narrator, his father, his friends, etc. the actual "mystery" of the book itself is secondary to these relationships and characters. In fact, I could not make myself care about the mystery book. To put my views in context, I am not much of a "da Vinci Code" fan either -- I think it goes too far in the other direction with cardboard characters and awkward dialogue. If you like mysteries about art and art history, or codes, read the "jonathan and flavia" mysteries of Iain Pears or "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson.
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