What do You think about The Codex (2005)?
I bought this expecting an Indian Jones-esque adventure in the modern age. What Douglas Preston wrote was vastly more entertaining, if unsettling. During the swamp chase I kept thinking that I had read that before. Then, I realized that I hadn't read the scene, but I was getting a similar vibe from another book that I read years before, HEART OF DARKNESS.There are some fascinating scenes for the visual eye, here. Lost cities, unknown Mayan writings, artifacts from around the world, the beauty of the southwest and South America. But, the real treasure is the way -- regardless of the modern time frame -- that when away from technology, it doesn't take the nature of the beast in man to show its true form.Greed. Betrayals. Cruelty.The book also reveals that the beast in some men is that their good nature shines through. And, even though glad makes in grand entrance, eventually, the real treasure is something far more personal.
—Bryan Callahan
If you read Dan Brown's books and thought, "You know -- I'd like this more if the writing was poorer, the plot structure less interesting, and the anthropological assumptions weaker and more stereotypical" then this is the book for you. I have read most of Dan Brown's work and I find it an amusing distraction that often teaches me something I then cross reference. The only thing "The Codex" taught me is that Dan Brown is deserving of a bit more respect because his books are fast-paced and keep you interested to the last page. This one did not. NOTE: I listened to this book on an audiotape and it was the only one I had, so I listened to the entire book.
—Jason Cantone
Here's hoping this Preston novel is as fantastic as the last. I'm only on page 7 so far, but I've got high hopes!So I finished The Codex in record time, but not for the reason I would hope. See, I was sick for a few days so I pretty much did nothing but sit and read and cough and blow my nose and read some more. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, but I've kind of developed a Douglas Preston addiction of late and the book kind of felt a touch anti-climatic to me. Maybe it's just a matter of being a hair too long. The ending felt predictable when it finally came, even though now that I'm looking back on it, it was full of really great moments. So maybe Preston just needed to apply the old red grease pencil a little more liberally and cut it down to 350 taut pages instead of 404 pages with a few extra pounds on them.All in all, though, I still recommend The Codex as a good read on a rainy day. And I hope someone makes a movie of it at some point. It seems photogenic to me.
—Justin Lambert
