Angels and Demons

Brown seems as much juggler as author--there are lots and lots of balls in the air in this novel, yet Brown manages to hurl the reader headlong into an almost surreal suspension of disbelief. While the reader might wish for a little more sardonic humour from Langdon and a little less bombastic philosophising on the eternal conflict between religion and science, these are less fatal flaws than niggling annoyances--readers should have no trouble skimming past them and immersing themselves in a heck of a good read. "Brain candy" it may be, but it's tasty. --Kelly Flynn, Amazon.com

Reader Reviews:

Pulp fiction (1/1 people found this helpful)

I read the Da Vinci Code two years ago, and although ludicrous it was an interesting read. I thought I'd read Angels & Demons as I'm interested in religious issues and conspiracy.

Dan Brown is a very clever man. So clever that he has made a fortune without actually being able to write. The quality of the writing is dreadful - as another reviewer put it, it is childlike. That was a big frustration all the way through the novel.

Another negative is the repeat formula of the Da Vinci code - how can a writer get away with that?!

I have given it all of 2 stars because of the quality of the research, and the way he manages to contruct a conspiracy from the historical monuments of Rome, his favourite whipping boy - the Catholic Church, the scientific establishment and the sinister Illuminati. He even managed to throw in a Hassassin for good measure, although that was rather silly. I also appreciated his presentation of religion versus science, and how the confrontation would be unncessary were it not for the ambitions and prejudices of certain people.

This book is literary bubblegum. If you want to read it, pick it up free somewhere - it's not worth spending a few quid on.

Book of Three (0/0 people found this helpful)

Whilst I cannot rubbish this book entirely I cannot simply praise it either. Although I will admit the ambigrams are simply fantastic. Definately a book of three thirds. The first third is so slow and put my patience to the test. None the less I stuck with it, just as I would advise anyone else to. What I consider the second part of this book is much more fast paced and all of action. However then comes the last third of the book. Whilst it doesn't necessarily slow down you could see things coming a mile off. Something I noticed with the Da Vinci Code was the fact I was continually surprised, this was not the case with Angels & Demons. That said I would still recommend this book to anyone.

A Page Turner (0/0 people found this helpful)

Once I starting reading this book...I had to just continue to see where the adventure lead me. The story line is a little out there, but it is a great ride. Dan Brown seems to have a great attention to geographic detail. It is a very good description of Rome, well the places you could actually go to as a tourist.

The wonderful path of twist and turns we take through the Catholic Church, the Illuminati and the Science Community is proof of this writter skill at weaving a story to enthral us. If you pick up this book, read it without a critical eye, remember it is fiction. If you do this you will thourghly enjoy it. I will be looking for more books of this author by the morning.

A Draft Version of da Vinci Code? (0/0 people found this helpful)

I first ignored da Vinci Code because of all the marketing hype surrounding it. When I finally did buy it, I found it highly absorbing and good fun. As a result, I bought Angels and Demons, thinking it would be almost as good.

It is certainly written well, with a surprise ending, which appears to be a little contrived. It also includes a lot of background information about the Catholic Church and its turbulent history (though quite a bit of this may not be true).

However, this book does not read as well as da Vinci Code for two reasons: one is that the time frame appears simply fantastic. The Hero wakes up early one morning to a telephone call, is whisked by a jet to a far-away place, goes through several meetings, searches, narrow escapes, lectures you on medieval art, solves the problem, saves the Vatican and ends up in bed with a beautiful scientist (female) exactly 24 hours later! Talk about being fast!! If this pace was introduced to make it a racy thriller, then I think it was not a good idea, you merely end up disoriented, jet-lagged.

The second problem is the repeat formula. The elements of both da Vinci Code and this one are:
- 1 smart male professor
- 1 sexy female investigator, connected to the person who died
- 1 Conspiring Catholic Church
- A lot of background information about art
- A lot of running around solving (imaginary) clues hidden in the art

A third flaw is some of the unbelievable scenarios, like the fight between a trained assassin and an academician from a University. Any guesses who would win? Another is the fantastic series of public murders. The book at times reads like a cross among science-fiction, a historical novel, an art catalogue, and a fantasy from Arabian nights.

So while the book is enjoyable, it suffers from some flaws. If you liked da Vinci very much, and would like to read it again, you must buy this book. However, if you are looking for something different, try one of his other books (which I haven't read yet).

...or should that be five stars? (1/2 people found this helpful)

How do you go about reviewing something like a Dan Brown novel?

As a piece of serious literature or art, it is simply awful in many respects. Example? Well, the quality that most great novelists that I've encountered possess is empathy. The ability to leave their ego at the door and transform into different characters that are both fully rounded and interesting, and to transform their style of writing to suit the character in question. Contrast this to a Dan Brown novel. No matter what the character, the thought process is the same. The following sentence will sound familiar if you've ever read a Dan Brown novel: "Johnny had often pondered how the (insert noun) got it's name."

But then a Dan Brown novel is not about rich characterisation. Here, plot and suspense is king. And there is much to admire. He writes to a formula (three page chapters with a mini cliff hanger at the end, bizarre/inhuman assassins hunting down the hero etc etc), but it's a successful formula. He's also an ideas man...the way he weaves the different concepts in his novels into a plot is a form of genius. He also explains various technological and scientific phenomenon without the reader ever feeling bogged down. Apparently Dan Brown also teaches...I imagine he's a very good teacher.

Despite his many failings as a writer, I have now read all four of his novels to date. At times I have the distinct feeling that he's written the same novel four times, but just with different concepts driving the action forward each time. Indeed, to emphasize this point, I've posted this review against all four novels - it applies equally to each!

So would I read a fifth one? Probably, yes, if I wanted something that was pure fun to read on holiday or to relax. If you start one of his novels, you will likely keep picking it up until it's finished. But that still doesn't answer that pesky question...does this book deserve three stars...or five!?

Dan Brown

Editorial Review: