8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good But, Dec 9 2004
Like many people, I discovered Dan Brown through The Da Vinci Code (The Da Vinci Code and "A Tourist in the Yucatan" were my favorite thrillers of the year). As much as I enjoyed the just-one-more-page-before-I-turn-out-the-light qualities of this book I still prefer The Da Vinci Code. Angels & Demons is the prequel for The Da Vinci Code and I could truly see Brown's growth as a writer in his later work. I would consider his plotting skills in Angels & Demons good, but by the time he went on to write The Da Vinci Code I believe they were perfected.
Angels & Demons still possesses the page turning, fast paced plotting present in The Da Vinci Code. However, in my opinion, some of the plot twists, while being thoroughly entertaining, were also entirely unbelievable. I don't believe that fiction needs to be exactly like real life, but I can only suspend disbelief so far without falling out of the story.
If this was your first Dan Brown, and you enjoyed this one, I would highly recommend picking up a copy of The Da Vinci Code. If you've already read The Da Vinci Code, you'll probably like this one too, just know before you begin that you've already read the best, now you're going back for the rest.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
In a fit of rage I threw it against the wall at page 510, July 11 2004
By A Customer
After the hero jumps out of a helicopter at 15,000' using only a tarp as a parachute, surviving an anti-matter explosion on the way down, only to land safely in the river where coincidently a doctor sees him land and revives him. (His third or fourth time he has escaped death today). All the while, the "pope", who had a parachute, is pretending a miracle has happened as he has landed atop St. Peter's to the roar of the crowd. JEEEEEEZ Get me outa here!!! Even as a movie, this would get boos.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, But Not Original, Feb 27 2006
Having read "The Da Vinci Code", I was quite exited to dig into "Angels & Demons", Robert Langdon's first adventure. I found out, however, that I was reading the same book. Robert was yet again with a female "sidekick", the ending "twist" had the same elements, and the villian had the same mindset. Only the location and a few plot elements changed.
Having that being said, I would like to say that "Angels & Demons" is still an interesting read. Dan Brown seems to do his research while writing his novels, and since the chapters are short, I kept saying "Just one more chapter" as I read the book. I managed to finish it in two days.
Robert Langdon is awaken from his home in the United States due to a phone call by Dr. Kohler, the President of CERN, a Swiss science facility. There, Langdon sees the dead body of a CERN scientist with the word "Illuminati" burned onto his chest. Shortly thereafter, they discover one of the deadly projects the scientist was working on has gone missing; anitmatter. Anitmatter has the ability to power the continental United States with just one pound of it, or become the most dealy weapon ever made. Later, they discover that the canister is somewhere in The Vatican, the Illuminati's ultimate enemy.
If you already read "The Da Vinci Code", you can see the similarities. However, one of the things about Dan Brown is that he writes in such a way that we already know the outcome, we just want to see how it happens. "Angels & Demons" is well worth a read, but if you are new to Dan Brown, or, more importantly, Robert Langdon's universe, I strongly reccomend that you read "The Da Vinci Code" first, as that is a superiour novel and the ending won't be known before you start the second chapter.
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