Angels & Demons

Robert Langdon #1

by Dan Brown

Librarian's note: This an alternate cover for: B0031RSBPU & 9781409083948
Alternate covers can be found here, here, and here

An ancient secret brotherhood.

A devastating new weapon of destruction.
When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati...the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth. The Illuminati has now surfaced to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy -- the Catholic Church.

Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces they have hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair...a clandestine location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.

An explosive international thriller, Angels & Demons careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Adventure, Crime

498 pages, ebook

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the best selling novels of all time as well as the subject of intellectual debate among readers and scholars. Brown’s novels are published in 56 languages around the world with over 200 million copies in print.

In 2005, Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, whose editors credited him with “keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”

The son of a mathematics teacher and a church organist, Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination with the paradoxical interplay between science and religion. These themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he later returned to teach English before focusing his attention full time to writing. He lives in New England with his yellow lab, Winston.

Brown’s latest novel, Origin, explores two of the fundamental questions of humankind: Where do we come from? Where are we going?

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 2 out of 5]

(B-) 70% | Satisfactory
Notes: The apotheosis of laugh out loud, so-bad-it's-good writing, it's at first enthralling but descends into garish absurdity.

[Mohammed Arabey · Rating 5 out of 5]

أولا الرواية دي لو حابب تتمتع بجد وانت بتقراها ليها حل من أتنين
1-Illustrated Edition تقرأ النسخة الانجليزية المصورة
أو
2- وانت بتقرا أي نسخة تفتح جوجل صور وتكتب اسم كل مكان بيزوره روبرت لانجدون، كل قاعة في كنيسة او جدارية او تمثال وتشوف صورته علي النت

ده صورة أحد أغلفة الرواية بيظهر فيها التماثل، ثيمة مهمة ضمن الأحداث .. لو قلبت الصورة حتلاقي عنوان الرواية بيقرا من فوق زي من تحت

ثانيا، أعتبر الرواية تذكرة طائرة لرحلة مع بروفيسير روبرت لانجدون، أهلا بيك في الفاتيكان

يمكن دي اول تجربة ليا لقراءة رواية مليانة تفاصيل ومعلومات حقيقية سواء علمية او دينية او تاريخية او حتي اثرية وسياحية ..و كمان تحتل المعلومات دي اكثر من ربع الرواية او ثلثها بدون مبالفة
رحلة يتخللها معلومات عن الذرات والطاقة والمادة...معلومات فيزيائية وطبيعية
معلومات تاريخية عن طائفة الحشاشين، وعن التنويريين "اليمانتري" ورموز فنونهم وأصلهم و أصل الماسونية
وعن صراع الدين والعلم في عصر النهضة..وعلي مدي العصور بعدها وحتي الأن
معلومات عجيبة حقيقية عن الفاتيكان ، الدولة ومكتبته وتماثيله وغيرها كتير

مش كده بقي وبس ده كمان كل المعلومات دي في اطار تشويقي فعلا يخليك مستني تعرف المعلومة اللي بعدها وتحاول تبحث عن حقيقتها او اصلها علي الانترنت

عشان كده بنصح بالنسخة المصورة..لان صور الاماكن والاثار والاعمال الفنية دي بتساعد وبشكل كبير جدا في حل لغز الرواية نفسها...وعاما وصف دان براون دقيق ومسلي مش ممل

بلاش المعلومات .. الرواية نفسها اللي خلطت الحقائق التاريخية والعلمية بقصة مثيرة واكشن ولغز بتدور احداثها في يوم واحد بس

فكره رواية اليوم الواحد ده ممكن يبقي كارثة لاي رواية وباعث للملل او الفجوات لكن دان براون نجح انه يجعل الرواية مشوقة جدا مع عدم فقد الاحساس بالزمن ... بتسابق الزمن خلال اليوم اللي بتبدأه من ساعاته الأولي وبينتهي بمطلع فجر اليوم التالي .. وفي نفس الوقت الاحداث بتدور بدون اقحام الساعة او الوقت في كل مشهد ، بتكتفي بشكل السماء او ذكر الوقت في اوقات قليلة جدا

بالنسبه للشخصيات

رسم المؤلف الشخصيات بطريقة حقيقي مماثلة لتقديمه للحقائق اللي في الرواية..بتشويق..بعمق..بتطور في كل شخصية بيستمر علي مدار الاحداث
وبيستمر كشف ماضيها كمان

كل شخصية بتتعرف عليها خلال احداث الرواية بتعرف تاريخها وماضيها -بالاخص الابطال الاساسيين- وكمان دوافعها "قطرة قطرة" جزء جزء بطريقة تشويقية بدرجة كبيرة

هناك شخصيات بالرواية الفيلم خسر كثيرا لعدم ظهورها او انتقاص دورها مثل الملك ماكس مدير الشركة العلمية المنتجة للمادة المضادة وحتي ايضا شخصيتي الفريق الاعلامي لقنوات بي بي سي

بالنسبه للاحداث

جرائم اختطاف وقتل لكاردينالات بالفاتيكان تتزامن مع انتخاب بابا الفاتيكان جديد بعد الوفاة المفاجأة للأب السابق
مع رسائل غامضة مليئة بالرموز التي تعود

الرواية متعددة وجهات النظر دائما تحتاج لبراعة في الكتابة لم يخلو بها هذا الكتاب

هناك صفة مميزة ان بعد كل كام فصل "في تلك الرواية الفصول كثيرة جدا تتخطي التسعون فصلا" تجد شبه تذكير بأحد الاحداث..او بأحد المواقف او ابعاد شخصية ما اللي بيدور الفصل من وجهة نظرها
التكرار جميل فهو قد يزيد من التركيز خاصا ان هناك الكثير من القطع في بعض المشاهد لالقاء الضوء علي حدث ما في ماضي الشخصيات سواء القريب او البعيد ..او قد يكون القطع بسبب معلومة تاريخيه او علمية او اثرية

الا ان هذا التكرار كان يضايقني لان قرائتي الانجليزية بطيئة بعض الشئ

"الرواية اخدت مني وقت بجد لكن المهم طلعت بحصيلة لغوية كبيرة افتكر اني
عرفت مثلا اكتر من 10 كلمات مختلفة كلهم معناهم رجال الدين :)"

هناك ايضا رسم وتفاصيل المؤلف للاماكن او الاثار المسيحية المكتظة بها روما والفاتيكان كان صعب احيانا تخيله لولا اني اقرا نسخة خاصة مصورة كنت تعبت بجد :(

اما الافضل فكان النظام السينمائي المثير المكتوب به الرواية بالاخص تتابعات نهاية الرواية الذي شهد خلط مشاهد الفلاش باك سويا ومزجها مع الحدث الحاضر بطريقة غير مربكة بل مشوقة لدرجة تجعلك "علي حافه الكرسي" "حابسا لأنفاسك " لمعرفه ما حدث في الماضي بالظبط ادي الي هذه الاحداث و الصراعات النفسيه لاحد الابطال.

الدين والعلم
------------
هنا بتتعرف علي علي بداية صراع دموي بين تزمت الدين والتنويريين لمجرد الخلاف مع جاليليو علي حقيقة الأرض انها كروية وليست مسطحة
ونشأة المتنورين واختفاءهم بعيد عن انظار الكنيسة وبطشها
لمحات عن الماسونية واللي بيكمل دان براون في روايتيه اللاحقتين تاريخهم بشكل أكبر
ولا ننسي ان احد اشرار الرواية هو احد خلفاء فرق الحشاشيين , من اشهر الفرق التي اخذت من الدين ستار للعنف والبطش والقتل

من روائع الرواية ايضا..خطابات الكامرلنجو "مش عارف معناها بالعربي بالظبط بس اللي هو راعي البابا وخادمه" اللي بيتكلم فيها عن صراع الدين والعلم .الصراع الابدي..من منتصف الروايه لاخرها هذا الصراع تم صياغته بطريقة ممتازة سواء في الخطب المباشرة او المواقف اللي مر بيها اتنين من اهم الشخصيات بالرواية في ماضيهم.

يمكن عجبتني جدا في الرواية فعلا ان الاحداث كلها في يوم واحد لاني بعشق الافلام اللي بالطريقه دي "طبعا للاسف في الحاله دي انا حزين اني شفت الفيلم قبل قراءه الرواية " وتقريبا دي اول مره اقرأ رواية بالنسبه لي تدور كلها في يوم واحد وتكون بهذا الحجم "ربما فقط احسست ان الشمس لم تغيب الا متاخرا جدا يمكن ده العادي في روما"

في النهاية دي اول رواية اقرأها لدان براون واكيد مش الاخيرة ..وتقيمي ليها بالرغم من انتقاص متعه القراءة بمعرفتي النهاية من مشاهده الملخص المختصر"الفيلم" الا ان مازال ان هناك مفاجات واثاره في الرواية و ايضا اعتقد ان تعاطفي مع الشخصية "المفترض انها شريرة" زاد بتتابعات النهاية.

محمد العربي

الاسكندريه 3 فبراير 2013
الي 16 فبراير 2013

[Mario the lone bookwolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call it a conspiracy theory, but

How did secret societies, associations, cults, and shadow cabinets influence human history, and how evolved the first stone age groups of chief, medicine man, dealer, and strongest soldier until today and will develop in the future?

An all time problem until enlightenment kicks in in a faraway utopia
It´s not just the realm of religion that has had its fake news problem since the first primitive cults and sects tens of thousands of years or even longer ago. It´s each field and area of human activity that was, can, and will be influenced by the dark forces in the background, the puppet masters controlling the fate of both tribes of thousands in the past or states and space colonies of billions in the future.

Faith vs science, subjectivity vs objectivity, emotionality vs rationality,
Call it as you like, I can´t objectively say much about the epic, endless science vs faith battle, because I am biased as heck and it would go against the obligation of a responsible reviewer to add too much subjective... Go science, show who is the boss, yes, keep using that chokehold,…

A subjective interpretation: I am reading nonfiction for over 20 years and must say that much that has once been deemed impossible, wrong, or lies, became true and influenced the lives of everyone in massive ways. So the truth seems to be pretty flexible. And the lucky ones of us living in so called enlightened democracies could reverse engineer big and progressive history and guess how much of, well, everything could be wrong, lies, and pure fiction. That it´s the opposite of official history in some cases, that many of the weirdo theories about the present and future are the truth, and much of what is written in history books are lies.

Monetarizing this concept was an ingenious idea by Brown (and his not so well known predecessors?)
And I don´t understand the Brown bashing of some people, many authors don´t really care much about the rules of writing or create average quality of consistency, logic, dialogues, and stuff and don´t get criticized for it. It might be possible that it´s more the inconvenient topics Browns is using that are activating the bite reflexes and reactionary mental programs of pissed people preferring proselytizing priests. The fast paced writing style with many different settings, fine infodumps, cliffhangers, and everything similar to a well written Hollywood blockbusters, techno- and psychothrillers is nothing people are ranting about as long as it´s not controversial.

At least the lectors tried to pimp the real science
It´s possible that the new editions of the book have been edited and corrected ( I don´t know), as there are some errors regarding the possibility of the involved physics and technology and wrong descriptions. But as I know publishing houses, they probably still haven´t invested the money to fix the bugs, even in a multi million copies world bestseller, that uses the intentionally produced good old catholic church and JC controversies like no series before.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...

A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspir...

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Brown - image from Alwasat.ly

This is the first novel in which the character Robert Langdon appears (The DaVinci Code being the most famous) The well-known symbologist is called in by the director of CERN when a renowned scientist is found murdered. The scientist had created anti-matter, in an attempt to demonstrate that divine creation of the universe was scientifically explainable. The scientist has, of course, a brilliant and beautiful daughter. The tale has much payload regarding the Illuminati, an ancient group of scientists who had formed a secret society in opposition to the church. It is fast-paced, and a well made example of the action adventure tale. We learn much about the history of the illuminati, a bit about CERN, but the central questions remain ones of faith and science. It was a fun read, one I felt impelled to return to when free moments appeared.


Tom Hanks stars as Robert Langdon and Ayelet Zurer stars as Vittoria Vetra - image from AceShowBiz

A few other DBs for your consideration
-----The Lost Symbol
-----The Da Vinci Code
-----Inferno

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

& I was left... STUNNED! Just, just, stunned. Incredibly, this one is the one to top when it comes to adventure & history and pace & ingenuity.

I've recently noticed how much history is revered (rightfully) by the modern authors. This is a different type of historical immersion. This is about bringing it to the forefront... something in the past is incredibly relevant, vital, to the present.

Everyone but me had read this, & after Da Vinci Code--that bitch of an overrated heathen--I thought Brown was a phony (in company of Nicholas Sparks, among others). Not so. This is a MASTERPIECE indeed.

I read this in like two sittings. All 710 pages of oversized print.

I was soooo hooked I recalled many other lesser books that have riveted me. This one is so incredibly put together, it is no wonder Brown has been heralded by the general readership, ingrained in the zeitgeist.

The awesomeness of this work lies in the battle between science and religion, perhaps one of the most seminal works about that topic. It explores this duality literally, symbolically... every which way. That they are married, both science and religion, is the thesis. Brown proves this with the precision of a skilled scientist. & with the heart of a devout... historian.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this after the drivel that is called "Da Vinci Code." I decided to give the author another chance, and take on something that maybe wasn't so formulaic.

No dice. I am convinced that Dan Brown does absolutely no research into the subjects he writes about. Or if he does, he decides it is not "titilating enough for him" so he makes it up. I mean why even include actual real things in his books if he chooses to ignore any facts about them. Opus Dei? I doubt he could spell it. Catholic Church? Has he even read any history about the Catholic Church at all? His descriptions of the Church seem to be based on whatever anti-Catholic propoganda he could find, Chick Tracts, and superstition.

So it comes to no surprise that he has 2 massive bestsellers that are more or less, anti-Catholic. Cuz you know, Catholic baiting and prejudice to the Catholic Church is the only real acceptable prejudice left. The underlying superstition and hostility towards Catholicism, priests, the Pope, Vatican, etc is very close to the same sentiments that lingered in the decades and centuries before WWII in Europe.

Think I am overreacting? If someone wrote these books but instead baited the Jews or Muslims there would be a huge outcry. Bashing Catholics and depicting them and their history in the way Dan Brown does in these books is outrageous and should be criticized and shunned.

And I didn't even delve into how awful of a writer he is, did I? The only thing more embarassing than his writing that will never be remembered 20 years from now, is the fact that so many people bought into his piece of shit and wasted their time with it. Including respectable people like Tom Hanks and Ron Howard. There's time you will never get back again. Congrats!

[Sean Barrs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Brown writes trash, but sometimes trash can have a certain allure. Sometimes trash sucks you in as you feel forced to reach the bottom of the rubbish pile and see what secrets it may be hiding.

And that’s the strongest aspect of his writing, the pull. Say what you want about the crazily outlandish plot that’s built upon a nest of poor research and flat characters. Say what you want about the anti-Catholic undertones and the semi-racist portrayal of the antagonist, there’s no denying the intensity of the writing.

This is a real page turner, the kind that keeps you reading until three in the morning and makes you want to skip to the end of the book just to see what’s happening. And it’s so entertaining like all good trash should be. Critically speaking, there is so much wrong with this book but I can’t deny how successful it is at keeping the reader involved. It creates so many ridiculous questions that just need to be answered. I stormed through this book at lightning speed.

Looking back though, it is very easy to see the faults. Dan Brown hooks his reader, using mystery and suspense as bait, and it is so very easy to bite on the line. Though as every fish knows, once you’ve been netted life only gets worse. This is a book of very cheap thrills, which can be addictive but will only ever be cheap.

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Listen carefully. I'm about to change your life."

Not really 😅

I've been receiving a ton of recommendations to read Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code for a few years now, and after finding out it was actually the second book in a series, I've thought of starting things properly with the first book, bringing me to Angels and Demons. I'm a little new to thriller books in general, making Angels and Demons a refreshing experience to begin that journey, especially compared to intricate world building I'm used to with fantasy books.

"Information is only as valuable as its source."

I think it's safe to say that there is no lack of drama, suspense, and twists throughout the book, making the reading experience somewhat addictive. The narrative is super fast paced, most content spread over a matter of hours, resulting in an further enhancement of aforementioned qualities. Brown clearly and easily exceeded most reader's expectations when it comes to the protaganist in my opinion, Robert Langdon, a realistic character which is ideal for a story like this in my opinion. I'm glad he didn't go for an overpowered lead character, instead opting for maintaining a good balance with Langdon's abilities and shortcomings. Rest of the cast isn't that far behind either, with numerous twisters around every corner making them re-appear in different light throughout the story. As for the plot itself, bringing different threads together was well executed, but it wasn't the best I've seen, since there were some loopholes here and there if one was to look closely. But overall, I'm quite happy with the plot and the set of characters here.

"Our minds sometimes see what our hearts wish were true."

Another (hopefully good) thing that most readers are going to notice is how the author had gone to extreme lengths in describing intricate architecture in and around Vatican City. It felt like a detaild virtual tour, and was a nice surprise for me. What did NOT come as pleasant is the frequent use of Italian phrasing, but I think I might be in the minority here.

"Thge most dangerous enemy is that which no one fears."

However with all that, I didn't feel like the book is beyond 3.5-stars, and the rounding up to 4 is mostly due to this being one of my first books from the genre. I'm quite certain a second read through could actually bring it down to 3-stars. Had I being an atheist, things would've been somewhat different (still not 5-stars though), as I could see most of the stuff here being appealing to atheism. But it doesn't mean that others could easily enjoy the book, for, I believe Brown's walking a fine line even with everything going here, especially using the underlying system of belief of the protagonist himself to keep the atheism in check.

"Pride and precedent cannot overshadow reason."

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The battle between Science and religion is a fascinating topic to read. The danger with this topic is that it might affect the religious sentiments of a few readers.

The author succeeds in getting us glued to the story, which is pretty interesting to read. But there are a lot of twists in it, and the last few are more cinematic than realistic to convince those believing in Science. It should have been written in a better way.

My favorite three lines from this book.

“Fear cripples faster than any implement of war.”

“Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand.”

“Genius accepts genius unconditionally”

Robert Langdon still is a character that always fascinates us, and he doesn’t disappoint us in this book.


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[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that introduced the world to Robert Langdon, although he didn't really become a global bestseller until The Da Vinci Code exploded on the best seller lists. Yes full of inaccuracies, faux Italian and faux science... but hey.. it's F I C T I O N!

My fave Dan Brown book, this is a compelling and mindbogglingly believable mystery thriller that gets at the heart of the Vatican, its history, the Illuminati, classic art and modern science! If you read one Dan Brown this is the one! A Four Star 8 out of 12... for a rip roaring mystery thriller adventure!

2022 read; 2005 read; 2004 read

[Raya راية · Rating 5 out of 5]

"إن العلم والدين ليسا في نزاع أو خصام مع بعضهما البعض، ولكن كل ما في الأمر هو أن العلم لا يزال حديثاً جداً لكي يفهم."



عندما بدأت بقراءة هذه الرواية قبل 3 سنوات، انبهرت بها جداً. فقد كنت مهووسة وقتها -ولا زلت- بروايات أغاثا كريستي وأسلوبها المُبهر، وعلمت بأن هناك روائياً يسمّى دان براون، صاحب أسلوب مُدهش ومثير وقد انتشرت رواياته في كل العالم انتشار النار في الهشيم. وبالفعل، قمت بقراءة جميع أعماله، وهذه الرواية إحدى أفضل ما كتب. قد يسألني البعض، كيف أعيد قراءة رواية كهذه وقد علمت مسبقاً تفصيلاتها المُهمّة. وأجيب أنا: برأيي، يملك دان براون خاصيّة مدهشة بجعلك تشعر بالإثارة والتشويق في كل مرة تعيد بها رواياته، وكنت أودّ السفر إلى الفاتيكان وهذه الرواية كانت أرخص تذكرة سفر توفّرت لدي.

قبل أن تبدأ بقراءة هذه الرواية تأكد من وجود هاتفك النقال أو حاسوبك الشخصي المشبوك بالإنترنت لتتمكّن من رؤية كل كنيسة وتمثال وضريح ولوحة وشارع تدور بها أحداث الرواية.

ملائكة وشياطين، الرواية الأولى التي يظهر بها روبرت لانغدون، البروفيسور في جامعة هارفرد والمتخصص في دراسة الرموز الدينية. لانغدون الذي أجاد دان براون رسم شخصيته بحيث أصبح القارئ قريباً جداً من هذا الرجل، الذي لوهلة شعرت بأنه حقيقي وبأنه هو الذي كتب هذه الرواية، وبأني أريد أن أحضر محاضراته واقرأ كتبه! وهذه ميّزة أخرى يتمتّع بها براون في قدرته على رسم الشخصيات بدقة وما يختلج بداخلها من تساؤلات، فيشعر القارئ بأنها حقيقية تماماً.

رواية تدور فكرتها الرئيسية حول الصراع الأزلي بين الدين والعلم، الدين المتمثّل بالكنيسة التي حاربت غاليليو الذي أعلن عن إيمانه بمركزية الشمس وبأن الأرض تدور حولها. عندما درست في الجامعة مادة عن تاريخ الأدب والفن في العصور الوسطى، تكلّمنا كثيراً عن رفض الكنيسة الحاسم لكل تصريح علمي بكروية الأرض وعدم مركزيتها، والذي اعتبرته تشكيكاً في الدين، لأنه -بنظر الكنيسة- خلق الله الإنسان وجعله يستوطن الأرض التي هي مركز الكون، فكيف بالتالي يأتي عالم كغاليليو أو كوبرنيكوس أو جوردانو برونو، ليعلن للناس بأن الأرض ليست سوا جُرم صغير يسبح في فلك عظيم من ملايين الأجرام وبأن الإنسان ليس سوا كائن صغير في هذا الكون اللامتناهي! وبالتالي حاربتهم الكنيسة، مما اضطر هؤلاء العلماء للتخلّي العلني عن هذه المعتقدات الجديدة، ولكنهم -حسب الأساطير والروايات- اجتمعوا سرّاً وشكلّوا ما يعرف بالطبقة المستنيرة، ليشاركوا أبحاثهم وما توصّلوا إليه بعيداً عن أنظار الكنيسة التي كانت قوة تملك نفوذاً طاغياً. وحتى بعد مرور كل هذه القرون والسنوات، يبقى الصراع قائماً بين العلم والدين، ونستشعره في كل لحظة.

تأخذنا الرواية إلى عالم هذه الطبقة وعلمائها وطريق الدرب التنويري الذي يقود إلى مخبأها السري، وألغاز التمثايل والمنحوتات والكنائس التي تدل عليها ورموزها وشاراتها الخفيّة. وإلى المركز الأوروبي للأبحاث النووية (سيرن) وآخر ما توصّل إليه العلم هناك. والمؤامرة المُحاكة ضد الفاتيكان والكنيسة والدين عموماً، وجرائم قتل فظيعة بالجملة، بأسلوب مليء بالإثارة والتشويق، يعصب معه أن تتنبأ بما يمكن أن يحصل بعد ذلك. رحلة شيّقة إلى زمن برنيني مايكل أنجلو وغاليليو، ونظرة بعيدة مليئة بالتساؤلات عن مستقبل الأبحاث النووية والمادة المضادة.

أقل ما يقال عنها ساحرة، تستحق خمسة نجوم ذهبية بكل جدارة.




ملاحظة: الرواية أجمل من الفيلم بكثير

....

[Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was Brown's book before the infamous "The Da Vinci Code." In many ways, this book was like a rough draft for "The Da Vinci Code", same character Langdon, same other characters, same basic start, same concepts, same bad research passed off as fact, same trick of having nearly every chapter end in cliffhanger, the same in so many ways.
Sadly, I think he did a better job the first time around.

I recommend you have a computer handy so you look up what Brown is talking about, and that way you can have a better idea of what it really looks like. Added bonus too, you can have a laugh over how Brown had to forced it into his world to make the plot somewhat cohesive.
Look, if you want to write fiction, do so but please own up to it being fiction! Trying to pass off the Ecstasy of St. Theresa as being so pornographic in nature that the Vatican had it exiled to a small church, is, well, wrong as wrong as gets.
Brown throws out a number of stunningly stupid statements, like asserting that since Christianity is syncretic, God-eating (the Holy Communion) was taken from the Aztecs. How, Brown never explains, since the practice was established by Christ himself during the Last Supper around 33 A.D. and the Aztecs didn't show up until 1248 A.D. I figure Brown left it open so he could write some sort of time travel book, involving a long lost secret that the Aztecs built their pyramids as sort of a dry run, traveled back in time and were actually behind the pyramids in Egypt. And, of course, were the sect that created the Christ-myth due to a poorly thought out plot.

Thanks to the internet, you too can have fun poking holes in the book. See, for example, CERN's site on the book. And if that doesn't do it for you, here's a good site looking into all the errors.

A sample from the last site:

"While walking around the CERN campus, Langdon notices a marble column incorrectly labeled Ionic. Langdon points the mistake out to Kohler: "That column isn't Ionic. Ionic columns are uniform in width. That one's tapered. It's a Doric -- the Greek counterpart." (26) The problem is that Ionic columns are themselves Greek. The three orders of classical columns, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, are all Greek in origin, so it's impossible for the Doric order to the be the Greek counterpart of the Ionic. It's also much easier to distinguish the Doric from the Ionic based on their capitals; Doric columns have plain capitals, while Ionic columns are topped by volutes or scrolls."

That irked me when I read that passage, because not only is a poor joke, it doesn't make sense!

Let's ignore the bad, the erroneous, and the ugly, and you have decent little thriller zipping around Rome looking at art. Of course, it has to zip along, slow down long enough to think about it, and a host of questions start to swarm up. Like how Langdon has a whole theory on who the bad guy is and how Langdon was involved in these rather preposterous circumstances. Of course, the premise is wrong, so that that whole house of cards fall down. Not bad in of itself, but then Brown doesn't ever provide any reason Langdon was involved after that.

Of course, you aren't supposed to notice while reading it, and preferably not afterwards, either. Doing so reveals how badly Brown writes. He can't provide a single decent reason why his hero is there, aside from a vague "Because" and a shrug.

I'm envious of Brown, he can't write well, has plot holes big enough to drive the Popemobile through, bad research and "facts" that aren't, and yet still is entertaining, popular and, most galling perhaps, published.
Caveat lector.

[Rosey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Religion always was, is, has been, and always will be a very sensitive subject for me. However this book was a "battle" of religion and science. The storyline was engaging. I have to admit that the beginning was a bit slow, but as the book progressed, the pace really picked up to a point I pruned myself out in the bathtub finishing it. There was a page I found to be very thought-provoking.

"Religion is like language or dress. We gravitate toward the practices with which we were raised. In the end, though, we are all proclaiming the same thing."

Langdon was intrigued. "So you're saying that whether you are a Christian or a Muslin simply depends on where you were born?"

"Isn't it obvious? Look at the diffusion of religion around the globe."

"So faith is random?"

"Hardly. Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end, we all are just searching for truth, that which is greater for ourselves." - page 110

This does explain a lot of things for me... *pondering*

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review
4+ out of 5 stars to Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, the first book in his "Robert Langdon" thriller series. When I saw the movie trailer for The Da Vinci Code, I was hooked and immediately bought the book so I could read it first. When I got home, I realized it was not the first in the series...



I refused to read it... and then I went to the store and got the first one, Angels & Demons, so I could read them in order. And while it's not really necessary, I always follow the order (unless I have an ARC with a due date on a newer book and no time to get to the whole series). So I started Angels & Demons, and I was was simply blown away.



Not everyone loves Dan Brown, and people aren't always kind, but man... I LOVE HIS BOOKS! And I'm not afraid to say it... so if you don't like them... don't be hating on this review because I will



On a more serious note, the climax with each of the murders, the deep connections to so many Catholic rituals and ceremonies, the brilliance of the chase... it just left me unable to stop reading it. It's exactly the kind of book I like to read:

1. Has some connection to me -- I'm Catholic and knew most of the stuff they were talking about

2. I love reading about murder -- since I won't do it in real life, I have to get my thrills somehow

3. Secrets are the best thing in the world -- I have so many about others, but I never let anyone have one about me

4. Classic battle of good versus evil -- This is my life. Should I be good or bad today? Ugh... Sophie's catch #22...

5. It's non-stop thought-provoking messages and themes -- How much control and time do we really have right now?

Oh, that's the spot baby!

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And with that said... if you want a real review with details about the story, go find someone else's! Today was all about just being excited to think about the book again. Now that said, I thought Da Vinci Code was a slight bit better, hence the 4 here.

Ciao! I've got some branding to do...



About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

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[Dan Schwent · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a physicist/priest is murdered, the word Illuminati branded into his chest, and a quarter-gram of antimatter stolen, it's up to renowned symbologist Robert Langdon to find the goods and the murderer. But can he stop someone from using the antimatter as a weapon, even with hot physicist Vittoria Vetra in tow?

After all the hype, I managed to dodge this bullet for over a decade but when my girlfriend caught me in a vulnerable moment between books, I knew the time had come.

Overall, it was a fun read. It reminded me of a high tech Indiana Jones a lot of the time. However, at the end of the day, it was pretty much a by the numbers thriller, complete with forced sexual tension.

Like I said, it's pretty Indiana Jones-ish, except instead of an archaeologist who has crazy globe-trotting adventures, Langdon is a symbologist who has crazy globe-trotting adventures.

As much as I want to hate on this book, it's a page turner; Short chapters, nearly all of them ending on a cliffhanger. However, even for a thriller of this type, the plot seems a little overly complicated. A centuries old secret society is going to use some stolen antimatter to blow up the Vatican? Wouldn't it be easier to get a surplus nuke from the former Soviet Union?

The writing is so cheesy and over-dramatic I can't help but be amused. It's really pulpy but not in the good Raymond Chandler way. More like an early Doc Savage. Seriously, Langdon could have said "I'll be super-amalgamated" and it wouldn't have felt that out of place. It almost feels like Brown was trying to do a Black Dynamite-style commentary/spoof on conspiracy thrillers.

One thing I didn't enjoy is that the book suffers from "I did a bit of research so I'm going to cram it all in the dialogue" syndrome. There are infodumps galore and lots of redundant information, mostly about symbology. I'm not going to touch on the things that weren't researched and are erroneous since most movies have equally shitty fact checking.

I guess I'll rate it 3 stars. It's not well written or to any degree believable but it's a fun and exciting read, like a pack of Skittles for your brain. Not good but definitely entertaining. Not only that, Dan Brown's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. Any book that gets so many non-readers reading gets a little slack from me.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown was one of the best page-turners I have ever read. From the very beginning I couldn’t put it down. I did not know where Dan Brown would take the story next. Following the main character Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist on his first great adventure was breathtaking. I wanted to learn more, to know the secrets of the Illuminati and the only way to do it was to let the story naturally unfold as I read. I can usually guess what is going to happen in thrillers, but Dan Brown did a wonderful job keeping everything a mystery until absolutely necessary to reveal the secrets.
I first read the book on a flight from Seattle to Rome, with a few places in between. Never having read the Da Vinci Code before hand I didn’t have as high of expectations as most people do when going to read Angels and Demons. I have often heard that the Da Vinci Code is much better than Angels and Demons but I disagree. Angels and Demons is Dan Brown at his best. I love how he took historical events, places, art and turned them upside down into a thriller that left me wanting more.
Dan Brown not only wrote a good novel but he also brought up the old argument of Science vs. Religion. Both sides of the argument are thoughtfully brought up in Angels and Demons and in the end it is up to the reader to decide which side they believe is the right path for them. I love that he didn’t try and persuade the reader of his view on the subject but instead put the evidence and arguments out there for us to make up our own minds.
Having traveled to Rome and seeing the places talked about in the novel Dan Brown did a wonderful job putting the readers in the places talked about. As I walked the path of Robert Langdon it seemed even more real to me that events as radical as the illuminati pulled off in the book could have actually happened, giving more power to the fast paced adventure.

[Tadas Vankevicius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angels and Demons is a fast-paced, thrilling masterpiece that brilliantly blends science, religion, and history into a gripping adventure. Keeping readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the first, I don't know, 30 pages or so a character is "overwhelmed" by the smell of frozen urine. Frozen things don't smell, let alone overwhelmingly. Shortly thereafter an expert in religion (or whatever he is, I've tried to block it out) is shocked to see a study containing both scientific and religious items. I should have put the book down then, but then I would have missed unbelievable characters, hackneyed descriptions and spitting in the face of the laws of physics and physiology. Use the book to balance your wobbly kitchen table and read the back of your cereal box instead.

[Wendi · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I honestly want to give the book three stars. What I enjoy about Brown is how he can write almost 600 pages of a book and I get almost to the end and realize that it has taken place all in the space of one day. As a writer, I would love to be able to do that. The weaving of religious and scientific themes into an adventure set in European locales is also right up my alley.

What I don't like... and why I am forced to drop down to two stars (just a few examples):

That same time stretching often results in a parceling of time that is terribly irritating - most of the book actually isn't just in less than one day but in about four to five hours. Unfortunately, in one part of the book, given twenty minutes, the protagonists can, say, drink tea and eat scones, talk at length about their theories about what's happening, run from one location to another, save someone, and research an important historical fact. But during another twenty minutes, they don't seem to have enough time to, say, run the length of a block and enter a building. It must be difficult as an author to keep track of this sort of incongruity but this is Brown's special trick and it's irritating that he can't follow his own rules. It needs to be either one way or the other but not both.

Every few chapters, he seems to feel the need to reintroduce his main protagonist by first and last name, "Robert Langdon stood in front of the church..."; like we haven't met this character yet for every single paragraph for the last 126 chapters (and no, I'm not exaggerating on the numbers of chapters).

This really, really frustrating thing where the protagonist, Langdon, is this brainy professor that can supposedly figure out these relatively obscure, secret messages hidden by other brainy men hundreds of years ago in order to save the world... and yet he can't figure out the REALLY obvious things right in front of his face. I was listening to this on audiobook and I SWEAR, I kept expecting a three year old child to pipe up from somewhere in the back of the crowd, saying, "Oh, come on, mister! You can't see that? Seriously? Aren't you supposed to be the hero? Even I can see that!!

And, finally, lines like, "The silence that followed might as well have been thunder." Um, what... honestly, what? Is this Brown's version of "A thunderous silence followed..."?

It's really rather frustrating because I honestly think that in many ways Brown is rather talented; in some of his plotting, the details, the ideas he pulls together. I just wish that in other ways - the writing, some characterization, he could catch up with his other abilities.

After reading The Da Vinci Code, I was going to read both this and Digital Fortress but I do believe I will stop here... wishing I could tip it over to the three stars.

[Hertzan Chimera · Rating 1 out of 5]

Angels and Demons is one of the most insidiously-constructed page turners I’ve ever read and unlike other such efforts (Richard Laymon’s IN THE DARK) I actually raced to the end of it rather than throwing the thing half-finished against the wardrobe in rage. Think of Hercules Poirrot. Think of Inspector Morse. Think of Agatha Christie. Once you strip all the character and soul from these genre writers you have Dan Brown. They all have in common the one writer trick, etirwer (the backwards rewrite). I don’t mean check a book for spelling and grammar. I mean write a basic plot line. Then go back. Adding in detail that will drive the narrative relentlessly towards what you sketched. Stuffing the book with glimpses of false trails and dead ends to keep the reader in the dark, so to speak. Confounding the reader in a way that will make him feel insignificant and meaningless.

This, for me, is the worst of all genre writing tricks.

Professor of Symbology Robert Langdon in his tweed and nuclear physicist Vittaria Vetra in her Lara Croft gear go in search of the thieves who killed Vittaria’s dad and stole the anti-matter from CERN and find themselves in what appears to be a travelogue of the more obscure bits of Vatican City. It reads just like that, a Treasure Hunt type of book. The reader is dragged along with teasing glimpses of THE TRUTH behind the religion and the war with science that has waged through the ages. But it could have all taken place in a virtual world like the internet or a library with mischievous librarians swapping cards around so old ladies can no longer find their Mills and Boons.

Any good book should involve, include, confront or enrage the reader – this book cored out the reader’s personality so that by the end you didn’t care if there were 30 more pages yet to go as the final threads of the convoluted narrative finally unravelled.

This book (maybe all Dan Brown books) should come with a mental health warning: At no point in the reading of this book was the reader in danger of thinking.

An ultimately vacuous exercise in Franchise Management D.B. even sneaked in an early reference to the following Professor Langdon mystery The DaVinci Code. Enough already!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually prefered Angels and Demons over The DaVinci Code.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science tells me God must exist. My mind tells me I will never understand God. And my heart tells me I am not meant to.


The first time I read Angels and Demons was 4 years ago, and it completely blew me away. This was my fourth time reading it, and it still is one of my favorite books of all time, and I'm sure it will always remain on that position.

In this review, I won't go into the plot, since I think that everyone has either read it, seen the movie, or just heard of what it's about. I will stick to my feelings about this book, and why it has impacted my life this much.

Firstly, the character of Robert Langdon will always be (at least in my opinion) one of the best characters ever created. And Brown's writing style goes perfectly with his character. He is a kind of a professor I would give anything to at least attend one of his lectures. I like his way of thinking, and he knows how to perfectly describe a place or a building, so that you would love to visit and explore every single one of them.

And when it comes to the book as a whole, it impacted my beliefs quite a bit. I remember when I first read it, and how it changed my viewpoints on religion, science, Church, and even God as well. Not necessarily in a good or a bad way, it just opened my mind, and ever since then I have tried to not have a closed mind when it comes to both religion and science. They are not the opposite things, and just like Brown said in this book:

'Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand.'

And to conclude, I get who so many people dislike or even hate Dan Brown's books, but he was one of those writers who got me into reading. Until now, not a single one of his books disappointed me (and I've read every single one of them) and I'm pretty sure none of them, yet to be written, will.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gech.

[Atlas · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was one of the best novels I`ve ever read
Here is one of the most few fact I believe in...
There`s a very tiny thin hair between every thing and it`s opposite...good & evil...dark & light...matter & antimatter..
Now...dose the scinetist have the right to creat whatever the hell he wanna creat just because he found out that he really CAN creat it?...YES...but how many leiutis that have been created along the way since the very beginning of the human history and was used the our own destruction?...
Another fact we need to face...This is a cruel world we live in...And the human is a bloody cruel creature...
The truth is...We need religion...Some control...Something to make us stop and think for a moment...To ask ourselves...Am I doing the right thing?...What I`m about to creat...Is it really gonna help the people?...Or it`s simply gonna make life a litte more harder?...As if it wasn`t hard enough already :)

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code" as a trashy good time, but then read this one and just couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Not only was it silly and formulaic, it made the silly formula underlying "The Da Vinci Code" all too clear. Really? Another middle-aged yet strangely attractive/brilliant male protagonist -- oh wait, the same one from the other book? Another grisly murder of an old dude kicking things off? Another hot foreign chick, related to the dead dude, helping solve the mystery? Another secret society intertwined with the Vatican? Really? Really? I can enjoy a trashy book, sure, but not when you're rubbing my nose in the stink...

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excerpt from my review of Inferno, which I read before Angels and Demons - With this glowing rating for Inferno, I seal my place among the cheap thrill seeking, easy going, instant gratification demanding readers. I welcome that the other Robert Langdon books follow the same tired schema.

Now then, it felt to me that most of the book was not living to this sugary craving of pulp literature. This brought me back to earth, when I was once airborne. However the book picked up for a fiery, flowery third act. By the end I was sweating bullets. But the book is one of the best big books to sustain the ideas and keep providing mini theatricals. It's a wonder how the writer could assimilate all these research and documentation and merge it in a thriller of a bestseller. For that alone I applaud Dan Brown.

[مشاري العبيد · Rating 5 out of 5]

أفضل ما كتب دان براون من وجهة نظري الشخصية .. تجربة سينمائية فريدة على الورق ..
و تفوق إثارة كلماتها مشاهدَ الفيلم الذي تم انتاجه في 2009 ..
يُرجى ربط الأحزمة فور قراءتك الصفحة الأولى منها .. و تمتع بـ رحلة "تاريخية - مليئة بـ الرموز"..

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of CERN's top physicists has been murdered. His chest was branded with an ambigram of the word "Illuminati." This is the name and symbol of a supposedly extinct ancient anti-religious organization. Professor Robert Langdon, an expert on symbology and religious history, is brought in to help with the investigation. And when they realize that a canister of antimatter has been stolen from the physicist’s lab, the race is on. Professor Robert Langdon has 24 hours to find the truth and the canister. Because the canister will explode after the battery runs out.

Meanwhile, the college of cardinals assembles to elect a new pope. And all roads of Langdon’s investigation lead to Rome.


It’s an interesting science Vs religion theme that lurks beneath the surface of this treasure hunt thriller. And I appreciate the characters of Vittoria Vetra and her father who try to bridge the gap between the two, as they firmly believe that the two are not mutually exclusive.


Thanks to my friend Rosh for recommending me to read this book. I already watched and liked the Tom Hanks movie. But I have to agree with her by saying the original book does it just a little bit better. Mostly because it’s a bit more detailed. It’s a fun fast-paced thriller with some interesting science and history anecdotes woven into the plot. It’s sometimes a bit too over the top but, it does make for a very entertaining treasure hunt for the ages.

[Suzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read that makes you ask yourself so many questions. I am not one to comment on religion or anything so no worries, there will be no rants! I have not seen the movie based on this book yet but seen it is free on demand so will probably check it out tonight or tomorrow. I will continue the series, but I believe I have read a couple of these books already awhile back but now want to read in order.

[Ninoska Goris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta historia es cronológicamente anterior a la de El código Da Vinci.

Todo comienza cuando convocan a Robert Landon para decifrar algunos códigos dejados en el cuerpo de un científico muerto. Esto ligará a la iglesia contra la ciencia en una legendaria historia de odio.

Y el origen de todo es totalmente inimaginable.

La película no es tan buena adaptación como la anterior y se pierde totalmente el motivo del origen de toda la historia.