Rating: 
Summary: Not as interesting as Da Vinci Code
Review: I read The Da Vinci Code first and loved it so I thought that this one would be as good. It is only exciting in the middle fifth of the book. The beginning drags on and on with too much "set up" before the action starts. The ending is completely impossible and then, after the climax of the plot, it rambles on and on for about 50 more pages. It was disappointingly boring.
Rating: 
Summary: Angelic & Devilish!
Review: I really, really enjoyed this book very much. I am not a very easy person to impress and frankly I hardly read any fiction these days...especially mass market fiction. More often than not I just end up throwing it down a quarter of the way into it because it's either boring or predictable (this includes Deception Point also written by Dan Brown).If this book had not been on sale I probably would not have touched it. But I am glad that I did. I found Angels and Demons to be a compelling read and very hard to put down. In fact I loved it so much that I bought several copies and have added it to my list of all time favorite books. It was straightforward and intelligently written without being pretentious or verbose. It's obvious that Dan Brown likes the written word. But unlike other authors I did not feel that I was reading a pretentious tome where the author was trying to show off to the reader, his knowledge or how many degree s/he had. It could have easily been made into a 1000 page plus door stopper with useless material that did not add anything to the story. But to Dan Brown's credit he just stuck with what was necessary. There was nothing superfluous in this book. But at the same time it was very intelligent. It was well paced, and things went smoothly from point to point. Idea to idea. You sort of get the idea of that the book was written with a TV or big screen movie in mind. Right down to where the heroine (beautiful of course) spends virtually the entire book outfitted in shorts and a tank top. I found the protagonist Robert Langdon to be quite well written and interesting. It was nice to see an "intellectual" hero who wasn't quite the hopeless nebbish nerd. More to the point he was quite likable. And unlike Corso in the Club Dumas, I wasn't made to believe that this a man like that would really have a beautiful woman throw herself at him. I also liked the heroine Vittoria. For once it was nice to read a story about a man and a woman working together without having it turn into a Harlequin like romance or a sexual escapade. I liked the way Langdon's and Vittoria's worked together without the overt sexual shenanigans. One of the things that surprised me was Browns treatment of the Church...or to be more precise Christianity. Unlike many of his contemporaries Brown did not use his book as an opportunity to take pot shots at Christians or the Church or ridicule it. In fact several portions of the book show what a boon the Christian faith has had on the characters lives. It was as if Brown was showing that one could both be a person of faith and a person of science. The scientists and their mean narrow minded condemnation of faith came off worse of all in this book. Especially in one instance where a group of scientists rejoice when a cardinal is murdered. I also liked the construction of the Illuminati...considering the modern times we live in, the attack on people of faith I had to wonder if they really do exist. Unlike some other reviewers I saw nothing against the "Church". If it was against anything it was against the strict adherence to tradition and legalism. As a Protestant I already know that Christianity is about having a personal relationship with God. Not a stone building and rituals. Finally to address the negative reviews. I found most of the negative reviews towards this book to be rather specious and petty if not a trifle arrogant. I find it hard to take seriously reviews by people who question the intelligence of others or accuse others of not "having read much" because they enjoyed a book less than a bit credible to say the least. I love reading the classics as much as the next person. And I still think that Angels and Demons is a wonderful book. I will concede that the end was remarkably over the top. It was as if Dan Brown had this great idea for a book but he was not certain how he should end it. And yes the end did stretch ones level of credulity. The action scenes appeared to go on for a bit too long. But since most of the book was such a page turner I am willing to forgive him for that. In fact I This book is for people who like a well paced, intelligent story and recognize if for what it is. A good yarn. Dan Brown has managed to make me do something I haven't done in years. Read a mass market fiction book from cover to cover in no time flat!!
Rating: 
Summary: Brown takes on the Church and Science simultaneously.
Review: I must admit that picking up ANGELS AND DEMONS after reading THE DA VINCI CODE presented Dan Brown with the unenviable task of great expectations for this reviewer. While DA VINCI still garners disparate reviews, it is a very well told story. In any event, with the bar set so high, A&D had a veritable mountain to climb. While plausibility comes into serious play at the book's climax, the storyline and style crescendos were fabulous...this seems to be a quality Dan Brown enjoys to his benefit. For those who have read these books in reverse order (like me), the reader is reintroduced to Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist and hero of DA VINCI. The shrill ring of his telephone awakens Langdon in the wee hours of the morning only to be slapped with what Langdon feels is a prank call. As he has his morning tea, he receives a fax with a symbol; a symbol that chills his blood and makes him realize the earlier phone call was anything but a prank. A little known albeit preeminent physicist, Leonardo Vetra, is on a laser-focused mission to bridge the omnipresent chasm between science and religion. As a senior resident physicist at Switzerland's renowned Consiel European pour la Recherché Nucleaire (CERN), Vetra, also a closeted Catholic priest, has discovered how to produce antimatter, considered the most powerful element known to man (think of Star Trek). However, before he has completed his investigation and research into its appropriate use, Vetra is found murdered in his own apartment on the CERN campus. CERN's emotionless director, Max Kohler, has called on Langdon as Vetra's body has been mutilated and branded, branded with the ancient and esoteric symbol of the Illuminati. As Langdon attempts to piece together this bizarre and macabre scene, he meets Vetra's daughter, Vittoria, also a CERN scientist. Vittoria, grief-stricken yet determined to find her father's killer, informs Langdon and Kohler of the antimatter experiments only to find that a larger container of antimatter is missing. The killer has somehow gained entrance into the bowels of CERN in the super secure facility where the Vetras were performing their antimatter experiments. The killer, ostensibly a member of the Illuminati, has left a message claiming that he deposited the antimatter somewhere within Vatican City, where the cardinals have gathered to select a new pope to replace the recently deceased pope. Vittoria explains that the stolen sample will not only eradicate all of Vatican City but a great portion of Rome itself! Langdon and Vittoria make their way to Rome in an effort to divine their way to the killer, recover the antimatter, and save a great part of the Catholic priesthood. While A&D has a heady plot, Brown provides well-described explanations of the symbology, science, and religious overtones. Short of being a religious scholar, it is difficult for the layperson to discern fact from fiction however, Brown provides credible detail leading the reader to believe the veracity of the presented "facts." As with DA VINCI, Brown weaves "fact" and fiction in a wonderful blend designed to thrill and shock. Brown then develops further credibility by describing and, at the beginning of the book, mapping, much of the historical detail. For instance, the protocol, practice, and history involved in the selecting a new pope is explained in painful yet readable detail. And, to ensure the dark side receives its due, Brown details the somewhat nefarious brotherhood of the Illuminati. While certain visuals in the climax left me somewhat dubious, Brown has crafted yet another powerful yet controversial novel sure to whet the appetites of many. A very good read and certainly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: LUVED IT!!!!!!
Review: I read the Da vinci code and had no choice but to read Angels and Deamons. and guess what, i loved it. I'm only thirteen, but i read like any adult, and this is one of the greatest books of all time. i would steer you away from this author if your christian though. lucky for me, i'm not, so i wasn't at all offended by these books, and could simply enjoy them!!!
Rating:
Summary: Quicky Read
Review: I read The Da Vinci Code before reading this, which is good because if I had read this first, I would not have been as eager to read TDVC. TDVC was a better attempt at the plot and storyline. Angels and Demons kind of fizzles out towards the end. It seemed that it took almost 150 pages to end the final 2 hours of the story. The ending is what did it for me. Very disappointing and it becomes obvious that the author was having a hard time ending it and finding a place to stop. TDVC is much better and that is why I think I didn't like this story as much, so I gave it 4 stars. It was entertaining, but disappointing. Had I not read TDVC first, I may feel differently.
Rating: 
Summary: blech
Review: So much has been said about Dan Brown's books it seems futile to contribute but for this one I had to: IT AIN'T WORTH IT. I bought this at the airport thinking that, like Da Vinci Code, it would be good company on the plane. My money would have been spent more wisely on Jackie Collins. Even the moderately entertaining scavenger hunt through Rome doesn't compensate for the heavy-handed and boring dogma, the unidimensional characters and overblown sentimentality (that's right, I said Jackie would have been better). The writing lacks whatever charm and big screen drama The Da Vinci Code possesses.
Rating:
Summary: Quick and interesting
Review: A&D is a quick read that grabs you at the beginning and largely holds on for almost 600 pages. For all the pseudo-intellectuals posturing that the book is rife with mistakes - get over it, its fiction (and what are you doing reading best sellers anyway - isn't there some dusty text book in need of your attention?) Yes the plot is over the top. Yes the events could not happen in the allotted time. Yes there are predictable elements. And yes there are probably even mistakes (although I wasn't as aghast about the misuse of a latin word as others). All in all, its still pretty fun and compelling and I'll even admit to having learned a couple of things. I rate as 4 stars b/c I still think the DVC is better. But I'd gladly read this over most other works of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Silly but highly entertaining
Review: This is ingenious marketing by the publisher of the phenomenally successful THE DAVINCI CODE. Simon and Schuster decided to re-release all of Dan Brown's previous novels in both paperback and hardcover. ANGEL AND DEMONS, the book that introduced Robert Langdon, Harvard symbologist and hero of DAVINCI, has hit the upper reaches of the New York Times Bestseller List in both hardback and paperback at the same time. The public obviously hungers for more of this character and the intricate religion based thrillers.
At CERN, a Swiss research lab, a scientist is found dead with the word 'illuminati' branded on his chest. This refers to an ancient and secret scientific organization banned by the Catholic Church. Missing from the lab is a small amount of newly discovered antimatter. Enough, however, to destroy a small city. Robert Langdon is brought in to help investigate because he is a world expert on the Illuminati. With the help of Vittoria Vetra, daughter of the deceased scientist, Langdon investigates the murder. Their paths take them directly to Vatican City where the Illuminati threaten to kill five cardinals just as a pope is being elected. After killing the cardinals, The Illuminati will unleash the antimatter inside the Vatican thereby destroying the center of the Catholic faith. Can they be stopped?
ANGELS AND DEMONS is a fun and furiously fast read. The elements that proved so successful in THE DAVINCI CODE are all present in this earlier work. THE DAVINCI CODE's success is probably rooted in the hidden aspects of the life of Jesus. After all, the recent movie, THE PASSION, proves unequivocally that Jesus sells. ANGELS AND DEMONS does not have quite the same powerful premise. In this book we deal with the dichotomy of science vs. Religion in explaining the origins of the universe. A character in this book sets out a logical and provocative argument that both science and religion can exist side by side. As in DAVINCI, the pacing is relentless almost from page one. Villains are larger than life as are the heroes that must save mankind reminiscent of any good thriller. However, the action and the logic that propel the action are so farfetched that the book is downright silly but also highly entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Similar fast-paced plot as Davinci Code: a quick, light read
Review: As you may have seen with previous reviews, the plot leaves something to be desired. However, if you can look past some of the more untenable issues in the book (I will let you determine what those are), the book has a very quick, action-packed story line. As a matter of fact, it all takes place within the span of a day! Many of the characters lacked the proper background to make them more realistic/believable. Yet despite these problems, I enjoyed reading the book. Hopefully Brown can come up with a new formula for his next book, because I think the religious conspiracy issue has been done for now...
Rating:
Summary: Darned Good
Review: I loved the read! The characters were real, the dialog believable, and the story kept me up several nights. I'd recommend it highly! Raymond Austin
Television director of The Saint, The Avengers, Hawaii Five-O, Hart to Hart, Vegas, Quincy, Magnum, P.I., AirWolf, Spencer: For Hire, JAG and many others. And the author of, "The Eagle Heist" and "Dead Again" from the Beauford Sloan Mystery series.
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