Rating: 
Summary: Great! Could not put it down!
Review: Wow. That was all I could say about this novel. I orginally had planned to read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown; unexpectedly I found this book, and came to realize that it was the predecessor to The Da Vinci Code.
I instantly sat down and dove into this book and simply could not put it down! The further I read in this novel, the more captivated by it I became. Dan Brown manages to create twists at almost every point. Though some parts of the novel slightly confusing, overall the novel was well written, and clear. I would suggest this to anyone who likes mysteries linked with accurate historical information.
Rating: 
Summary: Twice that of the Da Vinci Code
Review: "The Da Vinci Code" was VERY good, but seems boring compared to "Angels and Demons." I was skeptical of Dan Brown as a writer after reading "Digital Fortress" which seemed simplistic by comparison prior to reading "Angels and Demons.""Angels and Demons" however, solidifies Dan Brown's place as a strong up and comer in New Fiction. Great plot about a made up conspiracy to overthrow the Catholic Church that brilliantly blurs the lines between religion and science. All the classic elements of a great story are rolled up into a neat pile-driving plot that doesn't let up until the very end. Different than DVC, this time Dan Brown gets the reader with a stellar climax about that involves on of the main characters in the book! Hats off, stellar effort, stellar achievement!
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat enjoyable, but superficial and racist
Review: I agree with most of the reviewers that this book is quick and often enjoyable read. It's not often that you come across a book that is bold enough to include informations on Renaissance art, history of the papacy and quantum physics. It was fun following the protagonist, Robert Langdon, around while he painstakingly sifted through clues to track down a deadly killer. That being said, I have to say Mr. Brown's books are a one-trick pony. I have previously read his "Digital Fortress". which has an interesting setup and plenty of plot twists. Two pages into "Angels and Demons", I already saw the same type of protoganist from "Digital Fortress". Even their physiques and ways of griping were almost identical! The interactions between characters were more for the sake of the plot than for genuine emotional or intellectual exchange. When Mr. Brown wanted to hammer in a point about science, religion or philosophy, he will have one of the characters fall into a multi-page solilooquy, regardless of whether it was an appropriate time or place for lengthy pondering (such as, only forty minutes before the megabomb explodes). In addition, I was disturbed by the two-dimensional stereotypes in which he casted his characters: the heartless and tunnel-visioned academic, the clueless clerics, the sadistic, misogynistic and racist villain whose personality and ethnic background could have been lifted straight up from a racial profiling program of the present government. Also the supposed romance of Vittoria and Robert was developed in a little less than 24 hours. By the end of the day, they were already ready to jump into bed together, despite the fact that one of them had gone through an extreme tragedy the day before and both of them had barely survived from murder attempts. Are these the same highly educated, extremely intelligent and sensible characters that we saw in the book? Writing in such shallow characters not only cheapens the novel, but also insults the intelligence of the reader (more on that later). I won't repeat other errors in the book which have been identified by other reviewers, but I want to talk about Mr. Brown's view on some of the art pieces in the book. He repeatedly called "The Ecstacy of St. Teresa" by Bernini as pornograph, which is both blase and untrue. This sculpture has been long considered one of the best and most beautiful works of the Baroque period. Containing erotic undertone, yes. Religious ecstacy, yes. But pornograph?? If somebody has to explain to him the difference between pornograph and something slightly erotic (not even really qualifying for erotica), Mr. Brown either is deliberately intending to insult, or does not know enough about art to talk about it. All in all, I would recommend that you borrow the book or buy the paperback. Hardback is definitely not worth it.
Rating:
Summary: A Riveting Suspense Thriller
Review: Angles and Demons is one of the most breathless novels I have ever read. The author, Dan Brown keeps the reader glued to the book all the way to the end with its fast-paced religion, romance, science, murder, art and action packed plot. Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss Research Facility lab to analyze a cryptic symbol burned into the chest of physicist Leonardo Vetra. Together, Langdon and Vetra's daughter Vittoria Vetra set out to save the city of Rome from the newest most powerful weapon of mass destruction ever created. From the symbol seared into the chest of the murdered physicist, Langdon discovers an unthinkable vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries old underground cult- The Illuminati. Langdon and Vittoria would have never thought they would be on the trail of a cold-blooded killer through sealed crypts, ancient cathedrals, and the secretive Illuminati lair.
Rating:
Summary: a ripping yarn
Review: This is a great page turner but do not expect great literature. The plot involves an ancient cult, a futuristic science research center and the rituals of the Vatican. There is even a little romance thrown in, but it is very restrained (no bodice ripping here). Suspend your disbelief and you will enjoy this tale in short order. Perfect summer reading. I will probably read the Da Vinci Code based on this showing.
Rating:
Summary: A Delicious Book
Review: What I like about Dan Brown is the way shows you around. In Da Vinci Code it was Paris, and D&A it's Paris. Brown also educates the reader about art and even inspires to love art as the reader follows clue after clue. D&A is formulaic in that Da Vinci follows, but it is a successful formula. Brown, like Michael Crichton, doesn't fall short of educating the reader while telling a story. D&A gives you a peek of places almost to the point that you get the feeling you're reading something you're not supposed to, such as being inside the secret laboratories of the CERN, or the secret corridors of the St. Peter's Basilica. D&A is a fun book to read.
Rating:
Summary: Fast moving from cover to cover
Review: A great story with fast paced action and twists and turns to keep you guessing. I truly enjoyed this book.
Rating:
Summary: That's great fiction, baby
Review: Dan Brown proves that Fomenko is dead on target with his "History: Fiction or Science?".
Rating:
Summary: Religion & Science Collide in a Kaleidoscopic Novel
Review: Dan Brown may very well have invented a new category of fiction ... 'the occult society murder mystery'. If it already existed, then he blasted himself to the #1 spot on the New York Times best seller list in this genre, not once but twice, first with "The Da Vinci Code" and now, with "Angels and Demons". This is one non-stop, page turning book I could not put down. In fact, it took me exactly 3 1/2 - 4 hours to finish. What a whirlwind of a novel! It has one of the most unusual, unexpected endings I have ever read. It is replete with so many curves, twists, turns, and events in the last chapter that it is mind-blowing ... yet believable. The author manages to interweave two seemingly disparate topics, religion and science, into a meaningful whole -- hitting some raw nerves for readers unfamiliar with current research in subatomic physics. Physicists have arrived at a point where many of the descriptions of subatomic particles sound exactly like religious or zen-like statements. Dan Brown proves to be a genius at combining ideas and concepts from modern scientific research, current political events, and religion to create a novel jam-packed with intrigue, puzzles, and mystery. He unravels the unique tapestry of his novel, one colorful thread after another, teasing the brain and emotions of the reader. The unsuspecting reader reaches speeds approaching mach 1 ... with sudden drops ... narrow, steep climbs and hair-pin curves ... on this thunderous roller coaster ride of a book. The main characters are, Robert Langdon, a world-reknown religous symbologist and Harvard professor, Maximillian Kohler, a research scientist and Director of CERN, one of the world's largest scientific research facilities located in Switzerland, Vittoria Vetra, a research biologist and daughter of the recently murdered, Dr. Leonardo Vetra, research physicist and Catholic priest. There is an unknown Assassin, whom we eventually learn is of Arabic extraction, the Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca, who was the chamberlain to the recently deceased Pope, several Swiss security guards for the Vatican, and two BBC reporters. It begins at 5:18AM, when Robert Langdon receives a phone call from an unknown party who needs to speak to him uregntly on a matter of great importance. He dismisses it as a prank call, attributing it to the notoriety he received in the press due to his research on occult symbology. It attracts a lot of kooks. While he is drinking his morning Nestle Quik cocoa ... his fax machine rings and he receives a photo of a body with the word "Illuminati" is emblazoned on the chest. As he rotates the fax in his hand, he discovers an ambigram, it is readable, frontwards or upside-down and backwards ... simultaneously, the phone rings and he is drawn into the web of intrigue at the CERN. The Director summons him to a research facility in Swizterland, where the victim, had done the unthinkable ... he created one of the most powerful sources of energy in the world: antimatter. Someone in the Illuminati has learned of this discovery and had stolen the specimen. The specimen was moved to an undisclosed, mysterious location in Rome, during the time when the election of the next Pope was taking place. Four cardinals, the top candidates for the election, are missing. A phone call reveals that each cardinal will be murdered, the clues are a riddle filled with Illuminati symbolology. Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra chase down the clues in an attempt to prevent the murders, but are too late each time. They eventually decipher the clues within the secret vaults of the the Vatican library. They chase the Assassin through a section of Rome where the Pantheon and several churches are located that contain Illuminati symbols. They go across the Bridge of Angels to the Castel Sant Angelo. Just when a hand-to-hand combat, fight to the finish between Robert Langdon and the Assassin is occurring ... more intrigue and mysteries are being concealed and revealed within the religous realm. The whole world is glued to the TV set as a miracle is witnessed ... the faith of many Catholics is restored ... to discover why ... you must read the book. Erika Borsos (erikab93)
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put the book down!
Review: I read this book after the Da Vinci Code thinking it wouldn't compare. I read the book in two days and could not put it down! Page after page kept you interested and on the edge of your seat. Set in Rome and Vatican City, you learn about the secrets of the past in the fight between science and religion and how both have tried to eliminate one another from existence. Just when you think you've got it figured out Brown throws you through an exciting loop! It really gets your brain ticking. A must-read for sure.
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