Rating: 
Summary: And I didn't even know the pope *had* a kitchen sink...
Review: Rather than shell out goodbucks for DaVinci Code, I decided to sample Mr. Brown in softcover first. Now I can understand, more or less, why "Code" has taken the bestseller list by storm. If it's like "Angels & Demons", it isn't worth the adulation it's received, but it's pure fun to read. A beautifully paced thriller, with so many things going on (all but the kitchen sink: multiple secrete societies, geometric and alphabetic and architectural conundrums, particle physics and Renaissance history, secret tunnels and public corpses, all with a papal election and - hmm, is that a cherry on top?) that your head will be turning faster than the pages. That Brown keeps all these dancers twirling on the same stage without losing the beat bespeaks an impressive skill.Plus, enough of the subthemes (that architecture, those quickie physics lessons in the CERN basement) have a tincture of the intellectual about them to add considerable snob appeal to the mix. Brown doesn't quite get the physics right, which makes me wonder how far to trust some of his other intellectually dazzling bits. But I sure *felt* smarter reading about them! And why complain, so long as us customers leave feeling satisfied? I also got irritated every now and then by whiffs, sometimes more and sometimes less gentle, of anti-Catholicism. But then, I'm a Protestant; I'd guess most Catholics would be used to this sort of thing and take it in stride; and it certainly didn't add up to outright hostility. Conclusion: I will read DaVinci Code, but I'm more than content to wait for the paperback. So take it to the beach, by all means. And be prepared to stay up so late you miss your morning swim the next day. Just don't expect anything like a religious experience out of it.
Rating: 
Summary: filth
Review: my friend's trash roommate and her hick boyfriend like this book...enough said. this is a poor man's stephen king or nelson demille novel. most of the book has no plot, and when there is, its stupid and unbelievable. if this book had a soundtrack, it would be the polyphonic spree. you really feel stupid after reading this, for 2 reasons. 1-the plot kills brain cells and 2-you think of the money you wasted down the Stop n Shop book aisle (because thats the only place that will sell this!!!) if you are still interested, just wait for the public access movie version of this terrible piece of "literature"
Rating: 
Summary: Travelling to Rome?
Review: ...then you've got to read this book. I just spent 4 days in Rome after having read this book recently. It added so much to my trip to find and examine all the particular places he discussed: churches, fountains, plazas, and a castle. But don't read this book if you have other obligations at hand. I finished it in a 6-hour marathon from 9pm to 3am.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy beginning.
Review: I, like most people I've talked to, began with "The Da Vinci Code" before reading "Angels and Demons." Both are beyond much of what I've read before, however, "Da Vinci" is the better of the two. "Da Vinci" just felt much more polished. You could feel the convidence of mr. brown as he drove you through the Louve, the swiss bank, and the opus dei building. The plot was much more intriguing and I felt I learned more from the effort than from "Angels." ...But I must stop, because "Angels" is a heck of a good book as well. The book reads like a dream, you seriously cannot put it down as you follow the characters through the catacombs, the partheon, the sistine chapel, and the illuminati headquarters, among others. You learn of the secrets of the ancient Illuminati and what they could possibly have against the Catholic Church. Why they feel it is time to reveal a secret that could ruin its rich history forever, which, brings me to my next point. Why am I such a follower of these books? I am a Christian and disagreed with mr. brown's viewpoints in "Angels" and especially in "da vinci code," and yet I found myself awake at 2 or 3 in the morning, scurrying to find out what happens next. I think it must be the capturing quality that mr. brown imposes on the reader, where he traps you with an intriguing plot and just slowly, but surely, reels you in. His stories are unlike any other because they are about real societies, real brotherhoods, and their real problems with other people of common belief. It is these hatreds he builds on, and researches on, until finally he scribes a marvelous read for the curious to encounter. So join the party, I have a feeling America will want him to stick around for quite some time.
Rating:
Summary: Bridges the Gap
Review: Not necessarily between angels and demons, but this book and Brown's The Da Vinci Code both effectively bridge the gap between readers of fiction and readers of non-fiction. This is not an easy task. My suspense thriller, EVIL, BE GONE (also available on Amazon.com) has been paired with a couple of Dan Brown's books on this site and although lovers of fiction have gobbled it up, I haven't been able to convince my closest friends who are exclusively non-fiction readers to even pick it up. On the other hand, Dan Brown puts so much historical fact in his novels that even the most die-hard non-fiction readers can enjoy them without feeling guilty. As an author, he demonstrates an incredible commitment to thorough research. I applaud him and I will keep reading his books. You should, too! Robert John Estko (Author of the suspense thriller, EVIL, BE GONE)
Rating:
Summary: Great page-turning read...
Review: I actually picked this up because I couldn't yet get my hands on "The DaVinci Code," and decided to read them in order. (Having started the latter now, I do actually recommend reading them in order as there seem to be a few allusions to the former.) Yes, there are bombastic pontificating soliloquies on the intersections of science and religion, but they were well-written and I appreciated them as thought-provoking and character-developing at the same time. The descriptions of Rome and of major works of art were beautiful, and the use of symbols and (for the most part) historical fact left me in awe of how much research the author must have done, not to mention how much information he crafted coherently into just over 500 pages. So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Because it all tied up too neatly in the end. It all felt so original until about 45 pages from the end... and then it all tied up, in the way I had originally thought it might when I was 50 pages into it. But still, it was engrossing and completely enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Impossible
Review: It reminded me of Jurassic Park. Ok to read to pass the time when nothing else was around during a snow storm.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Thriller / Vatican and Rome Thriller
Review: If you read "The Da Vinci Code", you'll find this book very similar. Both books feature the Harvard symbologist Richard Langdon. But take "The Da Vinci Code", and replace Paris with Rome, the Louvre with the Vatican, the beautiful sidekick Sofie with the beautiful sidekick Vittoria, Da Vinci with Galileo, the Priory of Sion with the Illuminati, a murdered grandfather with a murdered adopted father, genius on crutches with genius in a wheelchair, lone crazed albino monk wreaking terror while working for an unknown leader with lone crazed "Hassassin" wreaking terror while working for an unknown leader, and secret ancient codes in artwork with secret ancient codes in stone sculptures, and ... .. voila, you have "Angels and Demons". (Technically, it's the other way around - this book was written before "The Da Vinci Code".) But I have to say - in spite of the identical formula, I still - even though I had JUST read Da Vinci Code - I STILL found myself being surprised by this book. I really got into this book more than Da Vinci Code. It's good. The descriptions of the Vatican are fascinating all by themselves. In fact, while I really was interested in "The Da Vinci Code", this book - "Angels and Demons" - leaves me wanting to visit Rome and see all the places mentioned in this book. Excellent reading, very interesting and engaging, and just when you think you've figured it out it surprises you. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Thumbs Up Ten Star Thriller
Review: Harvard professor Robert Langdon, an expert in symbology, is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol burned into the chest of murdered physicist, Leonardo Vetra and he discovers the work of the Illuminati, the most powerful underground organization in the history of the world. Since the time of Galileo, they have promoted science as opposed to blind devotion to the Church. Now it looks like they may finally have come out of hiding. Shortly before his death, Vetra used a particle accelerator in an attempt to reproduce Genesis and created matter from nothing by colliding energy beams at extremely high speeds, proving that matter can be created, thus explaining both the Big Bang and Genesis. However, Vetra's research has created a deadly byproduct, highly explosive antimatter, which was captured by his lab partner and daughter, Vittoria, and suspended in canisters with magnetic fields. One of the canisters has been stolen by Vetra's murderer and when its battery pack runs on in twenty-four hours, the canister's antimatter will come into contact with matter and explode, destroying an area about the size of a small city. And guess what, a mysterious canister has been seen inside Vatican City, where the College of Cardinals is convening to elect a new Pope. It seems only Langdon's knowledge of Illuminati propaganda can save the church and Langdon and Vittoria race around Rome on a desperate hunt through crypts, catacombs and cathedrals, following a four hundred-year-old trail of ancient symbols that leads them toward the Illuminati. All right, so maybe the book deviates a bit from historical fact. But it is fiction, after all. And darn good fiction at that. There is a reason why Mr. Brown has so many bestselling books in your local bookstore, several reasons as a matter of fact and ANGELS & DEMONS is only one of them. Mr. Brown gives us terrific people, terrific description and terrific thrills in this book that I found impossible to put down. Haley Lawford, S/V Cheerleader Too
Rating:
Summary: Look Out Below!
Review: This novel is quite a good read. Unlike what some have said, it isn't anti-Catholic. If anything I was surprised by how positive it treated the church based on my previous reading of The DaVinci Code. One issue is how similar the flow of the story is to the previously mentioned work. I found myself making comparisons all along the way. Da Vinci is definitely a better novel. I really have to wonder about gravity after reading this novel...and that's all I'll say about that. Overall, a good read but don't do like I did and read it right after reading Da Vinci Code or you'll have too much déjà vu.
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