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It takes guts to write a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, a papal conclave, mysterious ambigrams, a plot against the Vatican, a mad scientist in a wheelchair, particles of antimatter, jets that can travel 15,000 miles per hour, crafty assassins, a beautiful Italian physicist, and a Harvard professor of religious iconology. It takes talent to make that novel anything but ridiculous. Kudos to Dan Brown (Digital Fortress) for achieving the nearly impossible. Angels & Demons is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller--think Katherine Neville's The Eight (but cleverer) or Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum (but more accessible).
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and
Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches, and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization.
Brown seems as much juggler as author--there are lots and lots of balls in the air in this novel, yet Brown manages to hurl the reader headlong into an almost surreal suspension of disbelief. While the reader might wish for a little more sardonic humor from Langdon, and a little less bombastic philosophizing on the eternal conflict between religion and science, these are less fatal flaws than niggling annoyances--readers should have no trouble skimming past them and immersing themselves in a heck of a good read. "Brain candy" it may be, but my! It's tasty.
Average Customer Rating:
A true barnburner!
Next to Britt Gillette's "Conquest of Paradise", this is the best book I've read in a long time. I'm a first time Dan Brown reader but I'm hooked! I stayed up all night and didn't quit until I finished, blurry eyed and sleepy. I found myself believing every word and had to stop and remember that it's just fiction! I was amazed at the inside information about the Vatican (especially the library), and I finally got out a map and books from my trip to Rome to see if I could find all the churches. Anti-matter, illuminati, choosing a pope - all of it was fascinating. When I finished, I had to laugh thinking about the fact they never ate, slept or made comfort stops and neither could I. The ending was a total surprise! Anyone who enjoys non-stop action and information shouldn't miss this one.
Moderately entertaining, but utter trash.
This is not the sort of thing you read and keep proudly on your bookshelf, perhaps with the intention of going back to it again and again. Working in the vein of Umberto Eco's masterful (but flawed) "Foucault's Pendulum," Dan Brown spins a Ludlumesque thriller centered on a centuries-old secret society, the Illuminati, and their use of a brand-new science-fictional technology stolen from a European institute to attempt to destroy their nemesis, the Vatican. To say that the premise is a bit daft would be obvious; to note that the prose is barely literate would be superfluous (I doubt anyone is buying this expecting a brilliant command of the language). This is complete crap, and after a quick and frustrating scan of this book you can be sure that I now will _not_ be picking up Brown's latest in this series, "The Da Vinci Code," despite all the good press it's gotten.
But even if you approach this book on its own abysmal level, you will find a lot wrong with it. The treatment of science, of scientists and of scientific institutes is perhaps a step above your average James Bond flick, but not a large one. And the philosophical argument underlying the science fiction here--the creation of matter as a way of rationally supporting the existence of God--is laughably poor (no halfway intelligent Christian or atheist would be challenged by the fictional breakthrough described here).
To get some idea of where this novel is coming from, take the first few chapters, in which Harvard "symbologist" Robert Langdon is faxed a photo of a corpse with an oddly symmetrical brand burned into its chest (said brand, naturally, consists of the word "Illuminati," but in a form that reads the same when turned upside-down). We read that the symbol makes Langdon's heart pound, makes him feel as if he's been hit by a truck, makes him tremble, etc. For god's sake, why? It's just a symbol, and supposedly one he's never seen before, only heard of. Why does it not occur to him that _anyone_ could have fabricated a seal reading "Illuminati" in two directions? I mean, they made it up for this book, right?
Brown is enough of a professional to move his narrative along brisquely, and to sprinkle each chapter with enough forewarnings of what is to come, and enough cliffhangers, to keep the average reader going. But it's all artifice over a hollow core--the characters are cardboard cutouts from a Ludlum novel; no one behaves in any fashion that might resemble a normal human being; and it is quite clear that while Brown researched enough to bluster his way through a superficial discussion, he really doesn't know anything about either science or religion. Only worth your time if this sort of dreck is what you really like to read.
Buy this book, you will love it.
I had to laugh at the few low ratings by raving zealots. If you are a person, that has always asked "too many questions," this book is for you! Whether you are a Philosopher, Theologian, or Agnostic, this book is a welcome addition to your fiction collection. This book makes you think, so Fun-dam-entalists should probably skip this one. Right or Wrong, this book will get your wheels turning...which is all that really matters, right?
As a voracious reader, I have read the best. "Angels and Demons" is a heart-stopping thriller that keeps you turning pages until you arrive exhausted at the end. You're truly "in on the chase." Improbable as it seems, Dan Brown has combined nuclear physics and antimatter with Renaissance art, old Rome and the Vatican. You conjure up the images in your mind, but the icing on the cake is Brown's Web site, which shows you the CERN facilities, the plane and then the exquisite artwork of Bernini and others as well as a peek inside the Vatican. It's a book that teaches, makes you think, and entertains, all at the same time. Few authors can accomplish that.
If you are open minded and looking for those books begging for its pages to be turned...look no further. Read 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail,' and ANYTHING by Ken Follett! I just read a copy of Edgar Fouche's 'Alien Rapture,' which also blew me away. Fouche was a Top Secret Black Program 'insider', whose credibility has been verified over and over. Another fun book is Brad Steiger's 'Werewolf. Want to be shocked, check out Dr. Paul Hill's 'Unconventional Flying Objects' which NASA tried to ban.
For those who say this book goes against their beliefs and their dogma, consider this: The tip of the iceberg: Numerous authorities who had noted the errors in the K.J.V. such as William Kilburne (1650's) 20,000 errors, John Wesley (in 1755) 12,000 changes in the New Testament alone, the Revised Version of 1881 consisted of 36,000 errors and on and on. The NIV, RSV and The Living Bible are also replete with thousands of errors. Do some research! Buy this book, you will love it.
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A true barnburner! 
Moderately entertaining, but utter trash. 
