Product Description

When a scientist is found brutally murdered, Harvard professor Robert Langdon is asked to identify the mysterious symbol seared onto the dead man's chest. Realising it must be the work of the Illuminati - an ancient secret brotherhood sworn against Catholicism - the race is on to prevent a tragedy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #131 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 624 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 anti-matter, 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 and 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, anti-matter, 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 civilisation.

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 humour from Langdon and a little less bombastic philosophising 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 it's tasty. --Kelly Flynn, Amazon.com

San Francisco Chronicle
‘A breathless, real-time adventure...Exciting, fast-paced, with an unusually high IQ’

Bookbrowse.com
'Part thriller, part mystery, and all action. A highly entertaining, page turning thriller'

Customer Reviews

Great Thriller
I decided to re-read A&D before going to see it at the cinema (I still think it is stronger than The Da Vinci Codewith more intrigue and suspense) I look forward to reading The Lost Symbol. Will be interesting to see how the 'parachute scene' is incorporated into the movie, which I am really looking forward to seeing. All in all this is an exciting thriller, mixing the mysteries of the Vatican and the world of Physics. Always interesting to read about the holes in the research but best just to switch off and enjoy as a good piece of fiction.From a Brit's perspective, If only Hollywood would have a go at Full Story Insideas well!

Dubious Demons
Since having grabbing my attention with the Da Vinci Code, I have become something of a fan of Mr Brown's books. However, reading Angels & Demons took away some of the 'magic' that had captivated me after reading the Da Vinci Code (DVC).

This book starts out alot slower than the DVC but once it gets going you're hooked as Robert Langdon races round Rome trying to find an (H)assassin before it's too late, the details and ambigrams in this book really did surprise me and I was once again sucked into the fantastic world of Dan Brown, his writing is truly refreshing (although his plots sometimes leave alot to be desired). While you could cast the niggling doubts you had about the plot in the DVC aside - due to the fact that it might just be possible - Angels & Demons pushes the reader too far in terms of what they can regard as plausible.

I'll try not to give too much away but falling 3 Miles into foaming water (no matter how much Dan wants you to believe that it's three times softer than standing water) especially when this water isn't an ocean (relatively shallow) you just really wonder whether Mr Brown wrote himself into a corner that he can only get out of by coming up with something incredibly dubious and highly unbelievable which totally spoils the book - unless you can read this part and then pretend it never happened :)

Despite my dislike at how the book arrives at its otherwise excellent conclusion (including a truly unexpected twist) I enjoyed Angels & Demons. Dan Brown really does research his books well and even if you don't subscribe to his views you still have to admire the detail he goes into in his book, the ambigrams alone are worth picking this book up for as i'd never seen one until i read Angels & Demons!

Recommended although it's a long way off the DVC.

Excellent, recommended to anybody
I read this after reading the Da Vinci Code, and found it to be every bit as good. Less codes maybe(!), but great twists, a really complex but easily readable plot, Dan Brown is quickly becomming one of my favourite authors. His descriptions of the Vatican and modern Rome are superb and his research is clearly very extensive.
Despite being a clever book, steeped in religious & art history and a deeply twisting plot, it manages to stay fun and a real page-turner.

I would recommend this to anyone.