The first in the series and by far my favorite!
Let's go on a journey! I started reading this series about two years ago but wanted to wait til I had read them all to post about it. I find it's great to examine each individually in the moment and then comparatively in the context of the whole series afterwards. So in this way, I can show you both! So here we go, the first installment.
Summary:
Robert Landon, a Harvard professor of symbology, gets a call to CERN and must embark to solve a murder. The death of scientist Leonardo Vetra appears to have been at the hands of the ancient and dangerous cult, the Illuminati. It starts off slow (and you can tell it’s written a few years ago as some of the technology references are behind) but then Langdon and the victim’s daughter Vittoria Vetra head to Rome. A canister of antimatter has been placed in the Vatican City, which is packed for conclave, the election of a new Pope. What’s more, throughout the course of the night, four cardinals have been kidnapped and will be murdered on the hour at public locations around the city. Langdon and Vetra have only a couple hours to follow the Illuminati’s tracks, save the cardinals, and all of Rome before midnight. But not everything is what it seems.
Verdict: 9/10
Wow! Let me say, this book is a wild ride. Even having watched the movie previously! I was not expecting a lot as the movie was fine, but not jaw dropping or anything. But like they say, never judge a book by its movie.
THE BOOK IS SO MUCH BETTER!
I had started reading the series out of order as my dad was listening to the fifth installment, Origins, during a very long road trip. It got a bit too political for me to want to finish it, but the writing style was really interesting in combining history into modern day thriller-fiction. So when my boyfriend (now husband) recommended Angels & Demons. I thought it was worth a try.
Dan Brown’s first novel in the Robert Langdon mystery series was a bit of a slow start (and you can tell it’s written a few years ago as some of the technology references are behind). I'll admit hearing about the science behind things wasn’t the most captivating. But once the couple got to Rome and the cardinals’ murders started to play out, I was riveted to the page.
It’s gruesome to be sure. Fair warning, this book is not for the faint of heart. Brown doesn’t shy away from details, no matter how disturbing. So the deaths and other crimes are a bit vivid. My guess is the author was trying to add some shock value over the horrific and controversial elements.
But details are what give the book its historical feel. Brown uses actual locations throughout the Vatican and Rome and real historical references about the church, the Illuminati and other facts. My reading experience was made even better as my copy was the special illustrated version from Atria Books. With all the descriptions of places and symbols being vital to the story, the maps and images made it so much easier to picture what Brown was trying to get across.
A Tip for Brown's Books: ALWAYS GO FOR THE ILLUSTRATED VERSION.
It clarifies a lot and expands on a lot. Much more illuminating (excuse the pun).
Figuring out the clues and symbols with the characters is what really held my attention. You can feel the press of danger and time as the entire novel takes place in just a matter of a single day [a trend with all his books], with a majority of this book taking place within the final five hours. There is a murder every hour and each time they are figuring the clues out just barely behind or in time. All of that is coupled with the threat of total detonation of the city at midnight looming in the background. We get to see Langdon’s thought process as he scans for each marker, and we get to struggle through it with him. Sometimes he can come across as pompous, but for the most part, he's likable.
My one criticism of Brown’s writing is his women characters.
Yes, Vittoria Vetra is intelligent, witty, and fiery. But the description is still stereotypical. In introducing the men characters, Brown talks about their attitudes and personalities. With Vittoria, he describes a little of her mind and a lot of her body. It plays her up as the ideal desire for the main character and just about everyone else. Especially the villain. The Hassassin is stereotypical as well, being a sadistic killer and implied rapist. I thought that part of the story was unnecessary. So when he kidnaps her, that’s the only thing on his mind... in very vivid thoughts. Everyone is already in danger, so I thought this was a side-plot that we really didn’t need and was more thrown in to add romanticism and intrigue.
To be fair, I found this lessened in his other books. Each one has a different female character accompanying Langdon, and by in large, they are strong and independent. I think he learned more about writing female characters as he went along. They even changed this in the movie with the villain.
The ending was the real redeemer for me. Even when you think it’s all over, Brown throws in a twist that will catch you off guard. Again, watching the movie previously somewhat spoiled the full effect, but my jaw still fell open with the complete confession and revelation of the plot. I had to flip back through and look for all the clues and foreshadowing that I had missed.
The best kinds of mysteries are the ones you never even suspect. The full conspiracy goes so much deeper and plays itself out well. Though you think the action is over, is it?
This story is gonna stick in my mind for a while. Well done. Besides some sexist overtones, the plot was ingenious and the historical aspect made it lifelike even at the most far-fetched of times. For a long winter day, I recommend this to liven things up a bit.
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