Angels & Demons (Review)

Robert Langdon returns in this epic quest to thrill us with his advanced knowledge of history, as well as his specialty symbols, in Angels and Demons. As a professor at the renowned Harvard College, Langdon is well-known for being a fascinating character with his many faults. Along the way we meet Vittora Vetra, a brilliant physics, working for one of the world’s leading companies in technological advancement. She captivates you with her intellect and bravery against all odds. Personally, Dan Brown did a good job accurately laying out the setting of the book and where everything was geographically. He makes it so you can experience the sights first hand, like the Pantheon or The Sistine Chapel. You can really tell that the author did his research on everything from the tiniest little statue to the characters are doing their research using equipment. What drew me to read this book was most likely Brown’s way of making you feel like you are right there with Langdon, experiencing all these extraordinary things. Travelling the world, racing the clock solving sophisticated puzzles, and who knows will pop up next in the story.
Dreaming away atop the pyramids of Giza . . . that’s where our character brings us in at. Then, with a telephone ring, the state of Robert Langdon gets interrupted and flown to Switzerland and Rome, on a never-ending search, to stop one of the oldest secret brotherhoods from wrecking havoc on a world spread religion at its weakest time. Not only this but the one weapon that is going to be used to destroy the nerve center is about to go off on a time limit, with the individual countries’ leaders are all gathered at one spot. Plus it’s the most unstable material known to man . . . anti-matter.
For me, I really loved the history that the book included in it. For example, everything from scientific discoveries of the middle ages to little interesting tidbits from a few years ago. When an author can incorporate all these different concepts into one grander design, what amazing ability they have. Another book that had similar themes was The Historian, which also takes you on a suspenseful journey across Europe trying to battle “evils”, as it fascinates you with history all the while. Both the books have an amazing amount of information laden with details to make you immediately book a trip for the destination they’re describing. On the other hand, both books do not take lightly when it comes to describing gore or mutilation, but they don’t dwell on the topic for long so it’s not much of an issue. In Angels & Demons, a major theme that comes up is fear, weather it be eradicating it, or overcoming it. The characters are constantly battling time and trying to use all their resources to aid in their quest to overcome evil-doers. Brown conveys this very well through the thoughts of his characters and the overall story. The story appealed to me equally emotionally and logically. It had enough drama to leave you wanting more with a touch of moral dilemmas.