Rated of 5
by John Lomax A successful hack at work
This novel is decidedly hack work. I cannot quite understand how a book this badly researched and written ever made past the fact checkers and copy editors. Simon & Schuster ought to be ashamed of themselves for letting one of their leading authors look so bad. I guess that one best seller inevitably leads to another, no matter how awkwardly written and inaccurate the next book is. I must say that Angels and Demons has relieved me of any urge to read The Da Vinci Code. What are my principal complaints? Brown displays no ear for the English language. He cannot HEAR what he writes, or plainly his writing would not be so very clunky. He seems to be the kind of writer who takes words from a thesaurus without any feeling either for the denotations or the connotations of the words that he finds. Thus he uses words that are ALMOST right time after time after time. They are off just enough to produce a distinct "clang" when read. The effect is jarring. The book has a pseudo-profound texture that is one mark of a self-important but mediocre writer. Symbology? Why not semiotics, the term that the academic world actually uses? And how many factual mistakes can Brown make? I lost count. His translations of Latin and Italian are frequently off and sometimes flat wrong, but I admit that his mistranslations usually serve his story nicely. Any reasonably well-read layperson would have a better grasp of recent science than he exhibits. Historical accuracy? Forget about it! Brown's characters are endlessly "shocked" by information that could easily be gleaned from TIME magazine. The same goes for Brown's (mis)understanding of Christian theology, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Vatican. His grasp of the layout of Rome is less firm than what a tourist with a good street map might pick up in a few days. And could he not afford to hire someone to draw him an accurate map of Rome? His big manifesto in chapter 94 is maudlin, trite, and embarrassing. Why read the book? I kind of liked the movie. I mean, who doesn't like Tom Hanks? Plus, the screenwriters actually know how to write. I have to admire the way that they reworked this dog into something coherent. When I saw a copy of the book for $3 at Big Lots, I thought, "Why not?" About 20-25 chapters in I had become desensitized enough to its fundamental badness that I stayed around to find out how it turned out. It's a decent story, badly written. I congratulate Dan Brown on making the most of sloppy research and limited writing skills. Nice work if you can get it, and plainly Brown can.
Rated of 5
by Tany Thomas thrilling.......
this is the best book i have ever read....this is a superb thriller......hats off to dan brown for this wonderful creation.he has written this with a meticulous planning and every scientific invention mentioned in this book is true..i cant express my feelings....its simply superb and thrilling
Rated of 5
by Finfayet Frost Angels and Demons
Angels and Demons is a page turner from the very beginning. It contains a little bit of everything including a little romance, drama, science fiction and lots of action. But what had my eyes glued to the pages was the amount of mysteries and questions that came with every moment. If you're worried about getting lost, this book didn't have so many characters that you couldn't keep up but it didn't have so little to where it was too intimate to focus on the main plot. For those who like to watch the movies because reading is just not your thing, read the book because the movie is really just not worth it. To say the movie was terrible would be an understatement. So if you're looking for the next great book for your book club or you're just tired of the same old love stories spice it up and learn about anti matter and what happens in the selection of the pope process when every candidate is kidnapped because of religion, in Angels and Demons.
Rated of 5
by Sharveen E. Coils Amazing Read
Angels and Demons was an amazing read. The characters are thoroughly fleshed out with their own unique personality and emotional drives that keep them focused on their goals. The story itself is very plot-driven and the suspense never seems to end. If you enjoy novels in which many plots all come together to form a great story or you simply like action-packed thrillers, pick up Angels and Demons and get comfortable. You are going to find it hard to put this book down.
Rated of 5
by garima awesome!
Well researched plot! Gripping storyline! I became so engrossed in the book that I couldn't have any work done before finishing it. Then I read it again! It's a page turner. Its a thriller, mystery and theology all put together. I liked it very much.
Rated of 5
by champ03 Left in awe
This book is one of the very few that have been able to hold my interest all the way through. Dan Brown does an excellent job creating a fictional story in a very historical setting. The facts and details are absolutely stunning. I loved reading this book. I'm reading it again right now.
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