description:	It takes guts to write a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss Conseil Europ'8een pour la Recherche Nucl'8eaire, 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 ( f1i Digital Fortress f0i0 ) for achieving the nearly impossible. f1i Angels and Demons f0i0 is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller--think Katherine Neville's f1i The Eight f0i0 (but cleverer) or Umberto Eco's f1i Foucault's Pendulum f0i0 (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. f1i --Kelly Flynn, Amazon.com f0i0
uuid:	72DDFF49-5A4C-11D9-AE06-000A95903BE8"
title:	Angels and Demons
rating:	4
purchase date:	30-12-2004
publisher:	Corgi Adult
published:	30-07-2003
price:	£6.99
net Rating:	3.74
last lookup time:	126094856
hasExperienced:	1
genre:	Special Features - Used Books - Fiction - By Period - General Special Features - Used Books - Fiction - General Subjects - Fiction - By Period - General Subjects - Fiction - General
edition:	Paperback
created:	126094840
country:	gb
author:	Dan Brown
asin:	0552150738