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 humor from Langdon, and a little less bombastic philosophizing 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 my! It's tasty. --Kelly Flynn --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


From Publishers Weekly
Pitting scientific terrorists against the cardinals of Vatican City, this well-plotted if over-the-top thriller is crammed with Vatican intrigue and high-tech drama. Robert Langdon, a Harvard specialist on religious symbolism, is called in by a Swiss research lab when Dr. Vetra, the scientist who discovered antimatter, is found murdered with the cryptic word "Illuminati" branded on his chest. These Iluminati were a group of Renaissance scientists, including Galileo, who met secretly in Rome to discuss new ideas in safety from papal threat; what the long-defunct association has to do with Dr. Vetra's death is far from clear. Vetra's daughter, Vittoria, makes a frightening discovery: a lethal amount of antimatter, sealed in a vacuum flask that will explode in six hours unless its batteries are recharged, is missing. Almost immediately, the Swiss Guard discover that the flask is hidden beneath Vatican City, where the conclave to elect a new pope has just begun. Vittoria and Langdon rush to recover the canister, but they aren't allowed into the Vatican until it is discovered that the four principal papal candidates are missing. The terrorists who are holding the cardinals call in regarding their pending murders, offering clues tied to ancient Illuminati meeting sites and runes. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that a sinister Vatican entity with messianic delusions is in league with the terrorists. Packing the novel with sinister figures worthy of a Medici, Brown (Digital Fortress) sets an explosive pace as Langdon and Vittoria race through a Michelin-perfect Rome to try to save the cardinals and find the antimatter before it explodes. Though its premises strain credulity, Brown's tale is laced with twists and shocks that keep the reader wired right up to the last revelation. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


edition. From AudioFile
Dan Brown fans who enjoyed THE DA VINCI CODE won't be disappointed with this abridged version of ANGELS & DEMONS. This is the story that introduces DA VINCI'S protagonist, Robert Langdon, the world-renowned symbologist who searches the secret tunnels and archives of the Vatican in a frantic hunt for the solution to the Illuminati puzzle. Failure to solve the puzzle will result in mass destruction. Richard Poe, who manages to convey to the listener that he IS Robert Langdon, reads the story with just the right amount of tension and intrigue. His enthusiastic delivery makes for an auditory page-turner. S.K.P. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.


Book Browser Reviews - April 2000
Dan Brown has created another frantic paced thriller that rivals the best works of Clancy and Cussler. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Bookbrowse.com - April 2000
Angels & Demons is part thriller, part mystery, and all action. A highly entertaining, page-turning thriller. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Joe Mauceri, Syndicated Review - April 2000
As compelling as Umberto Eco, as fast-paced as Michael Crichton, & rivals the best Thomas Harris thriller. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Publishers Weekly - May 2000
Brown sets an explosive pace through Rome. Twists & shocks that keepthe reader wired right up to the last revelation. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Review
Dale Brown New York Times bestselling author of Battle Born Angels & Demons is one hell of a book -- I had a hard time putting it down and I didn't get any work done until I finished it. Congratulations to Dan Brown for crafting an intriguing, imaginative, and very suspenseful read. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


edition. Book Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code comes the explosive thriller that started it all.

Critics have praised the exhilarating blend of relentless adventure, scholarly intrigue, and cutting wit found in Brown's remarkable thrillers featuring Robert Langdon. An explosive international suspense, Angels & Demons marks this hero's first adventure as it careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Download Description
From the acclaimed author of Digital Fortress comes an explosive international thriller that careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war.


Inside Flap Copy
World-renowned Harvard symboligist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization - the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on earth . . . the long-forgotten Illuminati lair. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. edition.