Esta historia es cronológicamente anterior a la de El código Da Vinci.

Todo comienza cuando convocan a Robert Landon para decifrar algunos códigos dejados en el cuerpo de un científico muerto. Esto ligará a la iglesia contra la ciencia en una legendaria historia de odio.

Y el origen de todo es totalmente inimaginable.

La película no es tan buena adaptación como la anterior y se pierde totalmente el motivo del origen de toda la historia.

Książki Dana Browna to mój nowy comfort read

Outdoes THE DA VINCI CODE hands down!

Harvard symbologist and religious historian, Robert Langdon, is intrigued and somewhat puzzled to find himself peremptorily summoned to CERN, the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, world's foremost research establishment in ultra high energy particle physics, to assist with a secret internal investigation of the murder of one of their staff. Leonardo Vetra - a brilliant senior physicist, a still-practicing Roman Catholic priest, and the discoverer of a method of creating and safely containing anti-matter - has been found brutally murdered with the word "Illuminati" branded on his chest.

The near light-speed, explosive pace at which Brown would have us believe the plot of ANGELS AND DEMONS could unroll requires what, for some, will be an insurmountable suspension of credibility. But, if you can find your way over that niggling barrier, you're in for some non-stop, rollicking entertainment.

Langdon and Vittoria Vetra, the victim's beautiful daughter and similarly gifted physicist, follow the clues into the heart of the Vatican, host of an enclave of the world's cardinals convened to elect the replacement of the recently deceased pope where they must confront the current incarnation of The Illuminati, a centuries old secret brotherhood of scientists dating from the time of Galileo and the Italian Renaissance. The Illuminati carries out a high profile symbolic execution of the preferiti, the four cardinals most expected to win the papal election, and plans to use a small sample of Vetra's anti-matter to reduce Vatican City to a pile of rubble as a final close to the interminable battle between cutting edge science and Roman Catholic dogma.

Reading ANGELS AND DEMONS, I find it impossible to criticize Brown's character building skills as an author because, frankly, he didn't even try. ANGELS AND DEMONS is plot, plot and yet more plot! But my money says it succeeds wildly and is a novel that is not only spectacularly entertaining but should avoid the visceral polarization of its readership that The Da Vinci Code managed to produce. I might go even further. Despite reading from the point of view of a non-practicing and disenchanted Roman Catholic, educated and believing profoundly in the value of scientific research and technology, I would nevertheless suggest that ANGELS AND DEMONS presents a credible, balanced FICTIONAL story of a climactic confrontation between these two long-time arch-enemies. Ah, heck ... if anything, the scientists come out on the cruddy end of the stick and look more the bad guy than the church! That's OK - that provides a rather nice foil to the outlook one gets from a reading of THE DA VINCI CODE!

Enjoy! Five stars and unconditionally recommended as a first-rate enjoyable thriller!

Paul Weiss

A quote from the book: "Science may have alleviated the miseries of disease and...provided an array of gagetry for our convenience...but it has left us in a world without wonder. Our sunsets have been reduced to wavelengths and frequencies... Even the technology that unites us, divides us. We are electronically connected to the globe and yet we feel utterly alone. Skepticism has become a virtue. Is it any wonder that humans now feel more depressed and defeated than at any point in human history? Does science hold anything sacred? Science looks for answers by probing our unborn fetuses, and presumes to rearrange our own DNA. It shatters God's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning...and all it finds is more questions. The ancient war between science and religion is over. Science has won...

Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car and only decades from the car to space... We measure scientific progress in weeks... The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual void. WE cry out for meaning... We see UFO's, have spirit contact, and out of body experiences... They are a desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by its own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology..."

I KNOW! Too much, but when you can combine science and religion into a book that piques your intellect - it's a winner for me! :)

بغض النظر إن فيلم (ملائكه وشياطين) شوه الروايه لكنه فيلم جيد فعلا
أكتر مشهد عجبنى فى الفيلم كان حوار بين البطل (توم هانكس) , وقس فى إيده الإذن لتوم هانكس علشان يدخل مكتبة الفاتيكان . فالقس عمل له حاجه زى اختبار نتج عنه حوار من أفضل ما يكون وتعبير حى عن حال كثير من الناس. ونص الحوار دا كالتالى :
القس: سيد لانغدون أنت محق أننى قد أوافق على دخولك المكتبه
لانغدون: شكرًا أيها القس.
القس: قلت إنى قد أوافق ليس إنى سأدخلك . أكثر المخطوطات المسيحة قدسية موجوده فى هذه المكتبة يوجد سؤال أريد أن أسألك إياه اولًا فى مكتب قداسته : ------هل تؤمن بالرب يا سيدى ؟
لانغدون : ابتاه ببساطه اؤمن أن الدين...
القس: لم أسألك إن كنت تصدق ما يقوله البشر عن الرب . سألتك إن كنت تؤمن بالرب.
لانغدون: انا رجل منهجى يخبرني عقلي بأننى لن أفهم الرب ابدًا.
القس: وماذا عن قلبك؟
لانغدون: يخبرني بأننى ليس مقدر لى .
أيها القس الإيمان هبة لم استلمها بعد .

أما عن الرواية فقد نختصر الحديث عنها في :

العلم والدين : ما العلاقة التي تربطهم ببعضهما العبض؟
اتفاق؟ اختلاف؟ تشابه ؟ تعارض؟
لطالما كان هذا السؤال وهذه العلاقه محط الكثير من الانظار ومثار لكثير من الجدل
وهنا يقدم لنا (براون) قصة مثيرة لبيان هذه العلاقة
مُمَثله فى طائفه دينيه ما (الكاثوليكيه)والعلم ممثل فى جماعه قديمه
كم معلومات مبهر مع غلق مثير للاحداث
أحيانا تشعر ان دان براون هو الوريث الشرعى (لأجاثا كريستى ) فى مجال الجريمه
عمل رائع فعلا

The first one in a series of Vatican thrillers.
Full of stereotype characters, conspiracy theories and dubious scientific and historical references. Also it seems a bit outdated by now.

2.5 stars with a downgrade to 2.
--------------------------------
Der erste in einer Reihe von Vatikan-Thrillern mit Professor Robert Langdon als Protagonisten.

Leider wirken die Charaktere wie mit der Schablone ausgestochen: der klassische, weiße, US-amerikanische Superheld, die schöne, exotische Frau, deren Hauptmerkmal ihre Weiblichkeit ist, der abgrundtief böse, braunhäutige (und zweifellos muslimische) Araber usw.

Das Buch gibt eine Menge Verschwörungstherorien her, die ganz unterhaltsam sein könnten, würden sie nicht so geballt auftreten. Die wissenschaftlichen und historischen Referenzen sind zumindest fragwürdig.

Der Schreibstil ist wenig überzeugend und oft ziemlich holprig. Eine echte Spannung hat sich für mich nicht entwickelt, weil ich das Buch an so vielen Stellen einfach doof fand.

Ich habe dieses Buch vor vielen Jahren schon mal gelesen, konnte mich nicht mehr an den Inhalt erinnern, aber ich weiß noch, dass es mir damals erheblich besser gefallen hat.
Heute wirkt es oftmals schon recht angestaubt und veraltet.

Ich bewerte mit 2,5 Sternen, abgerundet auf 2.

Right.

I remembered reading this one years ago. At that time, it was still the hottest topic in our country if you're talking about religion. If some people saw you reading this book, they would think that you're an anti-Christ, you're part of the Illuminati and all that ridiculous stuff.

Which is silly because this is just a book. A really well written book that will leave you either breathless and smart or maybe both. This was my first Dan Brown book and what really made me a fan to his works is the fact that he can weave a really good explanation to his stories that would make you just believe in it.

That's that.

I didn't know what to expect-- I loved the DaVinci Code for what it was-- a page turner of a thriller-- and yet this book is on the top of the "worst" reads list for GR...

I thought it was a good read-- definitely kept me turning the pages-- but I agree it's weak in some areas (definitely had to suspend my sense of disbelief on more than one occasion) and it isn't as strongly written as it could be. However, I don't expect a fun read to be the strongest written book ever-- I expect to enjoy the book and have fun guessing the ending-- and this book delivered... I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the Robert Langdon before The DaVinci Code.

I should have read this before The Da Vinci Code, not because the two novels need to be read in any particular order (the plots are literally interchangeable; see order in which the movie versions were released for evidence), but because Angels and Demons is usually regarded as the better story. Unfortunately, by the time I read it I was already familiar with Dan Brown's "HISTORY! CONSPIRACIES! SMART CHICKS! MORE HISTORY! ORGANIZED RELIGION! DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNNN!" style of plot organization, and the thrill was a little cheapened.

“Science and religion were not enemies, but rather allies - two different languages telling the same story...”

This is a book no more than it is the words of an outcome of science and religion combined. That is my first time reading a book by Dan Brown, but I watched many of his interviews. In almost all of these interviews, Dan Brown mentions that he, as a child, lived in the two worlds of science and religion, as his mother was a church organist and his father was mathematics teacher.

Angels and Demons introduces Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon in a breathtaking adventure to save the Vatican City, Rome from a perilous threat from an ancient brotherhood died four hundred years ago. And on this very day, they attempt to continue their grand vendetta against the Church. Sorry if that is considered a spoiler, but this book has a lot to do with four, four altars of science, four cardinals, four churches, four... hell, that's my fourth read in July!

The events started when Robert Langdon received a phone call asking him to come to Switzerland immediately. When he refused, he was sent a photograph of a dead physicist, on his chest branded an ambigram which read one word, Illuminati. Illuminati are a satanic cult who fought religion and Church for decades, theirs was the weapon of science. Literally, Illumination means lighting, as to enlighten humans from their ignorance caused by the Church, and orienting them to the path of light, of science. As the events roll in a thrilling, unexpected way, Robert Langdon learns the cause of the man's death, and finds himself in a race against time to save Vatican from a totally new technology pioneered by the late scientist.

One of the main things that I truly admired was the locations, the author takes us on a journey in Rome, describing every place they go to through the events, which is very good but ponderous in a way. Dan Brown knows how to write, knows how to make the reader worry about the good side and fear the evil, he knows how to play with time. But the most thing I liked is how he combined all these facts in a work of fiction in a very deft way, with well-developed characters, who are also dumb to some extent. I was really attached by the camerlengo's EPIC speeches about science and religion, until page 5oo, perhaps. After that the story turned to an utter madness. The ending was truly disappointing. It was as if Dan Brown is showing his skills in creating meaningless plot-twists!

Although his protagonist is atheist, Dan Brown didn't tell his story from one-side point of view, he was unprejudiced towards science or religion, he was neutral, at least that's what I thought. The author also was often calling his interesting main character Langdon, not Robert, I wonder did he intend to make a Robert Langdon series or this book was meant to be a stand-alone book! The last thing I didn't like was the absurd relation between Robert and Vittoria, quite needless and unbelievable. Vittoria herself was stupidly over-dramatic through the events.

I would recommend it to any one who loves thrillers and doesn't mind a lot of information stuffed between the lines.

اولین کتابی بود که از دن براون می‌خوندم. همیشه نسبت به این بشر گارد داشتم اون هم به خاطر این بود که شنیده بودم توی کتاب‌هاش خیلی به علامت‌های گروه های سری و مخفی و اینا بها میده. خب درست فکر می‌کردم. این کتاب یک کتاب سراسر نماده که در هر جا هم نویسنده در موردشون توضیح میده. البته اینکه توضیحات ضمنی نویسنده در مورد تاریخ ایتالیا و واتیکان و کلیسا و الی آخر چقدر صحت داره از چالش‌هایی هست که ذهن منو درگیر خودش کرده و شاید یه زمانی که وقت بیشتری داشتم برم دنبالش.

از نظر معمایی کتاب بدی نیست. البته تا حدود صفحات صد، کتاب تقریبا کند پیش میره و حوادث پیوستگی ندارن ولی از اون جا به بعد هیجان چاشنی کار میشه و تقریبا پای کتاب میخکوب میشی. البته به نظرم اون اصل غافلگیری رو نتونسته خوب در بیاره چون من به شخصه از دو سوم کتاب به بعد تونستم حدس بزنم ماجراها زیر سر کیه. در هر صورت به عنوان یک اثر معمایی جنایی متوسط طبقه بندیش می‌کنم.

اما این کتاب از یک نظر دیگه بهم حس خوبی نمی‌داد. به نظرم نویسنده با قصد و غرض در مورد جبهه‌های داخل کتاب نوشته. مثلا مشکلی که واتیکان و کلیسا در قرون وسطی با گالیله و جریان علم داشت رو به مشکل علم با مذهب و ناسازگاری اون تا همین الان ربط میده و تا لحظات اخر کتاب اصرار شدید داره که این دو تا به شدت با هم در تناقضن. حتی کشف ضد ماده که مثلا نشانگر وحدت علم و مذهب هست رو در اخر کتاب از طرف یکی از واتیکانی‌ها به شدت می‌کوبه. کلا رفتار فرضی کلیسای کاتولیک با علم رو به نظرم نمی‌شه به کل مذاهب دنیا تعمیم داد.

از طرف دیگه واقعا نمیدونم چه پدرکشتگی با مسلمون‌ها داشته این نویسنده. در حالی که کتاب درگیری دانشمندان اشراقی با واتیکان رو روایت می‌کنه، قاتل اجیر شده اشراقی ها مسلمان و عرب معرفی می‌شه. در حالی که رفتار‌ها و اعمالش به اسلام نمی خوره ولی نویسنده به مخاطب می قبولاند که اره این داره طبق دینش پیش میره و امشب خدای خود را در آسمان زیارت می‌کنه. اینجور برداشت‌های یک طرفه نه تنها از اسلام، بلکه از هر تفکر و مذهب و مسلک دیگه‌ای به نظرم نفرت بر انگیزه. حالا اگه ادم تفکر خودش رو برای خودش نگه داره یا بگه این تفکر منه، مورد نداره اما اینکه بخواد در لفافه این مسائل رو در ناخودآگاه خواننده بذاره خیلی خیلی حرص درآره.

در مورد این نماد‌های فراماسونی و ایلومیناتی و اینکه اینا همه دنیا رو گرفتن و هممون تحت سلطه اوناییم انقدر هر روز همه جا میبینم و می‌شنوم که فکر کردن در مورد این موضوعات برام عذاب آوره و اصلا دوست ندارم به اینجور مسائل، هرچند اگه واقعی باشن، اهمیت بدم.

با این همه احتمالا این اخرین کتابی نیست که از دن براون خواهم خوند.

+ فصل های کوتاه کتاب یکی از ویژگی‌های بسیار مثبت و دوست داشتنی‌اش بود

"شعر لانغدون بالصدمة تصيبه كأى شخص أخر موجود فى الغرفة (بالنسبة لمن يقرا الرواية فالصدمة لكل من يقرا الرواية )
" كان ذهن لانغدون مشوشا ... ويناضل محاولا ايجاد مركزا للجاذبية يشده من جديد الى الارض ويعيد اليه رشده "
وهذا بالظبط ماسوف تشعر به عند الانتهاء من الرواية وخاصة اخر 100صفحة تقريبا من الرواية
لاأنكر انى فى بداية الرواية قلت لنفسى " جماعة سرية اخرى وستكون الرواية شبيهة لشيغرة دافينشى " لكن بالطبع دان براون سيقلب تفكيرك وبعد ان شعرت بالملل قليلا فى البد��ية وعدم الحماس ادخلنى دان فى دوامته واعتقد ان مع دان براون لاتحاول ان تتوقع الاحداث لاتتصور انك ذكى وتتوقع ماسيحدث لسبب بسيط ان دان سيقلب كل شىء انه بالفعل داخل رأسك ويقرأ أفكارك وسيوهمك انك قد توصلت بالفعل للحقيقة لكنه لن يلبث ان يصدمك لكن كان هناك شىء وحيد على ماأعتقد هو ماتوقعته منطقيا ان يحدث وقد حدث بالفعل حتى ان لم تحدث النهاية كما ظننت
رواية مشوقة وممتعة وقلم مميز لدان براون