Oct 10, 2005 12:51 PM
1983 Views
(Updated Oct 10, 2005 02:00 PM)
Introduction
I was introduced to the works of Dan Brown by one of my colleagues in the US branch-office. After reading The Da Vinci Code, you will never see the famous painting mentioned in the book in quite the same way again. That means there be something in the book (a fiction) to make you think this way you think! That is one of the reasons I decided to go ahead and read Angels and Demons.
Note: You might be tempted to read this book quickly. Resist your temptation and read it carefully, understanding the details. The plot, the religious explanations, the scientific theory, etc. requires a little extra attention.
The Book
If you have enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, you would enjoy Angels & Demons. It is an exceedingly well written international spy thriller with religious and historical overtones which requires an extensive background in art history and religious symbology. This book is different from The Da Vinci Code as this is crammed with Vatican hi-tech drama laced with twists and shocks that will keep you glued to the book right up until the final revelation. It is about a secret society that wants to destroy the Vatican using antimatter which is stolen from CERN, the world's largest scientific research facility in Geneva, Switzerland.
The plot is greatly enhanced by both, historical and scientific detail---it is a perfect blend of the two which has all the essential ingredients of a thriller. The protocol involved in the selection of the pope and the reasoning behind the practices is fascinating. The evolution of the brotherhood known as the Illuminati is also equally interesting tale in itself. The combination of detailed description and religious illusions makes the information and events seem fantastic.
Brown draws your interest into an unfamiliar territory (of religion and science) with the information he provides. Scientific matters are explained in terms laymen can easily understand. The history and customs of the Catholic church are discussed in detail as they relate to the plot. So even a person who has no understanding about the Catholic rituals can relate to it. A physical description of the buildings and terrain of Vatican City adds a realistic touch to the novel. You can visualize the city and the CERN as Brown has painted them in words!
Main Characters
The characters are well drawn and believable and each one them have the skills necessary to cope in unusual situations. Vittoria’s martial arts helps her in the time of need, popes right hand man knows to fly the helicopter etc. and all these are introduced much earlier in the story, not at the time of requirement.
Robert Langdon is a professor of religious iconology and art history at Harvard University. He is also an expert on the ancient secret society. Maximilian Kohler, the director of CERN wants him to help them in solving the murder of one of their top physicists. His chest is branded with the word Illuminati and one of his eyes cut out of his head. A high tech X-33 plane is sent to transport Langdon from Massachusetts to Switzerland in about an hour. As the story progresses you will understand how Langdon searches the missing pieces necessary to solve each puzzle which leads him to the next one.
Leonardo Vetra, the murder victim is not only one of the world's leading physicists, but also a Catholic priest. His adopted daughter, Vittoria is also a scientist at CERN. Vetra and his daughter were using the world’s largest particle accelerator to create antimatter.
Vittoria is beautiful, tough, and intelligent. During the murder, she was not at CERN. When she returns from the trip and is informed of her father’s death. Soon she also discovers that one of the canisters containing the antimatter has been stolen. Vittoria explains to Langdon that the stolen antimatter has to be recovered within a day to avoid detonation. The race to find it is on!
What is Antimatter
Antimatter is a potentially cheap energy source. Vetra created the antimatter to simulate the big bang as a proof that God exists. He wanted to create new matter and antimatter in the same way God created the universe. Improper use of antimatter could lead to mass destruction. Vetra and Vittoria had suspended the antimatter in canisters so that it does not interact with matter. If a canister is removed from the electrical system which keeps the matter and antimatter separated, then backup batteries will serve the same purpose for 24 hours. When 24 hours expire, the two will collide in an instantaneous explosion of unprecedented power. A message left by a member of the Illuminati claims to have deposited the sample somewhere within Vatican City where the cardinals have recently gathered to select a new pope.
Story
The stolen canisters are found on a security camera in Vatican City, with its LEDs counting down the time until the batteries run out. Langdon and Vittoria go to Vatican City to help find the canister. Vatican City is under emotional crisis with the recent death of the Pope. Now the canister threaten to destroy Vatican City and the cardinals of the Catholic Church as they get together to choose the new pope. The cardinals are all about to be locked within the Sistine Chapel. According to the law of the church, they are to remain in isolation until a new pope is chosen. They are awaiting the preferiti, the four cardinals from four different European countries who are the preferred candidates to become the new pope.
Langdon and Vittoria try to convince the captain of the Swiss Guard and the Pope's chamberlain (camerlengo) who leads the church until the new pope is named, that the antimatter bomb is real. They also receive a phone call from a man who claims to be from the Illuminati. Strangely, he has no demands and his only wish is the destruction of the Catholic Church in retribution for the church's treatment of scientists and the Illuminati over the centuries. He says that he has the preferiti with him and that he would murder them one by one, and then allow the bomb to destroy Vatican City.
Langdon and Vittoria are in a race against time. They dig through archives and ancient mysteries in the church’s library to find clues which leads them through churches, fountains, crypts, forgotten passages, secret passages, and catacombs. Read on for more information…..
So if you love thrillers and mysteries, find a comfortable chair, have a cup of hot coffee, and have a date with the Angels and Demon.
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Some Facts
CERN exists, but it is not a Swiss institute. It is an international organization located close to Geneva.
CERN does pure scientific research into the laws of nature.
They are not involved with nuclear weapons.
There is no possibility to use antimatter as energy source. Unlike solar energy, coal or oil, antimatter does not occur in nature.
CERN does not own an X-33 plan.
