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Dan Brown – Angels & Demons
ISBN: 978-1-4165-2479-3
Price: Rp 132.000 (Periplus)
Total Pages: 710
Genre: Science Fiction
Released Year: 2000
Publisher: Pocket Books

Synopsis:
An ancient secret brotherhood. A devastating new weapon of destruction. An unthinkable target.
World-renowned Harvard symbologist 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 ‘Angels & Demons’ is the only Robert Langdon’s series book that I have in English version. I couldn’t find it in Indonesian language version so I bought this book on Periplus. Quite pricey but this book completed my collection of Dan Brown’s masterpiece – Prof. Robert Langdon’s series.

Angels & Demons was the second story after The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol was following after this which is I am currently reading it until now. But the Angels & Demons is the prequel to The Da Vinci Code and it tells the story of symbologist Robert Langdon’s adventure in Vatican City one year before his fateful visit to the Louvre.

Similar with The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons took a story about Christianity and even deeper than that, this book also brought up about Illuminati and its power that secretly cover-up the highest level of Catholic Church, the Vatican and the Pope.

Don't get it too serious 'cause it was all about fiction and science, but the Illuminati and its brotherhood is a real thing. As factual as the references to all works of art, tombs, tunnels, and architecture in Rome that was written in this book. Once again, Dan Brown confusing us and make the readers to a serious level. Not to mention the controversy about this book.

I watched the movie adaptation of this book first then reading the book later, so I was spoiled by the story-line from the movie. I lost the surprise effect of character-twisted which is the typical of Dan Brown’s story when I read the book. But we can get the detailed information from the book better than the movie. In the case of Robert Langdon’s adventure it’s always better to read the book first than watch the movie adaptation later. I promise you.

If you are a Christian you can relate to this story better than others. This book contains a lot of Christianity things and the sacred ritual to elect the new Pope. And since the setting was took a place in the Vatican, there are a lot of descriptions about the churches and historical yet symbolic places around Vatican in this book. By following the adventures of Prof. Robert Langdon we can get new information, some enlightenment, and maybe a little bit of doubts about life, religion, and humanity.
Yes, Dan Brown is a complete writer. I never unsatisfied with all of his works. After reading his book I always find myself get a book blues, it takes a longer time to move on. It is a fiction, but after all what really matter is how deep the impact of this book to your mind, to your soul. If it leaves a big impression then it is not just a book.