Book Reviews

I've now read both Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code, and I have to say that he is not a bad writer. Both of these novels have Robert Langdon, Harvard professor and symbologist, as the central protagonist and they both deal with conspiracies related to the Roman Catholic Church.

In the first, Angels and Demons, Langdon is called to Switzerland to help decipher a strange symbol left on the body of a murdered scientist. The symbol is related to an ancient organization sworn to destroy the Roman Catholic Church. As the plot unfolds, we learn that the Pope has recently died and Conclave is just about to start to elect his successor, but the entire proceeding is threatened by a very high-tech device that could destroy all of Vatican City.

This really is a good story with a very nice twist and reveal at the end. The characters are pretty well developed and believable and the ending is very nice. Overall, I think this is a great murder mystery/conspiracy novel that would leave anyone wanting to hear about Langdon's adventures.

In the second, The DaVinci Code, Landon returns to help the French police decipher cryptic clues left at the scen of a murder in the Louvre. Following these clues across Paris and into Great Britain reveals the truth of the murderer, a worldwide conspiracy, and startling information about the Holy Grail.

This could have been a great story if Langdon were built on as a character. In this novel, though, he seems to be a completely different person than the skeptical and cautious professor presented in Angels. That was really frustrating for me. I do have to say, though, that the book is still many times better than the movie, and that it addresses many of the plot holes that I had issue with in the movie.

Now we look forward to the next Robert Langdon adventure which Dan Brown is supposedly working on now. Apparently, it will be set in Washington DC and will deal with the secret history of our capitol. Sounds like it could be interesting.