Angels and demons (novel)
Angels and Demons is a novel of intrigue and suspense, written by Dan Brown and published in 2000. Professor of religious symbology Robert Langdon (who would later star in The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno and Inception), is soon immersed in the search for secrets of an ancient sect called Illuminati and the search for humanity's deadliest weapon (antimatter) that they have placed in Vatican City in order to destroy the Catholic Church. With just a few hours to avoid disaster, some mysterious ambigrams, and a killer who always has the upper hand, Langdon and an Italian scientist find themselves in a race against time. The novel was brought to the big screen in May 2009.
Synopsis
Symbology professor Robert Langdon receives a mysterious call in the early hours of the morning and finds himself involved in a chase in which he will try to prevent the destruction of Vatican City. Accompanied by the scientist Vittoria Vetra, both must find the lair of the Illuminati to stop a man whose purpose is to explode antimatter and destroy the main altar of the Church along with all the people around him.
Miscellaneous


The fable novel about the Altars of science, in Rome. Four places that represent the four classic elements and that form what is known as the Path of Enlightenment. At the end of this, the Illuminati hideout. According to the novel, the altars were hidden as religious art to go unnoticed by the censoring Church and were sculpted by Bernini: Habbakuk and the angel, in the Chigui chapel of Santa María del Popolo, represents the earth; the West Ponente, in St. Peter's Square, represents the air; the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, in the Cornaro chapel of Santa María della Vittoria, represents fire and the Fountain of the Four Rivers, in Piazza Navona, represents water.
Errors
- The first edition of the book has numerous errors of location and use of Italian. They were partially corrected in subsequent editions.
- The description of the antimatter, its container and how it is kept floating does not respect the physical laws present.
- To produce a quarter of a gram of antimatter, at the current rate of CERN, it would take about 500 million years. In addition, the CERN could not store them either. On the other hand, according to a calculation of NASA scientists, producing it would cost about 150 trillions of dollars. That is, more than 150 million times the GDP of the United States.
- It is said that the word satan comes from Arabic shaitan and that the Catholic Church used it because it considered Arabic a language dirty.. Actually, the word comes from the Aramaic ה ה (shatan) and appears in the Old Testament long before the establishment of the Catholic Church.
- When Langdon is in the Pantheon recalling a class in the university he says that communion comes from the Aztecs and that the sacrifice of Jesus to redeem the sins of the people comes from Quetzalcóatl. In fact, Aztec culture and the myth of Quetzalcóatl are much later than the beginning of Christianity. Furthermore, Europeans' contact with Mesoamerican civilizations is not formally given until the beginning of the 16th century.
- He's probably just comparing the similarities in stories.
- In the book it is stated that it is an unwritten requirement for a cardinal to be eligible Pope to speak Italian, Spanish and English. However, there is no such requirement. Although it might refer to that without these languages it would be almost impossible for him to work on a Pope.
- In the book, a mere priest acts as Camarlengo, while the Vatican rules state that this important office is performed by a cardinal; it is not true that a priest exercises so much power in an organism where bishops and cardinals work.
Characters
Robert Langdon
Professor of religious symbology at Harvard University.
... thick brown hair vetoed with gray, penetrating blue eyes, deep and captivating voice and the joyous and spontaneous smile of a university athlete.Dan Brown, Angels and Demons
Vittoria Vetra
Flexible and funny, it was high, with brown skin and long black hair, that stirred the ventolera caused by the propellers' shovels. It had a typical Italian face, not of an overwhelming beauty, but of earthly factions that, even from twelve meters away, seemed to project a sensuality to a fur flower.Dan Brown, Angels and Demons
Maximilian Kohler
Discontinuous particle physics. Known as Der König.
He looked sixty years old. Rinse and bald, of a firm jaw... Even from afar, his eyes seemed lacking in life, like two grey stones.Dan Brown, Angels and Demons
Back cover
The most powerful weapon created by man, a secret organization thirsting for revenge... and just a few hours to avoid disaster. The eternal struggle between science and religion has become a very real war.
In a high-security laboratory, a scientist with a strange symbol engraved on fire in his chest appears murdered. For Professor Robert Langdon there is no doubt: the Illuminati, the men facing the Church since the time of Galileo, have returned. And this time they have the most deadly weapon that humanity has created, an artifact with which they can win the final battle against their eternal enemy. Accompanied by a young scientist and a bold captain of the Swiss Guard, Langdon begins a race against watch, in a desperate search for the most secret corners of the Vatican. He will need all his knowledge to decipher the hidden keys that the Illuminati have left over the centuries in manuscripts and temples, and all his courage to overcome the ruthless killer who always seems to lead him.Dan Brown, Angels and Demons
Film adaptation
Angels and Demons is a 2009 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard, written by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman, based on the novel by Dan Brown. Actor Tom Hanks returned to play his role as Professor Robert Langdon. The film was criticized by the specialized press and grossed almost $485 million.
Additional bibliography
- ↑ "The Roman Curia". Vatica.va. Consultation on 19 January 2023.
- Massimo Introvigne (2005). The Illuminati and the Priory of Zion: the truth in Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code. Rialp Editions. ISBN 9788432135613.
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