Pedestrian prose, but intriguing premise.
Written: Oct 20 '04 (Updated Feb 02 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The frantic pace of events almost makes you forget...
Cons: ... that the prose is less-than brilliant.
The Bottom Line: If you enjoy bestsellers, this book's for you. If you don't, then leave this one on the shelf.
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| slarter's Full Review: Dan Brown - Angels & Demons Books |
Dan Brown has been embraced most enthusiastically by the book-buying masses. He has also, however, engendered a correspondingly negative reaction from certain of the literati. In a certain sense, I can empathize with both points of view. Brown seems to have cultivated a style that, to those who prefer well-constructed writing, can be exceedingly irritating. At times, he stretches toward a realm of literacy that is well above him, and in failing, creates a jarringly stilted kind of prose. On the other hand, he has an uncanny knack for creating tension within his narrative, to the point where the ludicrousness of the action ceases to matter, and even the critical reader cannot help but surreptitiously cheer for the beleaguered protagonists. The Da Vinci Code embedded Brown firmly in popular culture, but it was in Angels and Demons that he first introduced his most recognizable character, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.
<=== Characters & Plot ===>
Entirely too early in the morning, Robert Langdon is pulled from the depths of a disturbing dream by the sound of his telephone. It is, predictably, just another nutcase looking to cash in on Langdon’s notoriety as an expert on the esoteric, or so he thinks. Mere minutes later, when the symbol of a secret society long believed to be defunct chatters out of his fax machine, he is no longer quite so skeptical. Leonardo Vetra, particle physicist, priest, and genius, has been horribly murdered, his neck brutally broken and his bare chest branded with a symbol that should not still exist, the symbol of the Illuminati. Yanked from his home and flown halfway around the world, Langdon finds himself inextricably embroiled in an investigation that promises to shake the very foundations of Christendom, a desperate effort to save some of the world’s greatest treasures, and the lives of thousands of people.
Joining him on his quest is Vittoria Vetra, biophysicist, beauty, and daughter of the murdered scientist. Now, on the trail of the murderer, Langdon and Vetra are ushered into the most secretive compound on the planet, the world’s smallest independent state: the Vatican. There, with help from the recently-deceased Pope’s camarlengo (personal assistant), Carlo Ventresca, the two hurl themselves into a race against time, working frantically to save four of the world’s holiest men, and to prevent the masterstroke of a society dedicated to the violent destruction of the Roman Catholic church. The lives of four cardinals, and thousands of innocents, now hinge on Robert’s ability to decipher centuries-old clues in a race against an immutable ultimatum. Failure is not an option.
<=== Analysis ===>
It is not hard to discern the problems that many have with Dan Brown’s writing. Indeed, the very first page of the novel would act as a deterrent to any who valued excellent prose. The first annoyance comes in the form of the “instant translation.” For some reason, Brown assumes that the average book reader has absolutely no command of the Italian language. This assumption is most likely correct, but the manner in which he addresses this concern is, to be honest, rather insulting. We, as readers, are supposed to accept the fact that a man fluent in Italian, speaking to another man fluent in Italian, would make his remarks in Italian first, then, for some reason, repeat them in English. This would not have been a difficult issue to avoid. Simply placing the English equivalent outside of the quotation marks would have accomplished the translation without placing it in the mouth of the speaker, but Brown, inexplicably, chose not to do this.
The second irritant arrives very soon after the first. In a recent review, I mentioned the fact that certain contemporary authors had an unfortunate predilection toward crafting abhorrently truncated sentences. Dan Brown, sadly, is one of these authors. Returning to that portentous first part of the novel, one finds two examples of this near the end of the page. To elaborate, I should clarify the fact that, in my mind, at least, a sentence consisting of a single word is not a sentence at all. Brown seems to think that one-word sentences are an effective means of building tension, which they most decidedly are not. A single adjective does not a sentence make. This irritating propensity of Brown’s does not endear him to those of us who demand, at the very least, a subject and a verb in our sentences.
Still, despite the annoyance of a less-than-perfect writing style, Angels and Demons manages to be a captivating novel. Once the initial characterizations and plot expositions are dispensed with, we are free to enjoy the frenetic pace at which the story unfolds. Even though the setup and characterizations are somewhat irritating, the sense of danger Brown creates is palpable, and the urgency of the action compelling. At a certain point in the novel, even the incredulous reader has accepted the unsubtle premise and the predictable characterizations, and must move on to enjoying the story as it unfolds. In truth, we even feel a certain sense of satisfaction at deciphering the upcoming plot twists before they are revealed. Thus, though the prose may elicit sneers and a rather bourgeois hauteur from more literate readers, Brown yet manages to craft a quite readable story, chock-full of action, (unlikely) romance, and esoteric intrigue.
<=== Finale ===>
The phenomenon that is Dan Brown, now that I have actually experienced one of his novels, is actually a great deal more comprehensible. In Angels and Demons, he touches upon topics as diverse as particle physics and obscure symbology, and the credulous reader can’t help but be seduced by the intriguing nature of the facts he purports to reveal. For those of us who already know a bit about particle physics, the pseudo-science Brown reveals falls a little short of fascinating, but we can certainly see the allure of the unknown, and understand, to some degree, the success that his thrillers have enjoyed. In the end, Angels and Demons garners only a lukewarm recommendation from me. Those whose conception of good prose begins and ends with the New York Times bestseller list will likely be less distracted by the writing style than I was, and, similarly, those who enjoy esoterica will enthusiastically absorb the heretofore-unknown facts that Brown reveals, and revel in the fast-paced plot that borders on the senseless. Though they can be rather entertaining, the cynical and critical reader should probably avoid Brown’s novels. If you must attempt them, make sure you leave the better part of your critical faculties behind before you start. Perhaps then you’ll be more inclined to join the approving masses that have kept The Da Vinci Code on the bestseller list for weeks on end.
© SL, 2004
Recommended:
Yes
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slarter
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Reviews written: 131
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