Chapters 1-28

I would like to answer Stacy's questions, which bring up excellent points.

The first topic of conversation is the obvious comparison between The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. The beginnings are exactly the same. Like EXACTLY. As Stacy pointed out, the Prologue is of a man getting killed when being asked about information. Then you read about Langdon in a nice room, sleeping and getting woken up at a disgustingly early time, with an urgent plea to come see something that he needs to see. Then he sees a picture of a person who was brutally murdered with cryptic word(s) nearby (or in this case, on top of the body) and the Langdon gets taken to the scene of the crime. Then the girl comes in, who is related to the victim. And the guy that shows Langdon around is always a little suspicious. And an ancient secret brotherhood is involved.

O__o

Come on, D-Brown, are you really that creatively-challenged? You couldn't have varied it a little? Sure there are variations, like Vittoria loves her father, whereas Sophie had been distant with her grandfather for 10 years, but the similar and basic plot is there.

Next, the comparison between Fache and Kohler. Fache is known as "The Bull" and Kohler as "The King," and their personalities have some similarities, but I think they will play different rolls. Kohler obviously doesn't suspect Langdon of committing the murder, so Kohler will not be chasing Langdon to England and France trying to capture him. Also, Kohler does not seem to have a part in the Illuminati. Fache was a devout Catholic and for a while it seemed like he was involved in the murder of Sauniere and the three other senechaux (I mean, who didn't think he was the Teacher for a while?). But Kohler is obviously not a part of the Illuminati. Though Kohler would be interested in a group that was "dedicated to the quest for scientific truth" (40), Kohler would not support a group that would kill Leonardo (name cannot be a coincidence) to take his antimatter and then use it to blow up the Vatican (I bet anyone 10 dollars that thats what they want to do). Kohler and Leonardo had "a mutual respect for each other," and was just as disgusted with the murder as Langdon was. He also was extremely surprised when finding out about the antimatter. Or Kohler is a really great actor. Either way.

Also, physically Fache and Kohler are very different. While they both create fear in their employees, Fache is a strong man, one who uses his strong appearance to gain reverence from others. Kohler is a weak old man that has to take medication every day, uses a wheelchair, and keeps coughing. I mean, his eyes are described as being lifeless! As Danny says, "two gray stones" (23). Very interesting, this comparison.

There are a few other things I would like to take note of. First of all, at the end of chapter 19, antimatter is written as "anti-matter." But for the rest of the chapters it was written as "antimatter." Is the first one a mistake? Or was it supposed to be an emphasis on the prefix "anti"? Hmmmmmmm...

Oh! And I thought it was interesting how in Angels and Demons, Langdon is having a difficult time believing that the Illuminati still existed, even though he had written a book on the group and knew much about them. Well, I mean that's why he didn't really believe it because Hassassian committed the act in a brutal way, unlike the way of the ancient Illuminati. But groups change, people change, and maybe the Illuminati underwent a horrible change as well. I think this might have been why Langdon started focusing on the Priory after this incident, because it was an old, ancient group that still existed. He probably figured if the Illuminati still existed, it would be worthwhile to study other groups.

Then again, Langdon is a fictional character, and cannot make these choices...

It's interesting that The Da Vinci Code was more religious-based and Angels and Demons is more scientific based. It makes me wonder what the last book will be based on... A combination of both? Or something completely random and out of the ordinary?

And I want an epic battle between Vittoria and Sophie in the last book over Langdon's honor! PLEASEEEEEEEE!

Hmmmm there was something else... I remember! This book was obviously written after The Da Vinci Code because otherwise Langdon would have made many, many, MANY comparisons between Sauniere's death and Leonardo's in The Da Vinci Code. Prequels usually fail in this aspect.

And that's it! Enjoy! :)

Brianna

Coolio

This is the same upside down. Just in case you didn't know. :)

Angels and Demons first 100 pages!

Notice I didn't put a range of chapters. It is not because I do not own the book yet. No sir. Definitely not.

o__O

I figure since this is break, people should have TONS of time to read, so the first 100 pages sounds good to me! Not that you weren't going to read that far anyways.

Another blog post after my trip to Bord-- nevermind.

Brianna

The Movie

Hi everyone!

I know we're supposed to be reading Angels and Demons and blogging about that, but I'd like to first discuss the Da Vinci Code movie. We didn't really have time after watching it to discuss. I think, through our constant commentary during the movie, we all agreed that it was NOT as good as the book. Personally, I loved the book, and absolutely hated the movie... but nevertheless, we should talk about it.
So...

1. Do you think the actors portrayed each of their characters appropriately? (I know the actress who played Sophie was annoying, but even so, did she do a good job?)

2. The movie obviously deviated from the book at certain times. Which changes affected your interpretation positively, and which affected it negatively?

3. Why do you believe certain changes were made? Do the changes help or hurt an audience that hadn't read the book? If you hadn't had read the book, would you see the movie in a more positive light?

4. Were the visuals of the movie similar to what you interpreted as you read the book?

Happy New Year! See you in 2011! :)
-Ally Wang

Angels and Demons

Hey Everyone!! I hope you guys are having fun over break. However, we still haven't decided on which book to read next. I believe we have talked about this before the break, but just to make sure. Does everyone want to read Angels and Demons next?

Fache?

Just throwing this out there...

Did ANYONE see that coming with Fache? I totally thought he was faking it when he said he wanted to help. Really. I thought he was the Teacher or something.

THE END

Well, this is the end... -sigh-... And I know Ben already made a post, but I figured that since there are plenty of online discussion questions intelligent questions that I made up all by myself, that I would post them on here so that we can have a wide variety of questions that could lead to interesting discussions. So here they are!


1. As a symbologist, Robert Langdon has a wealth of academic knowledge that helps him view the world in a unique way. Now that you've read The Da Vinci Code, are there any aspects of life/history/faith that you are seeing in a different light?

2. Langdon and Teabing disagree as to whether the Sangreal documents should be released to the world. If you were the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion, would you release the documents? If so, what do you think their effect would be?

3. What observations does this novel make about our past? How do these ideas relate to our future?

4. Other than his fear of being framed for murder, what motivates Langdon to follow this perilous quest? Do his motivations change?

5. The novel's "quest" involves numerous puzzles and codes. Did you enjoy trying to solve these puzzles along with the characters? Did you solve any of the puzzles before the characters did?

6. If you could spend a day in any of the places described in this novel, where would it be, and why? The Louvre? Westminster Abbey? Rosslyn Chapel? The Temple Church? Somewhere else?

7. Historian Leigh Teabing claims the founding fathers of Christianity hijacked the good name of Jesus for political reasons. Do you agree? Does the historical evidence support Teabing's claim?

8. Has this book changed your ideas about faith, religion, or history in any way?

9. Would you rather live in a world without religion...or a world without science?

10. Saunière placed a lot of confidence in Langdon. Was this confidence well-placed? What other options might Saunière have had? Did Saunière make the right decision separating Sophie from the rest of her family?

11. Do you imagine Langdon should forgive Teabing for his misguided actions? On the other hand, do you think Teabing should forgive Langdon for refusing to release the Sangreal documents?

12. Does the world have a right to know all aspects of its history, or can an argument be made for keeping certain information secret?

13. What is interesting about the way this story is told? How are the episodes of the novel arranged and linked? In your discussion, you might want to identify where the turning points in the action are where those moments are after which everything is different. Did you anticipate them?

14. What is the novel's theme? What central message or idea links all the other components of the novel together?

15. For most people, the word "God" feels holy, while the word "Goddess" feels mythical. What are your thoughts on this? Do you imagine those perceptions will ever change?

16. Will you look at the artwork of Da Vinci any differently now that you know more about his "secret life?"

17. Does The Da Vinci Code opens doors to discussion about religion, as Dan Brown has said, or does it close them?

18. Is the depiction of women in this novel a tribute to their intelligence, or does it subtly uphold the patriarchal structures it purports to rail against?

19. In what ways is The Da Vinci Code similar to other popular novels in the thriller genre? In what ways does it depart from them?

20. How does The Da Vinci Code juxtapose ancient and modern worlds?

21. How do Langdon’s flashbacks to his teaching work in the States contribute to the narrative?

Please enjoy these questions!! And I hope everyone enjoyed The Da Vinci Code! :)

-Brianna