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
I agree with both Stacy and Brianna. "Angels and Demons" and "The Da Vinci Code" have some obvious similarities. The basic plot line, characters, and problem to be solved are nearly identical. But I don't believe that it necessarily means that Dan Brown is "creatively challenged". I think he wrote them similarly so that each book would be able to stand on its own. When we read "The Da Vinci Code", we were all captivated by Brown's intricate set up. Thus, Brown would need that same set up again in "Angels and Demons", since he can't guarantee that all who read it would have read "The Da Vinci Code".
ReplyDeleteAlso, why do you think that Brown wrote "Angels and Demons" after "The Da Vinci Code" as a PREquel? Couldn't he have easily made it a sequel, or wrote the other one first?
i've also noticed the similarities, and find it interesting that you've mentioned the differences between kohler and fache. Kohler and fache as you pointed out are very different, and fache seemed to be tied into everything when he really was not. Likewise, i think Kohler will change sides in this book. He is not suspecting thus far, but i think Dan Brown made it that way to get us to think one thing about him when the opposite is true, just like he did with Fache. I feel like Kohler will end up suspecting him and plotting against him.
ReplyDeleteAbout Ally's question, I read somewhere (now don't quote me on this) that Brown had the idea of Angels and Demons before The Da Vinci Code. He wrote it as a prequel because this novel gives more insight into Langdon's personality and character, and helps readers understand Langdon more in The Da Vinci Code . Also, this novel introduces Vittoria, so obviously it had to come first.
ReplyDeleteJust to bring more information about "Angels and Demons." "Angels and Demons" was written in 2000, and "The Da Vinci Code" was written in 2003. Originally the series was suppose to go "Angels and Demons" then "The Da Vinci Code." But since "The Da Vinci Code" gained so much popularity, everyone was reading the second book of the series rather than the first. So now "Angels and Demons" is considered the prequel to "The Da Vinci Code."
ReplyDeleteIn response to Derek. I don't believe that Kohler is going to change sides. He was clearly disturbed by the fact that Leonardo Vitra and his daughter had create a quarter of a gram of antimatter. As a CERN creation, this would cause a lot of trouble if it went off and killed thousands of innocent people since Kohler is the director of CERN. It is obvious the Illuminati want to destory the Vatican. But how did the assassin supposedly become "a believer" when Janus did something that got onto the headlines of every newspaper and proved that the Illuminati was still alive. I think whoever Janus is, it has to be someone that we least expect. Someone that is always offering a helping hand like what happened in "The Da Vinci Code" with Teabing.
One question though. Does Brown's writing style still appeal to the audience? When "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" follow the same plot line, someone can easily predict the upcoming events and conflicts that could occur between characters.
I think it's interesting how the two books appear to be so similar. I wonder if he did that intentionally. Also, it bothers me that after watching the movie, I can't seem to remember what I thought Langdon looked like. So now I'm reading Angels & Demons hearing Tom Hanks' voice and picturing him. And poor Langdon. This guy has dealt with so much death and grossness. I wouldn't have been able to handle it. It just seems kind of unrealistic. I mean, he's a cryptologist. I don't think any cryptologist is going to get that much action in their lives. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows.
ReplyDeleteAlso something I thought about the Da Vinci Code movie: We had talked about how Langdon's interactions with other people seemed fake in the book. I noticed that it also seemed like that at some points in the movie. It will be interesting to see if it still feels that way to me while reading Angels & Demons.
But Ben, if you remember, we were all extremely convinced that fache was the teacher in the Da Vinci Code, but that didnt turn out to be true, so whos to say that it wont happen again...
ReplyDeleteAnother thing: creating a quarter of a pound of antimatter is nearly impossible as the second they contact anything, they "annihilate" each other and turn into pure energy. I have contemplated the development of antimatter a lot, and although im not a nuclear physicist, i dont think there is any way to hold it for long (by long i mean more than a millisecond). They have too much energy, like a typical electron, or subatomic particle. One could try to develop a vaccuum and then try to contain it magnetically, but the energy would be too great and it would "annihilate" that particle. Also, when one positron is created an electron is created too (they are just a different arrangement of quarks). When one electron comes into contact with a positron due to their energy they would annihilate each other. One would be rpelled on all sides, one would attracted on all sides...theyd both be stuck in the middle therefore annihilation would be imminent in a short period of time. Also, the energy needed would be monstrous and very costly, and would work slowly. The annihilation would begin immediately after the first creation of the positron/electron combo, and a quarter of a gram of antimatter is an incredibly large amount. I dont see how that is remotely possible, and just thought id say something i didnt like about the book.