Controversial book makes a great read

One of the most controversial authors of the past few years is Dan Brown. His book, “The Da Vinci Code,” about a secret organization that protects the hiding place of the Holy Grail, raised a lot of angry questions from churches. “The Da Vinci Code” became popular quickly due to its controversy; however, it was not the first “Robert Langdon” book that Dan Brown wrote. His first, and often overlooked, book is “Angels and Demons.”

This book is an amazing adventure from page one. It starts with a heart pounding murder. The hero, Robert Langdon, is called to the murder scene where he discovers a scientist Leonardo Vetra. Vetra is branded with an ambigram, which is a word that can be read regular, or upside down, of the word Illuminati. The Illuminati, Langdon reveals is an ancient society of scientists.

Throughout the book, Langdon has to stop the Illuminati by chasing down a killer, who has kidnapped four men who were in line to become the next Pope, while also trying to find a tube of anti-matter which is basically a huge bomb waiting to happen.

This book is wonderful. It has everything to keep a reader going: action, mystery, and a little romance on the side. There are the nail biting moments, when everything looks bleak, and also “sigh of relief” moments.

There are enough twists and turns in this book that the reader doesn’t see coming. This is one of Brown’s strengths. He always manages to keep the reader guessing up until the very last second.

“Angels and Demons” has history and science presented in an interesting way, so even if you don’t want to, you learn while you read. For example, Michelangelo is the most referenced artist in the book. As the book goes on, you learn about his artwork, and his history. Also, the reader learns about the ancient organization of the Illuminati, which included well-known people like Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered gravity. With every page, there’s new and fascinating information.

With interesting history, a murder mystery, a smart, good-looking hero, and a limited time to save half of Rome, this sounds like a great book, right?

However, the book, like “The Da Vinci code,” raised many controversies (although maybe not as many). “Angels and Demons” addresses that science and religion are intertwined, something most people don’t recognize.

Yes, Brown is an exceedingly controversial writer. However, sometimes readers just have to take a deep breath and accept that he is a fiction writer. Everything he writes is used simply for the purpose of entertainment. It is a thriller novel, with some personal views mixed in.

Despite the controversy or anything bad you may have heard about Brown’s books, they are all fantastic. Shake it off and try it. Who knows? You might actually love it.