Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown is a book I simply enjoy reading as the fast-paced thriller novel enthralls me. This novel is not only exciting, but also gives readers lessons to be taken from the novel. Such high importance is the lessons to be followed from the novel that it affects the main character (Robert Langdon).The lessons learnt are as such:

One must be persistent and determined to achieve any target. In this novel, Robert tries to stop the Illuminati (a legendary secret society) which tries to destroy the Vatican City with antimatter. During the chase, Robert faces lots of trouble and also unforeseen circumstances (ie. the death of a few cardinals) as well as the assassin kidnapping his friend, Vittoria Vetra. Though Robert could have already given up at that point, he did not give on and pressed on. With his determination and persistence, he succeeded in stopping the Illuminati from destroying the Vatican City thus preventing lots of damage and disaster.

Cooperation is crucial in any form of work. Robert Langdon with his trusty sidekick Vittoria Vetra work and stay close together throughout the novel. Both of them worked together to get rid of the assassin and to foil the Illuminati's plans to destroy the Vatican.

One should not think highly of oneself. Though the Camerlango (administrator of properties and revenue of the Vatican) appears to be helping Robert and Vittoria at first, it is later found out that the Camerlango was wanting to become the new pope, thus accusing himself of receiving a vision from God. The Illuminati involvement was also found out to be a plot by the Camerlango to cover his own secret plans. The plan soon backfires when Mortati (Dean of the College of the Cardinals) reveals the Camerlango to be in fact the biological child of the late pope, conceived through artficial insemination through a nun. In despair, the Camerlango sets himself on fire.

Conclusively, this novel gives one ample time to ponder on the values of oneself as well to reevaluate lessons to be taken into consideration to be applied in our daily lives. Therefore, it is hope that the readers of the novel have learnt valuable lessons.

Lim Kong Sun