Has anyone read 'Da Vinci Code' AND 'Angels & Demons' by Dan Brown?

Question

Does the story not seem to have some striking resemblances? Anyone else feel a bit cheated?

Answer 1

Yes, I had the same reaction. Actually, I've read all 4 of his books, and they all have similarities (e.g. someone killed in chapter 1 & that person holds the clue to some mystery to be solved; some mystery person who is trying to foil everything, similar styles of each chapter's start, etc.) Angels & Demons and Da Vinci Code are the most similiar; Digital Fortress is relatively the most different.

If you haven't already, you should try the Da Vinci challenges on line. Go to Danbrown.com. Also, there's a code at the end of Digital Fortress. Hint: look at the chapter beginnings.

Answer 2

please dont read if you are planning to read his other books but i have read all 4 dan brown books. angels and demons is focused on the "illuminati" while da vinci is about the lost goddess the content is not that similar really with the exception that the church features heavily . after reading all four books its quite disappointing to see that they all have the same theme and the same villian, the big twist he leads up to becomes predictable. angels gave us the camerlago then da vinci gave us sir leigh deception point gave us pickering and digital fortress gave us the head of crypto sorry if that spoils it for some people i would still recomment the books as they are very well written although a bit on the short side. one good point about the last 2 books the church is not featured anywhere this time its the nro and the nsa that get roasted no sign of a tweed jacket either

Answer 3

It is my understanding that the angels book was written first and he couldn't get it published. Then he wrote the Da book, and then got the angel book published on the "coattails" of the succesful book.
I thought the da book was fun and engaging. The angel book was sorta dull.
The movie was very close to the book, but I had a couple of objections. The book had Sophie as a more equal partner, coming up some of the most important clues. I liked a strong and intelligent and mysterious woman who wasn't a villian.
In the movie, she just got dragged from one clue to the other by the hero.She hardly knew anything, just was a cryptologist in title.Just like every other Hollywood movie, they used a young, beautiful clueless stencil for her.
And Tom Hanks was horribly miscast. I loveTom Hanks, but his receding hairline/forehead entered the room 10 minutes before he did. He was too old to be a romantic lead for the girl, and too soft and fatherly to be an adventurer, fighting murderers. He could be believable as a cuddly professor, who pees himself when a bad guy points at him.
I was thinking Jude Law or even Johnnie Depp for a youngish professor who can run around, being actually HELPED by a young woman.
I usually love Ron Howard's movies and I was looking for greatness here. He missed an opportunity to make a fabulous movie, breaking new ground, in his paranoid effort to get it exactly right.

Answer 4

Hey, find a plot device that works for you and stick with it. Brown's not the first author to do that, and he won't be the last. I enjoyed both books, even if they were a little formulaic. What Brown does very well is present new facts and theories within his structure. The Da Vinci Code did not repeat information in Angels and Demons, even if it was structured the same.

Answer 5

Nope, 2 different stories same main character. The Da Vinci Code its the continuation of Angels & Demons but the first one hes tryng to save the Vatican to be blown into pieces and the second hes looking for and protecting the holy grail. For my taste I liked Angels & Demons better than the Code more action fast paced, the murders, the secret Vatican City, and all the true facts he adds to the book are very well narrated.

Answer 6

I read the Da Vinci Code first then Angels and Demons and I was kind of mad when I saw that the beginnings were so similar. I liked Angels and Demons more though.

Answer 7

They are both good books anyway so it doesnt really matter much does it? I devour books, and as long as they are good and I cant put them down, then I consider it good value for money. I never went to see the Da Vinci Code at the flicks though, cos I am sure they would have ruined it!!

Answer 8

NO. EVERYONE IS LYING. NO ONE READ THE BOOK. IT WAS JUST A TITLE.
Are you a moron? The book has been out for a couple of years and was a best seller and so was the da Vinci code. Have you been drinking again.

Answer 9

I read them both, and enjoyed them. Brown can spin a heckuva yarn. They were very similar, but then, they are based on some of the same prinicples. How many authors out there can you possibly say have a totally different book every time? Most authors follow up novels have the same flavor, because it's their voice you are reading.

Answer 10

If you feel that way, don't read any books by Robert Ludlum, Dick Francis, and I'm sure many more. Many thriller writers have a style or a "formula" which they use in every book. I agree that they're virtually the same book, but provided you don't read them too close to each other then if you like one the second one is also entertaining. Unless you're a devout catholic, obviously ;-)