Angels and Demons is the first novel I ever read. After which I read a lot of different types of books and in my opinion there are two kinds of books, those that are for your joy, that help you to escape from your worries, but not necessarily have a lasting impact on you. Then there are those that do, those that make you ask questions about life and the way you look at certain things and gives a certain perspective on these things.
Angels and Demons is a blend of both. It is a book for those who just want an escape or for those who want some answers or some clarity. It was right at the beginning of my 11th grade. I changed my school and I was going to live in a hostel for the first time. That was a big change for me and I don’t really like changes. In the beginning few weeks, me being an introvert, did not speak with any of my roommates. I was feeling really lonely and I didn’t even have a phone (now when I look back at it I don't know how I managed those days). The only thing that helped me during this change was this novel. I love watching movies and web series, they help me to forget all my worries and it was sort of an escape mechanism for me. But as much as I loved them, I was never truly engaged in them. This changed after reading this novel. After reading for a few pages I got hooked up and it didn’t feel like I was reading a story, it felt like I was living in it. It was the first time I truly escaped from this world. Instead of getting to know about these characters, I felt as if I was the characters. From then on I kept on reading. Reading was like meditation. It was so peaceful.
Now about the book, it is narrated from a third person perspective, so you get to explore several characters. If you read the synopsis on the back cover in the image above you see a mysterious murder, resurgence of a long lost cult, ‘Robert Langdon’ your standard ‘I’ve got answers to all your problems’ protagonist and ‘Vittoria Vetra’ his intelligent beautiful companion racing against time to find a destructive weapon to save the world. The plot is well paced with excellent dialogue (a bit of heavy exposition sometimes), it has all the elements of a best-selling pop culture novel. But, there is a lot more to it than it appears to be. Apart from the various historical references (which are really cool, but not really accurate), the main concepts discussed in the book are ‘God’ or more accurately 'Faith’ and ‘Science’ ; these are presented in a very logical manner and the author accomplishes in showing the dual nature of the both. I feel he succeeds in telling us about their flaws and merits and their differences, but in the end how they both share a similar goal ‘Understanding our universe’. This is achieved with the characters of The Camerlengo and Maximilian Kohler and how their personal circumstances put them in the path they are on and their respective beliefs and actions. Both believe in opposite things, yet they are similar persons who would be in the other’s position if their circumstances have been reversed. The author slowly reveals these concepts as the novel progresses laying ideas and asking questions about them and provides answers in an exhilarating ending. Though on surface it may appear the author is against religion and God, in truth the author supports the concept of ‘Faith’ which can be seen through the end of the story.
I am an atheist or more of an agnostic. Though I’m curious about the existence of God,(no offence to anyone) I don’t really care if such a higher power really exists. But what is wrong about my ideology is, I used to think that (again no offence) worship of god and other religious practices are a waste of time. I was wrong and this book helped me realise that. Yes, there are some practices that are quite extreme but keeping them aside, the main aspect of any religion is ‘Faith’. Faith is a very powerful tool. The belief that there is power that observes all our actions, judges us based on these actions and thus rewards or punishes us helps in maintaining an order in our society. Now I believe that without the concept of ‘God’, the world would be in chaos. Faith in God or Fear of God are quite similar, both require accepting that God exists. Fear of God though a negative thing keeps a person from doing the wrong thing and also stops us from crossing ethics. Then there is ‘Faith’, I am not talking about any religion or their practices neither does the book, but it shows you how having Faith in a greater power gives hope to the hopeless and a purpose to those who are lost. And this is very important. I still don’t believe in God, but now I understand the purpose of the concept and I respect it. After reading all this you may feel the novel is too philosophical for your taste, but trust me the action, the mysteries and the slow romantic arc keeps you hooked till the end.
You see there is also something else that makes books as great as there are. They help you to live your life to your fullest, letting you experience things that you normally don’t have the chance to do. So start reading and Angels & Demons is a terrific book to start with.
Comments