Dan Brown

[ApK]

Originally Posted by peachiekene

This so much.
I did enjoy Angels and Demons - especially the little picture things where you could turn them all sorts of ways and they'd be the same in various directions.

I did make the mistake of reading The DaVinci Code right after it and they are basically the same book. (I don't mind some formulas, but I don't usually find it that obvious.)

I didn't vote because I've only read those two. I enjoyed the first one and could barely finish the second. (Massive amounts of skimming is the only reason I finished it.

Do you think if you read them in the other order, you'd have liked "DaVinci" and skimmed "Angels" or do you think that despite the similarities, "Angels" was better for other reasons?

[HarryT]

A very inconsistent author, to my mind. I thought "Da Vinci Code" was great, "Angels and Demons" poorer, and "The Lost Symbol" poor. But his latest, "Inferno", I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by ApK

Do you think if you read them in the other order, you'd have liked "DaVinci" and skimmed "Angels" or do you think that despite the similarities, "Angels" was better for other reasons?

I read DaVinci Code first and liked it. Then I read Angels & Demons and liked it better. I can't remember specifically why. I think it was because I liked the plot & unraveling of the mystery better. I do remember thinking they were similar.

[afv011]

It's a mixed bag. I quite enjoyed "Angels & Demons" and "Deception point", but "Digital fortress" was utterly disappointing. I'm reading now Inferno, and I think it's neither here nor there, it's good, but he's done better.

[peachiekene]

Originally Posted by ApK

Do you think if you read them in the other order, you'd have liked "DaVinci" and skimmed "Angels" or do you think that despite the similarities, "Angels" was better for other reasons?

I think it was the combination of reading them in order ("Angels" followed by "DaVinci") as well as reading them back to back.

This was also back in 2006 when the movie was coming out so there was a lot of hype about it. There really isn't any way it could have lived up to the reputation it had at that time.

-----
Edit: Just realized I misread the question a little bit.

I'm not sure. As mentioned above, I read them in 2006 so it's hard to say and I don't have a desire to reread either of them.
I do think I still would have prefered "Angels" because I didn't skim. They are basically the same book, but I think "Angels" was a bit more concise (better editing??) and "DaVinci" was a bit more long winded.

[Klim Chugunkin]

Once you read one Dan Brown's book, reading the others is just a waste of time. Too repetitive, too predictable.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Klim Chugunkin

Once you read one Dan Brown's book, reading the others is just a waste of time. Too repetitive, too predictable.

Have you read "Inferno"? It took me completely by surprise. Definitely not at all predictable.

[pdurrant]

I haven't read any of his work, so I've abused my moderatorial abilities to add an option to your poll so that I could vote.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I haven't read any of his work, so I've abused my moderatorial abilities to add an option to your poll so that I could vote.

And as one who has also never read any of his work, I appreciate said option!

[alanHd]

I didn't vote has I find the quality up and down, Angels and Demons at the top and the Digital Fortress at the bottom. Inferno did surprise me, better than I expected

[Klim Chugunkin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Have you read "Inferno"? It took me completely by surprise. Definitely not at all predictable.

No, I gave up on the third or fourth book; don't remember the exact sequence. Never had any desire to come back.

[ballfresno]

I read all he had in print when Da Vinci came out in a single burst of reading... I enjoyed them by not taking them too seriously but I did find myself skipping pages at times. The only one I was very disappointed in was the Digital Fortress.

I haven't read any of his books since then which, I think, means that I've not read The Lost Symbol and Inferno. No real rush to do so which I guess says it all in terms of my rating of his writing.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I haven't read any of his work, so I've abused my moderatorial abilities to add an option to your poll so that I could vote.

Thanks for the option!

Now I, too, can vote.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Have you read "Inferno"? It took me completely by surprise. Definitely not at all predictable.

I agree, the ending also took me by surprise.

Spoiler:

It was good that it was not yet another "and the hero saves the day" ending, in this case the villain manages to accomplish his goal.

That said, once it was known that the virus was free, the fact that it was a sterility virus was obvious.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I haven't read any of his work, so I've abused my moderatorial abilities to add an option to your poll so that I could vote.

Thanks +1. Saw the Da Vinci Code film, though, and have to say it bored me to tears. I guess reading Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum ruined the secret society/ancient conspiracy genre for me long ago.