Rating: 
Summary: BUY THIS BOOK !
Review: I bought this book never reading a serial killer novel before, just listening to all of the good stuff a friend said about silence of the lambs, so i decided to buy the prequel and now after reading this I am buying the other sequels featuring Hannibal Lecter, he is not in this novel very much though only about 6 pages. Will Graham, F.B.I member member who cought Hannibal Lecter, is faced by a serial killer who kills whole families at once. He is aproached by FBI member Jack Crawford to help hunt down this killer. He puts all sanity he has left on the line to track down this killer. This novel has MANY twists and turns, this novel would have gotten 3 stars but the ending alone was such a suprise that I gave it 2 extra stars. I HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY THRILLER FANS. That is about all I can say without spoiling any of this GREAT novel.
Rating:
Summary: A fabulous psychological thriller
Review: I absolutely couldn't put this book down. Harris writes brilliantly and puts us in the mind of the killer; the man sent to track him; and others. The result is more than just reading a description of what happens - you feel as if you are living the entire events as they happen. It's chilling, gripping, and a book you won't soon forget. Don't miss it, especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyed This Book
Review: This was the first book by Thomas Harris that I have read but it definitely will not be my last. The beginning of the book started off slowly but it picked up quickly enough. I liked the "first look" at Hannibal Lecter and I really enjoyed both the "hero", Will Graham, as well as the "villian", Francis Dolarhyde. This is a welcome addition to anyone's collection who is already a fan of the "psycho" killer books and it should appeal to people not usually inclined to read this type of book just because the characters were so well developed. Buy the book and enjoy.
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Summary: Home movies will never be the same....
Review: Red Dragon was the first book I read in a very long time, after I had decided years of TV had numbed my senses! They were shaken back into action with avengence by this fantastic book. The plot revolves around ex-special agent/psychlogical profiler Will Graham's return for one last case as a favour to an old friend and colleague. Hunting a killer who slays entire families after 'selecting' them by viewing their home movies at the processing lab where he works the story drags you in with some amazing characterisation and clever sub-plots. For me one of the unique features of this book is the fact that every single character in the book is important to the way the story evolves helping to keep you guessing. Some say that Hannibal Lecter isn't in the book enough but he still has a central bearing and is in my opinion at his most evil. The strongest features however are the brilliant general style that keeps you reading and you heart pounding and the way in which you are compelled to feel sympathy for Francis Dolarhyde, the killer. You know you shouldn't but it's very hard not to. Overall a brilliant book that I wanted to read again as soon as I finished it. Some tiny flaws as others have suggested maybe, but once your entrapped by the story you'll have to try pretty hard to find them. I cant't recommend it highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary thriller
Review: I have purchased this book three times, and all three copies have been read to tatters. I've loaned it out to over 30 people, all of whom read it, loved it, and at least half of whom lost sleep from it (and even a couple who called in sick to work to finish it!). It's a true page-turner with richly drawn characters and is a sheer delight for the jaded reader weary of slick, psychokiller books of the week. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Good book. Not Great. But definitely worth buying
Review: I think the main reason that this book is a bestseller is because of the Thomas Harris tie-in with movies. All of his books have been made into excellent movies and most of the movies follow the books plotline to the letter. That can be a problem in that there is not much of a difference between the movie MANHUNTER and this book. The tracker is driven, the serial killer is a pathetic character with a need to be loved and a need to kill at the same time. It's an interesting study. The quibbling I have is almost retroactive and that is the character of Hannibal Lector. It wasn't until Silence of the Lambs that Harris returned to Lector and fleshed him out to the point that the serial killer in Lambs is almost an afterthought. If you are buying this book for another Hannibal Lector tale, you are going to be disappointed. Hannibal shows up for a couple of pages, says some things that deeply disturb the investigator and then fades into the background - although there is a major plot element toward the end that Hannibal Lector is involved in. However, that plot element could have been done without Hannibal Lector and you never see Hannibal Lector anyhow. But this is an excellent thriller, and excellent mystery and a very fast read. While there's nothing that you won't see in the movie, there's also nothing disappointing either.
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Summary: The Curse of Empathy
Review: Rarely has a novel revealed so clearly the terror and risk of really knowing another person. Will Graham is preturnaturally gifted at knowing other people; this not only leaves him open to the love of his wife and step-son, but to the horror of Hannibal Lecter and Francis Dolarhyde. The price of this empathy (even compassion for the murderers) is enormous. Harris even hints in this and the other novels in the trilogy that Lecter himself is cursed with this sensitivity; it is the source of his evil. And that wisdom makes this book not just a great thriller, but an enduring work of literature.
Rating:
Summary: An overlooked gem
Review: I read Hannibal first. That was probably a mistake, but if you did the same thing, make sure you pick up a copy of Red Dragon. This novel by Thomas Harris is the best, in my opinion, of the three "Hannibal Lecter" books. Will Graham is a profiler that is brought on the case of the Tooth Fairy, a serial murderer killing entire families. This is what makes the book so good. Even though the murders in Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal are gruesome, it isn't as though most of us really worry about a death like that. But the fear of someone breaking into your home, which is supposed to be a haven, and murdering not only you but also the people you love the most--that is a real fear that many share. One of the great things in this book, as opposed to SotL, is how we get in the head of the killer. We learn about his childhood not in a dossier or a debriefing but from his own memories. In the end, the killer is conflicted, torn between fulfilling what he believes is his destiny and doing what he knows is right, and I was actually able to empathize with him because of the suberb characterization. I am a stickler for research. This book is well researched. Nothing sticks out as wrong, everything advances the plot, and the subplots, like the relationship between Will and his wife Molly, only enhance the read. I guarantee you will not be able to put this book down, this is not a leisurely read. I thought the movies of Red Dragon (called Manhunter) and Silence of the Lambs were excellent, and I'm looking forward to Hannibal, but the books can't be beat.
Rating:
Summary: Certainly Worth Reading
Review: Sometimes the true test of a good book is whether or not you can lose yourself between the pages. Well, that is exactly what this book will do. The details are grusome at times, but fascinating. Although the book starts rather slowly when establishing the roots for the storyline, it ends with rapid page turning. You will easily become engrossed in the last half of the book and wish you could read faster! It didn't scare me to the point of sleepless nights, but it certainly will put some graphic images in your head that can be made as grusome as your imagination allows. A good read...stick through the first half of the book and you will be generously rewarded!
Rating:
Summary: Great read, dissapointing ending.
Review: Red Dragon is Thomas Harris's second novel. And one of my favorites. The whole book leads up to the ending that is long anticipated. You dive right into the book from the beginning and the plot just thickens. Every thing was great until the end of the book. The ending was completely expected. When you read the book you will know what I am talking about. I'm not suggesting anyone not to read this.. It was overall a great book!
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