Hannibal

Rating:
Summary: A sad dissappointment
Review: How sad to read Hannibal the day of its release and discover that only evil exists in all characters- with no sense of available redemption. Previous Harris books offered this hope. Hannibal does not. Although many characters are sicker than Lecter himself, their sickness is unrealistic. Turning Lecter into a sick saviour of sorts is also hardly satisfying. I will be looking elsewhere for my summer reading thrill. Sally Anne Leger

Rating:
Summary: ChristI'mthrilled!
Review: I just finished the book, having been a fan for years (my cat's name is Thomas Harris, and Not just Tom!).... but this book rocks! At first, I wasn't sure, but the more I read the more I SAVORED-- I had to re-read parts to prolong the ride! Horrific and awesome! If they do make it into a movie, they Must use the same actors... but they'll never portray it like it was written... Great Book--- now I'll be in suspense for years to come waiting for the next... Clarisse will snap out of it. won't she??!!

Rating:
Summary: Why Italy.......Why the ending?
Review: I promise I will not reveal the ending but let me say.....whatever! What a let down. Although I loved that we got to know Dr. Lecter but why would Mr. Harris do what he did? I realize that "yes it's only a book", but I have waited years to find out what happens to all these characters. I cannot believe that this was how he chose to leave these people!! I found the part in Italy (forgive me) but boring untill right before we leave Italy, and the ending...AAARRGG!! I hope in another decade there will be an explanation for this book as well!!

Rating:
Summary: Hannibal: A Complex Book With a Puzzling Aftertaste
Review: The newest addition to Harris' series is well-crafted, nicely paced and a good read --especially if you know what to expect from a Hannibal the Cannibal tale. The narrative is filled with imagery of exquisite sensory experiences in art, food (no not THAT) and fine wine interspersed with cavalier descriptions of horrific brutalities. The horror is served up on a platter of cultivated sensitivity and fear. It's great stuff but the ending is truly mystifying. I'm left with more questions than answers.....do you smell a sequil in the air? MEK

Rating:
Summary: I expected more after 11 years
Review: After the masterpiece that was Silence of the Lambs, I was going nuts waiting for Morbidity of the Soul/Hannibal to come out. Needless to say, I got it the day it came out and finished it within the week.

The book is VERY good, but pales in comparison to SOTL and makes you wonder what took so long for this book to get written. Harris tells a very interesting story that lacks the verbal duels b/t Starling and Lechter in SOTL and the last 40 or so pages are a letdown in my opion (others I've talked with loved the ending).

If you are a fan of Red Dragon and SOTL, you have to read this book and it's well worth your time. If you haven't read them....read them first then tackle this book.

Rating:
Summary: Did Thomas Harris really write this book?!!
Review: I finished "Hannibal" early this morning. It left me feeling like I'd been CHEATED! This book is a completely inadequate addition to the sometimes brilliant always extremely engrossing books Mr. Harris has written to date. It leaves me with the feeling that it was ghost-written at the behest of some publishing executive who was solely interested in book sales and movie rights.

Now for my reasons. In "The Red Dragon", Mr. Harris created a serial killer so rich in detail I was brought to tears when it was explained how this person became a monster. We are also introduced to Jack Crawford, Will Graham and the great Hannibal Lector. Mr. Harris continued his tour de force with "Silence of the Lambs" where we are introduced to Clarice Starling and Paul Krendler while the brilliant and courageous Will Graham is dismissed as being an alcoholic with a scarred face living in seclusion in Florida.

Now to Hannibal. This time Crawford is the great character dumped on the scrap pile. After the brilliant start in her career, Harris expects us to believe that Krendler has cleverly orchestrated Clarice's career so that she's relegated minor assignments. On the other hand Krendler is so obviously a jerk, you'd think anyone with the brains of an amoeba could see what he's up to.

All the "career-threatening" trouble Clarice has with the FBI could have handled easily by a second-year law student.

The explanations of Hannibal's behavior are weak and unconvincing. Harris would have done a lot better to leave them out. Harris also expects us to believe that one of the most infamous criminals in history can hide while living in high-style. (Josef Mengele couldn't pull that off.)

Of course Clarice finds him with ridiculous ease.

I could go on here, but I'll finish now. "Hannibal" is little more than your basic off-the-shelf thriller. The kind of book you read on a flight ot Tokyo and leave on the seat for the next passenger.

It is not worthy of Thomas Harris,not worth the seven year wait and definitely not worth the price. Wait for the paperback version you'll find at your local laundromat.

Rating:
Summary: Suspense almost as sharp as the infamous insicors.
Review: A trip through the vast chambers of Lecters mind. You can feel his breath on your neck, his elegance and manners in every encounter. "Hannibal" lets us see the side to Lecter we dare to discover. Human suffering and emotions. Excellent read, intelligent writing, simply mesmerizing.

Rating:
Summary: The best Sequel to a book you will ever read
Review: After reading Silence of the Lambs I often thought what would happen in the next one. Rumours surrounded the book for years and finally it is out. It has outlived all expectations and the twists and turns at the end are unpredictable. It's a must read for all Horror fans.

Rating:
Summary: a very disappointing novel
Review: After reading Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs I was really looking forward to the sequel. This book is a waste. A plodding plot, gore galore and a finish that is "bloody unlikely". Major surgery will be required to transform this sludge to the big screen. Bring back Will. (I would give this a "dog" if available as a voting option.)

Rating:
Summary: This book was a huge disappointment.
Review: You have got to be kidding me. A decade of waiting for this. Hannibal being on the next MIR mission would have been a more believable ending than what we got. I wish I knew Thomas Harris's address so I could mail the book back to him for a refund.