Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant and wicked
Review: The book is brilliant and wicked. I do not understand the objections being raised. exactly what do people expect when they buy a book about a mad cannibal? The Hardy Boys? We now know that the good doctor is a modern vampire and he has made poor Claire his companion forever -- and we do not know that she is unhappy. Harris (if indeed he wrote the book) is a wicked, perhaps evil man. Remember the scene in the torture exhibit in Florence, when the good doctor enjoyed looking not at the instruments of torture but at the flushed faces of the audience? Does it occur to anyone that we, the readers, are those sick, drooling fools? I am surprised by all those who are denouncing the book. Let us recall that Thomas Harris has not been seen in some years. Is it possible that the good doctor has, shall we say, disposed of him, and written here his own autobiography? If so, I would not be criticizing the book, because the doctor is easily offended by bad taste, and he might come calling. ###
Rating: 
Summary: Needs to be sent back to the kitchen
Review: After a fast paced, cinematic opening the book slows to a crawl and barely creeps. Harris exchanges plot for a romp through the grotesque that freezes the action rather than pushes it onward. I started the novel delighted to be meeting old friends but finished it feeling my time had been wasted, as had the characters. Enough has already been said about the ending. If this scrambled narrative moves to the movies it will need some serious rewrites with an eye to widening the lense beyond the freakish. Its now a modern Dracula story that left this reader feeling drained, not by the horror but by the effort to maintain hope that the writing would ultimately redeem the storyline. No such luck. If this was a meal I'd send it back to the kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: A classic gone awry
Review: This is as bad as it gets. This follow-up to the classic, superbly written "Red Dragon" and the brilliant "The Silence of the Lambs" falls unbelievably and painfully flat. This book is regrettably almost excrutiating to read for anyone other than the most ardent Harris fan. An extraordinarily plodding and boring narrative and one of the most implausible and lurid plots that I have ever had the misfortune of reading. I cast my copy of this God-awful book to the swines. I don't even think that swine that haven't been fed for three days would read this drivel. Do yourself a favor and save your money; don't buy this book. Re-read "Red Dragon" and once again remember what an extraordinarily beguiling and engrossing experience reading can be.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely super Thomas Harris.
Review: I agree with the NY Times review. It's not as good as "...Lambs..." It's much better. Except for a slight loosening of his story telling reins at the very end (I guess he's entiled to a bit of whimsy), Thomas keeps his plot taut, spare, and targeted like an arrow (crossbow?) headed to the bull's eye. A pleasure to read.
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King, you were right ...
Review: Amazing - everyone on Amazon either loves it or hates it. Those who hated it all seem to think that Mr. Harris is under contract to us, the reading public, bound by some unwritten yet understood pledge to deliver a 'sequel', whatever that is. Does this come from watching too many episodes of Melrose Place? (As Hannibal said in SOTL in response to Starling stating that it was something Miggs would say: "Not any more ...") What Harris delivers is certainly more than a sequel - a separate and distinct work of art. Brilliant! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And as for the ending, which seems to have put everyone's panties in a bunch - again, brilliant.
Rating: 
Summary: A book for those who like Harris, not Demme.
Review: Harris has an increadible gift for bringing life's less pleasant aspects to a stunning, if not brutal light. While not for the squeemish, Harris is true to form and true to his charectors. If, after seeing the movie, you expect Anthony Hopkin's "Lecter," think again. As a charector, Lecter is written evil, without apology, and he makes no bones (forgive the pun) about it. If you search for safe summer reading, pick up Danniel Steel, but if you want to be scared and intruiged, this book is perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Original, if not disappointing ending, A page turner.
Review: I have only seen the movie "Silence of the Lambs" before reading Hannibal so I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book or not but decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed, well not till the ending but it was original I must admit. I was pulled through the book very fast and it always kept my interest. I now plan on buying the first two books so I get the complete Triology.
Rating: 
Summary: Starving for a proper sequel
Review: Where to start? It needed a better concept, then some actual editing. "Hannibal" mistakenly tries to recast the scary psycho into a somewhat sympathetic protector of Clarice Starling. As a result, I wasn't scared any more. I also was annoyed that Dr. Lecter is apparently some kind of martial arts master who's virtually unstoppable (how'd he get caught in the first place, then?). A big comedown from Harris' previous spare, straightforward, REALISTIC thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: First time Thomas Harris reader found Hannibal "intriguing"
Review: I have never before this read a Thomas Harris novel. I had seen "Silence of the Lambs." I am forever fascinated by the human mind and all it's complexities. I wonder about my own "sanity" at times. Harris reminded me that "sanity" is a word defined only by the context of the society one chooses. I found "Hannibal" fascinating reading and want to thank Mr. Harris for his research and the many years of his time that it took to spin this tale. It seems a shame that I took only 8-hours to read it. I devoured it and did not savor it as Dr. Lechter probably would have. It is time for me to go back to the Holy inspired Word of God as I have danced with the devil long enough and prefer the freedom of an ordered universe to that of chaos.Chaos is so tempting to me but ultimately so unsatisfying. Nevertheless, I felt this a well written book and of great entertainment value.
Rating: 
Summary: Too fast an ending...not much central character background
Review: Talk about marketing hype - the book got treated to the same feeding frenzy attributed to The Phantom Menace, but unfortunately - and similiarly - fell short of certain expectations. One would expect that with name of the book being attributed to the villian, it would shed more light on his shadowy past but is instead treated to details on his (admittedly) impeccable taste in food, wine and the fine arts (good taste, by the way). His childhood is merely brushed away on thoughts of his late sister, Misha (whom he later replaces with Clarice) and his parents of nobility mentioned en passant. What of his childhood after the war? His early education? How did he develop his depravity (was he forced to eat Misha as well)? Like Darth Maul, none of it is ever fully explained (worse in Darth Maul's case - he was killed before any of it was known, but i digress). The Red Dragon had a more informative history. The ending, unfortunately, had an alarcrity that suggested gun-induced pressure on the author's part...read for yourself and see. Bad editing too, the resultant of a lesson on how not to rush a masterpiece. Recommended for those who thought the film Ravenous had no artistic flair to it.
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