Rating: 
Summary: Great read, but still disappointing
Review: I prepared myself while waiting for this book by re-reading The Silence of the Lambs. That was a good preparation, because you have probably forgot some of the lesser characters which return in Hannibal. But: Since The Silence... was such a fantastic read, and since we have been waiting so many years to see what happened with Dr Lecter, I set my expectations way too high. Hannibal is well worth reading, but don't expect it to be as good as or better than the previous two books. I'd rate this one about as good as Red Dragon but not as good as The Silence of the Lambs.
Rating:
Summary: A satisfying sequel to The Silence of the Lambs
Review: In this satisfying sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris avoids ripping himself off-the blight of most sequels. Like in his earlier work, the story is riveting and the characters are mesmerizing. The only problem is the ending, which, though intriguing, is not quite believable
Rating: 
Summary: Apparently the book wasn't good enough . . .
Review: . . . for those people who had a concrete idea of what they wanted _Hannibal_ to be. There's a lot of outrage out there, but somehow I don't feel any. Maybe because I'm young: my suspension of disbelief is in unusually good working order. I accepted the story as it was. I read the book without knowing the first thing about it, plot-wise; didn't even read the cover blurbs. I didn't read it critically. School's out and I wanted a good book. As far as I'm concerned, I found one.Clarice Starling's life is changing rapidly, and she's not supposed to be the same person she was in Silence. If she was, that would be a cheat -- it's too easy to keep stock characters. Lecter's life is very different as well -- he's free, but his freedom is in great danger. He grows and changes with the book, and while there have been criticisms of Harris' making Hannibal human instead of keeping him a "scary monster," I found the development refreshing. The boogeyman's scary because he hides in the dark, but after awhile, the light goes on, you stop believing, you stop being scared. I would have been disappointed if the novel hadn't made Lecter more human than monster; it would have been too easy to continue scaring people. Instead, Harris makes you think. Whether or not you like the book depends entirely on what you bring to it. If you want a good story, if you don't mind being shocked and considering the reasons for your reactions, then read this book. It'll keep you up at night -- not out of fear, but amazement and intrigue. The ending, which could so easily have been spoiled, was believable, daring and impressive. At least in my opinion. Please, please read it for yourself -- you won't be sorry, if you like a good story more than an easy story, and recognize the difference.
Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful Romp Through A Grand Guignol Funhouse
Review: HANNIBAL by Thomas Harris is a daring and provocative novel, one that dares to shatter expectations without apologies. Harris manages to question the conventions of his chosen genre by examining different manifestations of what could be considered evil. Readers may find Harris' depictions of bureaucratic and political psychopathology more disturbing than the more straightforward acts of violence depicted. Better yet, HANNIBAL examines the relationship between Starling and Lector in an audacious, unflinching way. Harris, who refused to view the film version of SILENCE OF THE LAMB, offers a ghoulish finale which will defy the mainstream even as it provokes thought in readers who enjoy something new and thoughtful.
Rating:
Summary: Great extension of horrific story; right until the end!
Review: This book has managed to carry on the horrific and sometimes sickening story of Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lector. The detail and description of each and every scene, sound, and environment is a credit to Harris' brilliant writing style. The only potential part of the story that seems to flow out of bounds is the ending. It simply seems to implausible to "suspend disbelief"; even for the most passionate Hannibal supporter.
Rating: 
Summary: NO STARS HERE, OR A MOVIE
Review: Don't waste eye movement on this book. If there were no stars possible, that it what this should receive. Inconceivably disappointing, incredibly weird and illogical, too many holes in the plot to plug with an octopus. Ridiculous premises and implausible actions. Limp effort at horrifying the reader presumably to mask the absence of a plot leading to a laughable ending.
Rating:
Summary: Astoundingly magnificent!
Review: This book certainly does not deserve all of the so so reviews it is getting. This book is slighly different and perhaps dissapointing to some, but that could be because we are all not used to change.
Rating: 
Summary: Great story, bad ending. In my opinion.
Review: This book was a very good story. Some points seemed to drag forever, such as the settings in Italy. Others seemed to go by too quick. This book is not as good as Black Sunday, Red Dragon, or The Silence of the Lambs. The characters were very well fleshed out, so you got to know them pretty well, some too well. The fate Mason Verger has for Lecter just seems too much like a Hollywood movie. It is very complicated and seems almost impossible to accomplish in the real world. I know this is a fantasy story, but the good thing about the other Thomas Harris books was that they were based in reality. The biggest thing that bothers me is the ending. I won't give it away, but the characters do not seem like the ones we have come to know in the other books.
Rating:
Summary: POSTMODERN GOTHIC with MILTONIAN OVERTONES
Review: Author Harris out Rice's Rice in this preposterous yet irresistible sequel to the book-turned-movie that made fava beans a household name worldwide. Sacrificed by her colleagues to the political ambitions of an FBI "boys club" elite, Starling's eventual embrace of Lecter the fallen angel seems not only plausible, but inevitable. A darkly sensuous romance in the best tradition of Hawthorne and Melville guaranteed to leave many enthralled and others disgruntled.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect example of an author attempting to outdo himself.
Review: Thomas Harris has saved his time-consuming research and imagination for his worst performance to date. In order to follow up his best work in "Silence..." he needed to shock us, to surprise us. He failed. "Hannibal" is a perfect example of an author attempting to outdo himself. As sequels often go, this one belongs in your trash.
|
