Hannibal

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing, to say the least.
Review: It's a tribute to Thomas Harris that even his flops are page turners. As far as trashy novels to read on the airplane go, HANNIBAL cuts the mustard and more. When you compare it to the stellar work under Harris' belt in the past, this book shows its threadbare seams.

To give Harris the credit he deserves, his instincts for this novel were right. It did require a more artistic treatment than the prior two novels to keep its less terse (but still suspenseful) plot moving. However, Harris' "artistic touches" are almost invariably in badly handled second person, "You are here" type stuff that rings oddly and meshes poorly with the rest of the book. The always-iffy second-person prose is poor enough to mar the book's better features. Unfortunately, even those features aren't up to standard. Too many characters, moments, ideas in HANNIBAL seem unreal and contrived, an oddity from an author that has created terse and terrifying reality in the past. Perhaps the worst example of this misstep is the ill-contrived insight into Dr. Lecter's past. The sinister aura surrounding Dr. Lecter is marred when it becomes clear that he did not spring fully formed from his own head. The connections Harris draws for us are too obvious for Lecter, and slightly illogical as well. Why did this terrible experience encourage Lecter to re-enact it? And, if Harris has described the root cause of Lecter's actions, why does Lecter himself seem to ignore it and replace it with other motives entirely? Many other assertions seem equally hollow, many charcters contrived and flat.

Pick up RED DRAGON. Pick up THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. It is then inevitable, I suppose, that you will pick up HANNIBAL. Just try not to hold it against Thomas Harris.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocrity abounds, despite a very valiant effort.
Review: What can I say?

Once again, Harris provides us with a very thoughtful, psychological read. It stands up to its own merits, and yet at the same time, it pales in comparison to Harris's prior novels.

The problem here is not that the story is not necessarily a "psychological" thriller; it's simply that its main draw, Hannibal Lecter, no longer possesses the air of superiority that he formerly carried. The mystery, the suspense, the sheer genius of Hannibal Lecter disintegrates halfway through the book. In its stead, we're presented with a caricature of Lecter's former self, who now has a purpose to his actions: a purpose which reminds us that despite how intelligent this man may be, he is no different from any of us. We find that this man is delusional, so to speak; "insane." And it feels as though everything that he was meant to be amounts to nothing. It carries rather well with one of the themes of the novel: regardless of who or what you are, you will always be found expendable in one way or another.

As usual, it's a pleasure to read the meticulous descriptions of everything that transpires in the story, particularly the politics involved. All of the newly introduced characters are personalized in an excellent fashion, with numerous chapters deviating from the main story simply to add a little more depth and insight as to why these characters may act in a particular way towards Lecter or Starling. But the downside is that at the end of the book, you get the peculiar feeling that Harris spends more time on these people than the two main characters, opting to let the previous books do the characterization for him. It works, but it makes the story lose some of its edge; it also makes the new Lecter somewhat of a contradiction to the old one, though in the end, one could argue that it is either self-restraint or a process of change.

As far as the ending is concerned: in a gesture of sheer mockery, Harris strikes us in the face with what I can assuredly describe as the most surreal, farfetched series of events in recent literary fiction. It left a bad taste in my mouth, although I do admit that the last set of paragraphs were done with quite a bit of class.

In the end, my recommendation would be to take the novel at face value. Don't come into it with any expectations, and you won't be severely disappointed. Who knows what Harris was trying to do.

Rating:
Summary: Nasty...but good
Review: I am a teenager and a big fan of horror novels. When I picked up Hannibal (I didn't read Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs) I didn't know what to expect. My teacher recommended it. After reading over a hunderd pages in a day I was hooked. It is disgusting and gory. I recommend everyone with a strong stomach gets this book.

Rating:
Summary: A Mediocre Sequel
Review: I'd heard of Hannibal before the movie came out, but I never really had any interest in reading it. This was because Silence of the Lambs was so good a sequel, I thought, would only make it seem worse. I believe that Silence excelled in places that Hannibal did not.

Hannibal, quickly, is about Clarice Starling's meeting with Hannibal Lecter or Hannibal the Cannibal. She's in some crap because of a bust gone wrong and it get's printed in the newspapers. Hannibal, now hiding, finds a copy of the papers and soon contacts Starling about the lambs, her parents, and just to say hello. We meet Hannibal's only surviving victim. He is, well, grotesque, and that's all I can say without ruining it. The survivor, Mason Verger, is asking for Hannibal alive for a very high price and plans for the doctor's demise. Rinaldo Pazzi, a policeman who has already had his fifteen minutes of fame and is slowly dropping, sees Hannibal and contacts Verger. From there, the rest is up to you to find out.

The beginning is very good, as is the middle. I have problems with the end, the last 50 pages or so. When the rest of the book is very suspenseful and sometimes disgusting, the end seems rushed and, while still imaginative, a bit thoughtless. Harris has stretches the limits of violence to provoke horror and violence just to be violent in the notorious, or what will be notorious, dinner scene. It tries to be humorous. But really doesn't succeed. Without giving it away, the dinner scene is disgusting and disturbing. It seems a little childlike.

Hannibal does not seem as mysterious and as horrifying as he did in the initial book. He seems to act like a child and not very interesting.

Clarice Starling also loses some interest and seems to lose most of her ethics and a portion of her personality that made her seem interesting in Silence of the Lambs.

But I am not saying the book is no good. There are some very interesting ideas, such as the Memory Palace. You meet some entertaining and disgusting characters, such as Margot Verger, Mason's sister, and Cordell. A few old characters get a second time in the light.

Hannibal is not a very terrible book, but seems to be a very open and unsatisfying ending to the book.

Rating:
Summary: The love story of the year!
Review: Hannibal. Thomas Harris evolved Dr. Hannibal Lector from what was originally a fairly small character in Red Dragon. The Silence of the Lambs made Hannibal come to life; made us remember him. Hannibal has made us absolutely love this extremely intelligent serial killer. If you saw the movie, read the book! The book is 10 times better than the movie! I loved the movie, but left the theater unsatisfied, searching for more, so I read the book thinking that may cure my craving. I finished the book and I still want to know more about Dr. Lector. This book is one you will never want to put down. It's suspenseful, terrifying, and gory, but romantic. That's why I say it's the best love story of the year. It is more realistic than any fictional romance I have come across. The best part about Hannibal is you are on the serial killers side, which makes you feel very strange, like you are doing something wrong just by seeing through his eyes. I can't wait to read it again!!

Rating:
Summary: So much potential........
Review: In what could be described as one of the biggest disappointments in literary history, Thomas Harris' Hannibal failed to meet expectations. Meeting these huge expectations could be difficult enough but Harris looked more than up to the task in the first two thirds of the book. There was excitement and intrigue, I could hardly wait to finish. However, the remaining 50-70 pages could only be described as "hurried". The ending appeared as though it were written by a high school sophomore attempting to finish their homework early so they can go to a movie. Besides being hurried, the ending was also, in my humble opinion, ridiculous. I won't go into details, but trust me, opt to read another book

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly detailed, very wierd read
Review: The book seems to have raised many questions and complaints. I feel that way this books develops and is presented the way it ought to be. Clarice Starling seems old and tried due to constant abuse from Krendler, Hannibal is no longer mysterious, but that is the way the book is supposed to be. We finally get to see the why Hannibal does what he does, and why Clarice is so interesting to him. This book finally answers questions about Hannibal, and that I liked.

Rating:
Summary: Well written but hastily ended
Review: The person who lent me Hannibal warned me to be ready for a letdown in the latter half of the book. While the entire second half was not a washout the book did start dragging towards the final third. Firstly the conversion of Starling to a sort of female Lecter was too facile, too glibly accomplished- drugs or no drugs. Secondly the attempt to humanise Lecter was a mistake, I feel. His appeal is in his monstrosity, making him susceptible to romantic inclinations and providing a reason for his cannibalism were unnecessary. And having him be rescued at the last moment and making him some kind of demi-god (witness the pigs' behaviour), hmm... avoidable. I did so want the pigs to eat his legs at least! Thirdly all the name dropping of fine champagnes and food and vendors started to occupy too much space and seemed more reminiscent of Judith Krantz.

All said it is still a well-written book and does make the reader infer stuff rather than having it thrust into the face which is always a pleasure

Rating:
Summary: Great B00k
Review: I d0n't think this b00k deserves a11 the bad reviews it gets. The ending was n0t at a11 bad. In fact, the entire b00k 1ed up t0 what happened and I th0ught it was a happy ending. I a1s0 d0nt see why pe0p1e ca11 the series 0f b00ks by Harris the "Hanniba1 1ecter Tri10gy" just because he was in a11 three 0f the b00ks. 'Red Drag0n' was Wi11 Graham's b00k, 'Si1ence 0f The 1ambs' was C1arice Star1ing's, and, we11, 'Hanniba1' was Hanniba1's. I d0n't think we sh0u1d c0mpare the b00ks t0 each 0ther. Each has their 0wn qua1ities: 'Drag0n' had a terrifying rea1ness t0 it, 'Si1ence' t00k us inside the mind 0f a ki11er and her persuer, and 'Hanniba1' was a beautifu11y written st0ry in which the her0, Hanniba1, is a1s0 a seria1 ki11er at 1arge. D0n't 1isten t0 a11 the bad reviews. Y0u sh0u1d definate1y read this b00k.

Rating:
Summary: Deliciously evil and very eye opening!
Review: One would have to say that this is pure, unadulterated genius. If you had to read one book then it would have to be this. The very concept of delving into the mind palace of a 'monster' such as Dr Hannibal Lector is exquisite. Harris not only shows the reader some eerie background history to this most unique of villains, but also leaves the reader with something to consider at the conclusion. The end, for me, is brilliantly evil. Even though Starling may appear to be safe, one can not be quite sure whether Lector will not change his mind and use that cross bow of his. Starling will always (as does the reader) have that lurking fear. For me, inviting Paul Krendler 'for lunch' was just amazing. Harris knows how much we (and Clarice) hate Krendler. It therefore seems utterly fitting to gain 'our' revenge on him in the manner described. The ends do justify the means in this blinding array of plot and action. Mason Verger turns out to be seemingly just as evil as the thing he tries to catch. And the added bonus of F.B.I politics adds to the ever growing struggle that Starling goes through to try to reach her goal.

One must also bere in mind the very title of this classic. By plainly calling it 'Hannibal' the reader is now on first name terms with Dr. Lector and thus become ever closer to understanding him as such a unique character. In the previous incarnations, the story never wholy revolved around the doctor. But with each installment of the Lector series, we gradually come closer into the fascinating world of this gentlemanly villain. Many have argued that by revealing Lector's past we are losing a mysterious edge to his attraction. Not so. I find that it is even MORE frightening that we are given the privilege to go inside such an horrific mind. And so, even though we know how he thinks, what his tastes are and of his fantasies, we are still drawn to sympathise with the Doctor. Is that not frightening?

Within this fantastic novel, Harris explores everything that western society holds as its supposed morals and tastes. Of how we are lured by voyeurism, relatively relaxed at shocking things. Harris pushes the reader to the limit of acceptance. Those who merely disregard the scenes of graphic violence and horror as simply unecessary are missing the point entirely. Are we shocked at what we read? If we are then Harris has finally found something atrocious that holds our attention. Feeling sympathy towards Lector? Sick as it may seem, it is possible, and Harris succeeds in bringing it out in us. That is the measure of the man! We regard our society as civilised and progressive. Harris shows that in many ways we are (through the character of Mason Verger) just as barbaric as the seemingly 'primitive' behaviour of Lector. Western society should look in a mirror once in a while.

Overall, never have I read a book that played with my mind as much as this did. A stylish, almost gothic novel such as this even manages to drag (as already mentioned)some sympathy towards Dr. Lector. A book that can accomplish that is superbly crafted.I Know that in parts I did not want this fiendishly good villain to perish, I was over joyed that my wish was granted.