Hannibal

Rating:
Summary: A worthy follow-up to Silence of the Lambs
Review: Remember when you saw 'Silence of the Lambs' and saw Hannibal Lecter for the first time as Starling came to his dungeon cell?? That look that Lecter had in his eyes? If you can't remember, then I envy you as it was all I thought about as I read - no, devoured - this chapter in the saga of one of literature's most fascinating characters. Lecter is a masterful creation and this book truly grabs you by the throat and won't let you go. I didn't mind the gruesome parts that the media is making so much of. Both of Harris' previous tales that included Lecter were equally disturbing in their realistic depictions of modern evil. You won't regret this one!

Rating:
Summary: I read it again
Review: After typing my first review, I thought about my comments and went back and read the book again. Perhaps I read too quickly the first time, but reading it again I found little things that altered my opinion some. Lecter isn't the hero that I had first said, now that I have gone through the story again. Harris, I think does attempt to get the reader to sympathize with Lecter's childhood, but in the end remains the fiendish, diabolical genius he always was.

Rating:
Summary: Hannibal is Horrible
Review: This book has no redeeming qualities. It is grotesque, stomach-turning, and obscenely graphic. I liked "Silence of the Lambs," but Harris should have stopped there and spared us all the misery of Hannibal.

Rating:
Summary: Cultured chills as Lecter and Starling meet again.
Review: While perhaps not as compact and streamlined as "The Silence of the Lambs," "Hannibal" does provide many thrilling moments for the reader. It picks up where "Silence" left off, with Hannibal Lecter free and Clarice Starling still with the FBI. Seven years have passed, and Lecter, whose fondness for the finer things in life will play an important part later in the book, is living in Florence. Meanwhile, Starling's career in the FBI seems to be in jeopardy as she is made a scapegoat for a botched drug arrest. A new character, Lecter's sixth victim, Mason Verger, mutilated and strapped to a ventilator, plots an elaborate revenge on the doctor. In many aspects, the book is thrilling and the inevitable meeting of Lecter and Starling crackles with intensity. Lecter's deeds throughout the book are often overshadowed by the sadistic acts perportrated by Mason Verger in his quest for revenge. A little history behind Hannibal Lecter is also introduced, in an attempt to explain perhaps the method behind his madness. The book's only shortcoming would be that the character of Starling is not as vividly drawn or as strong as she was in "Silence," and indeed seems to be only a shadow of her former self through most of the book. Also, the ending was not quite what I expected, having a great deal to do with some out of character behavior by Starling that is not explained to total satisfaction. All that aside, "Hannibal" is worth every minute spent reading, and Harris' restraint and delicate touch keep the book together, never allowing the violence to become too overwhelming. A high-minded psychological thriller that will be enjoyed by fans of the series. Newcomers should read "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs" first for the full effect.

Rating:
Summary: 90% of it is superb. The ending is well ... disappointing
Review: Thomas Harris had a tough act to follow after 'Silence of the Lambs'. Did he manage it? Did he develop a good story? The answer to both is yes. It may have taken him a number of years to write, but the story 'Hannibal' is exquisitely crafted. The characters are well developed and plausible, the pace is just right, in fact everything is right to make the book hard to put down. One sails through the first four hundred pages, meeting good and bad characters, loving and hating them, learning facts one never knew about and dying to know what will happen next. And then the story builds to a climax. And the ending is revealed. And it doesn't make sense. Towards the end Thomas Harris looses plausibility and the story becomes ridiculous. Obviously one has to suspend disbelief when reading about a charcter such and Hannibal Lecter, but does one have to accept the ridiculous? To comment in detail would give away the end. But I will say that the book has an ending that it does not deserve. One is left feeling cheated. I cannot help wondering if someone other that the author actually wrote it, for a substantially brillant story is ruined by a very silly ending.

Rating:
Summary: Will haunt you and disturb your dreams for years to come
Review: If you found "Silence of the Lambs" disturbing, gruesome and horrifying, you haven't read anything yet. Steel yourself for this one. "Hannibal" has all the horror elements of its predecessor but this time dips even more deeply into the psyche of the good Dr. Lecter, which of course is not the most pleasant place to visit in the first place. We also discover that the valiant Clarice Starling has a darker side than previously shown, and the cruel and brutal forces which push her there create some of the more tense and anxiety-ridden sections of the book. The most fearsome horrors of the novel (and there are plenty) pale in comparison to the shock of the ending, which will probably cause fierce debates among Thomas Harris' readers and create more than a few problems when it's time for "Hannibal" to go to Hollywood. Well worth the read (I polished it off in one day, I couldn't help it) but be prepared.

Rating:
Summary: Very Strange
Review: This book is very strange. It is nothing like "Red Dragon" or "Silence of the Lambs". The ending is very strange. I wont give it away here. It also gives insights into Lecter's past. The tension of his other novels are absent from this one but what this book lacks in suspense it makes up for in wierdness. The only part I didn't like was when Harris talked for several pages about some painting or something. But this is a very good that horror fans should read.

Rating:
Summary: What I most and least expected
Review: There was nothing that could prepare me for the ending of Thomas Harris's long-awaited Hannibal. As I was truly enjoying becoming re-acquainted with Clarice and Hannibal, even Barney and Ardelia Mapp, the ending was truly a shock. Yes, there are many monsters in this book, and it's difficult to discern who the good guys are, but this is a definite page turner. I won't give away any secrets for those who haven't read it; there are things that we would have been as happy not to know, but if you enjoyed Silence of the Lambs and feel that you know these characters, this is the book for you. You won't feel that way at the end. At least I didn't.

Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait,Thomas Harris delivers the goods!
Review: An excellent sequel to 'The Slience of the Lambs'. Thomas Harris made us wait 11 years for another Hanibal Lecter book, but it was worth the wait! Harris is the absolute master of the serial killer genre. This is one of the best books I read this summer, don't miss out!

Rating:
Summary: Written purely for shock value
Review: This book resembles one of those shock movies whose entertainment "value" lies not in its storytelling (plot, characterization, etc.) but in its capacity to elicit gasps and winces from the audience. Apparently, Harris decided that the only way to top the high expectations readers have for this book is to head the story to an ending so obscene that it leaves the reader's mouth agape. The memories of cherished characters are demolished. The fate which befalls Clarisse is execrable. True, these are only characters in a novel. But one should expect Harris to deal with them with dignity, and not as puppets manipulated with prurient interests.