Hannibal

Rating:
Summary: breath-taking
Review: This book, put simply, is my favourite book of all time. It is a roller-coaster of psychological suspense and then some. It covers so many topics that it defies description. It is a stroke of literary genius. I would recommend this to anyone, period. Elegent, compelling, original. Hannibal.

Rating:
Summary: Hannibalisation
Review: With the buzz surrounding the production of the 'Hannibal' movie and the sinister face of Sir Hopkins as Dr. Lecter peering out from the movie's poster (which I had to have and now looks spectacularly down at me from the wall of my room), I was itching to get my hands on the novel itself, but I knew I had to start from the beginning. The poster made me do it. I was hungry for Hannibal. I went out and purchased all three books, Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Mind you, I had not seen Silence of the Lambs yet and such was the wonderful mystery of it all. It took me less than a couple of weeks to breeze through the first two books.

Finally I felt deserving of 'Hannibal'. On the same night that I had finished Silence of the Lambs, (and having finished a book made me feel as if I had gone straight out and devoured it..simply delicious feeling that I revelled in..) I dived straight into the pages of 'Hannibal'.

From the first chapter of this novel, the third volume of the Hannibal trilogy erupted right out of its pages and into your face. Clarice Starling's stakeout gone wrong and the bloodbath that ensued had me riveted to my chair and rooting for the gutsy gal. Mr. Harris is indeed gifted with the ability to paint startling images in our minds and he has done so with much gusto in just one chapter.

And then the story kicked off, with Starling's suspension and the Crawford's inability to help out much. (It's a bit sad to see Crawford playing a very distant second fiddle to almost every character in this story. What happened to the Crawford we knew?)

The story suddenly leaps to Florence, Italy, introducing Pazzi and the mysterious Dr. Fell. Rinaldo Pazzi, though scheming and greedy, still gained sympathy and empathy for, sadly, being human enough. Pazzi's deal with Mason Verger goes awry, but we all knew that they were playing on risky ground with Dr Fell aka Hannibal. The way he killed Giocco in the midst of a crowd, unexpectedly and swiftly, in itself drew attention to the fact that Thomas Harris was indeed delivering. I also thought that Dr. Lecter's mind trips into his memory palace was really cool and plausible. (one reviewer asked why mr. harris even bothered... well, to each his own tastes.. and isn't that what hannibal is about....individual taste.)

Despite all the flak Hannibal has gotten from reviewers here, I believe that this novel still outshines most of the so-called horror-suspense-thriller novels of its time, and Harris deserves recognition for the risks he keeps taking. You can see that Harris' way of writing has changed over the years. His style in Red Dragon differs from Silence of the Lambs and now in Hannibal it has transcended even further.

Dear Mr. Harris, thank you for Hannibal. Life wouldn't be the same without the acquaintance. I just hope the movie does justice to it...

Rating:
Summary: A very diffirent book...
Review: "Hannibal" by Thomas Harris is the 3rd installment of the "Hannibal Lector" trilogy! After Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs this book gives you the final (?) chapter with a stunning conclusion to the relationship between the Doctor and Clarice Starling! What can you expect from a man being a cannibal whose life is no more real than every other fantasy movie! Once you have crossed a certain line of reality there is no turning back anymore! So isn't it logic for Clarice Starling after having lost everything, even her new home i.c. the FBI that she has decided to lead a life as mentioned in the book! One can understand it without approving it! BTW isn't society and it's off-spring like each big city, Wall Street, Hollywood, NBA, NHL,...also a cannibal in sophisticated form?

Rating:
Summary: Mr. Harris Should Be Ashamed of Himself
Review: This is not a sequel to "Silence," it is a crude joke. He's taken Starling and regressed her instead of building on her character. She speaks in Catskill twang through most of the book. Lecter is now one of these bad guys who only kills really bad people, or people trying to steal his wallet. Or people trying to catch him. Whatever happened to devouring census takers? He's not truly bad, now, in fact, the reader gets a cuddly personal history of Lecter which explains why he became so bad, darnit! It wasn't his fault! Some bad guys did bad things, and made Lecter bad! Mommy! I'm bad now! A misfire on every conceivable level, staring with the first chapter. So disappointing...so sad. Lecter is almost superhuman, does this guy work out or what? The ending will leave your mouth agape. Agape at the horror of what Harris could have been possibly thinking when he scribbled this missive on paper. Abominable

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece.
Review: "Hannibal" is one of the best thrillers ever written. It is more than a simple crime novel, it is elegant, hypnotic, darkly romantic and artistically gothic. The negative reviews here are obviously by people who have no appreciation for the elegance, texture, and intelligence of this book. Their small, condensed minds should stay away, this is a book for those who savour the descriptions, the moods, the atmosphere and dialogue. Thomas Harris once again shows his brilliance by presenting a book that truly studies the mind and world of a monster. "Hannibal's" chills come from the surreality of it all, the realism, and the way Harris doesn't over-do it, but brilliantly describes the violence with the pen of a genius. The book is an example of real WRITING. What did the attackers expect? All and out, simple gore? Go read crap by wanna-be authors for that. "Hannibal" is for those who appreciate art, those who read "Dante's Inferno" and feel the passion and feelings. "Hannibal" deserves more than one reading because you find something new each time. I love how Harris writes with a poetic, clever style like the passage: "A puff of air as Dr. Hannibal Lecter passes us. The great door creaks, closes with a thud we can feel in the floor. Silence." People have complained because the book doesn't resemble much "Red Dragon" or "The Silence Of The Lambs." DU! Those two books were more about other killers and other people and Lecter was a mere supporting character, a memorable one, but a supporting character still. "Hannibal" is entirely about Lecter. If you want a real book to appreciate and read many times over, get this one, if you like crap, don't.

Rating:
Summary: Great beginning-great middle-disappointing ending.
Review: The beginning and middle of this book were filled with captivating characters and events, but I didn't buy the ending. The Clarise I knew was a strong, motivated woman, but in the end, she turns into a sap. I think the whole brainwashing thing was ridiculous and unbelievable. The ending would have been more interesting if she had to weigh her inner feelings with how she felt about Hannibal and how to incorporate her thoughts into doing what was right. Should she let him go or should she bring him in? How will he try to manipulate her? Would he try to hurt her to get away or is does he still admire her enough to spare her, etc. The ending is too simple and too boring. It ruined a good book.

Rating:
Summary: I had to reach the end of the book- but regretted it
Review: I thought this was one of the worst books that I have read in a long time. It seemed contrived and pretentious. It took short cuts that took out all the tension, and ended on a truly simple and trivial manner.

Rating:
Summary: Haunted by wondering
Review: I just finished listening to the unabridged audio version of HANNIBAL, and have been haunted for 2 days now. The story was not so much a sequel, but an explanation of all you wondered and supsected about Hannibal since he was first introduced in THE RED DRAGON. You finally begin to understand what makes him tick, and by this understanding, you become frightened at how much you can respect and relate to this monster. Many friends have told me that they hated the conclusion/ending of this book, but I believe Thomas Harris had it just right. It absolutley had to result in the path he chose for Clarice and Hannibal.. We all had to see it coming, and frightening thought it was, it was perfect. I highly recommend the unabridged audio version to all who cannot wait to see the movie.. The narrator will send chills down your spine , and the supsense is unbelievable.. Good work Thomas.. I look forward to hearing what may come next....

Rating:
Summary: Stunning...
Review: ...in a word!

This book will keep you thinking long after you've finished it.

The last one hundred pages are certainly the best I've ever read in the genre.

Even though it has been said that this is the last Hannibal Lecter instalment, I'm sincerely looking forward to the next one. But please, Mr. Harris, try not to take another decade to write it!

On the other hand, if in order to present us with another masterpiece you really must...

Luís Monteiro ([e-mail])

Rating:
Summary: What a terrible book.
Review: The book is overrated. WAY overrated. Pretentious, silly, and completely UNscary. A waste of my time. W/a horrible ending. Please do NOT read this book. Boy, was I disappointed.