Hannibal

Rating:
Summary: The Last Of The Trilogy
Review: The witty and intellgient doctor is back once again out in the world. Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter is once again wanted by the FBI and on their ten most wanted list. He has been missing for ten years since he escaped from prison. Agent Clarice Starling is now a full Agent in the bureau and the head of a task force. She was busy with a prestigious drug bust when the raid became a bloody mess which resulted in Starling being wounded, a good friend's death, and the death of Evelda Drumgo, a wanted drug lord. After the mess, Clarice was put back on Lecter's case. In order to catch the mad man she once knew, she has to seek the help of one of Hannibal's victims, the only to survive, Mason Verger. Little does Starling know that Verger is using her in order to catch Lecter for means of personal revenge.
After his escape, Lecter left the United States for Italy. Now living in Florence, under a false name, he lives a life of class much like before his imprisonment. Florence's police chief Rinaldo Pazzi consults Dr. Fell, also known as Hannbal Lecter, about disappearances and murders in the Florence area. When Pazzi is consulted by the American FBI about Lecter, he begins to wonder and his curiosity with the cannibalistic maniac later leads to his horrible death.
I enjoyed Hannibal. Thomas Harris once again pulled off an excellent psychological suspense novel that keeps the reader guessing. This is Hannibal best role ever. No longer is he the enraged psychopath/sociopath that he has been in both Red Dragon and The Silence Of The Lambs. He has now become a much more classy cannibal. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy the Hannibal Lecter trilogy and those who can stomach graphic violence. This is also a novel for a mature audience due to graphically described scenes and language. This was a great story and an excellent way to end the trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: A Disapointing End to an Exciting Trilogy
Review: It has been seven years since Hannibal Lecter has escaped from custody. Clarice Starling has never forgotten the cold chill that runs down her back every time she thinks of the doctor. He haunts her dreams and seems to be with her every where she goes. Clarice has still been able to go on living her life to the fullest and preforming her her job to the best of her ability working for the F.B.I. Hannibal has also been going about his business of enjoying the fruits of life(no pun intended)living in the art capital of the world Florence, Italy. However, lately intruders that have been medaling in Dr. Lecter's life have caused him to decide to come out of retirement. Chief Inspector Ranaldo Potsi of the Florence Police Department has become very interested in the reward on Dr. Lecter's head and so has been trying to capture him himself. Another man finding much interest in Lecter is a former victim and the only one to survive, Mason Verger. Verger wants to capture Lecter, but not for the reward. He wants to capture him to make him suffer as he once made Mason once have to endure.
In a strange turn of events, Clarice gets caught up in the whole mix of trying to find Hannibal again for the second time in her life. It has now become a race to catch Dr. Lecter before he escapes again or worse; catches one of his followers. Inspector Potsi gets too close for Lecter's comfort and he is silenced with his bowels inside out haging around in the Florence square. Lecter then sees that it is time to return home to the states. On his arrival he immeadiatly begins to stalk his favorite F.B.I. agent Clarice. Verger has also become aware of Lecter's departure and follows him with interest. While playing a game of cat and mouse with Starling, Verger's henchmen attack Lecter and take him to Mason's mansion. Lecter is placed in a pit surronded by flesh eating pigs. As the feeding frenzy is about to commence, none other than Clarice Starling shows up to the rescue of Hannibal Lecter. Mason Verger is highly upset, and things don't get any better for hima she is tossed into the pit and forced to be torn apart by the blood thirsty hogs.
The two main characters are finnaly together for what is their first encounter in over seven years. The reaction is more astonishing to the reader's eyes and was probably the last ending any reader would have thought of. instead of Clarice arresting Lecter and reaching the piniacal of her career, or Hannibal making a midnight snack of the agent; the two embrace in a romantic kiss. The end of the novel is that Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter fall in love. It is a known fact that this ending was the downfall to this suspensfull thriller and a wonderfull trilogy. In my view, any logical ending would have made more sense thana respectable F.B.I. agent falling in love with a doctor/cannibal. I believe that Thomas Harris depressed his whole audience with this ending and one can only hope that in his future novels he will never make such a foley ever again.

Rating:
Summary: Hannibal: Good Ending to the Trilogy?
Review: Hannibal picks the reader up where "The Silence of the Lambs" drops them off. The novel starts out with Clarice in Wahington D.C. and Hanibal in Florence. Clarice is still on the hunt for Lecter after years of no contact or communication. She finds herself back on his case however and this time she isn't alone. A former friend/victim of Lecters', Mason Verger is also looking for Lecter in order to make him suffer as he once did. An Italian cop by the name of Ranaldo Potsi is also on the look out for Lecter for the hefty reward for his capture. As the story continues Clarice talks to both Potsi and Verger about their reasons for wanting Lecter and tries to stear them away. Their are many conflicts between Hannibal and the other three and different portions of the book that can send the readers heart accelerating. At the point somewhere in the middle of the story Potsi gets to Lecter first. Hannibal makes sure that Potsi has little to say about what kind of a man Lecter is as he silences him forever. At this point Clarice and Hannibal make contact for the first time over the cell phone of Inspector Potsi. This is when Lecter decides to come out of retierment and back to the states. When Lecter moves back to the states, Mason makes sure to find him before Clarice does in order to fulfill his ultimate revenge. While Lecter is toying with Clarice Masons henchmen capture Lecter and place him in a death pit surronded by flesh eating hogs. Clarice then tries to come to the rescue of Hannibal, but Hannibal ends up saving Clarice. Mason is then the meal for the hogs as Hannibal exists stage left. In the end of the book to what any reader will say is the most unexpected ending to this story the two fall in love together. They then go on to live a long, happy, and somewhat strange life together. The End? I hope this isn't the best Harris could do to end this trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: The worst book ever?
Review: I think this 'book' can be considered the worst ever written. How does one explain this? Thomas Harris' previous novels are as good as the genre has to offer (particularly 'Silence of the Lambs'). But I am convinced that Harris was kidnapped while writing 'Hannibal'. Those who read the first two books cannot recognize the same author here. 'Hanibal' is vulgar and not just because of the content. Whereas 'Silence' had layers of suspense, there is none here. 'Silence' had some psychological and philosophical things to offer but 'Hannibal' doesn't pretend to do anything of the kind. The book is creepy instead of scary, nauseating instead of thrilling. No wonder most of the cast and crew of 'Silence' didn't want to be a part of 'Hannibal' as a movie. Just an awful, awful book.

Rating:
Summary: Harris Does It Again
Review: I just finished this book last night and I must say that I completely enjoyed it. This book becomes even more interesting as, we are allowed into the mind and past of the infamous Dr. Lecter himself. Harris does a wonderful job of creating people and enviorments that are extremely deatlied and filled with emotion. Some have called this novel, the worst book in the series, but I'd have to disagree with them because, as far as I'm concerned, there isn't a band book in the series. I do hope that Harris might consider writing a new addition to the series, but if this is the last time we hear from the doctor, then it was truly a "tasty" experiance.

Rating:
Summary: You'll Eat It Up
Review: What can be said of Hannibal that's already been said? One thing: a truly grueling novel. Harris rejects all public advice and places Dr. Lecter in a realm all to his own. Despite his previous novels involving Lecter, Harris invites us to view Lecter as a main character. And, in my opionion makes for a more entertaining read. Lecter is and will always be the source of entertainment in Harris' novels. In Hannibal, "The Cannibal" gets his just deserts. The novel is one of the best I've ever read, period. I'm just hoping that Harris will write sooner than later, and maybe, just maybe invite Lecter for one more course. If you have doubts about this novel, reject all of tham and find out for yourself. Do not base you're decision on the film, just lock your doors, turn off the lights, and enjoy of one of the most disturbing novels of recent time. Trust me, it's worth it. Lecter is out and better than ever. Bon appetite.

Rating:
Summary: Better than I had expected it to be
Review: Before the disappointing movie came out, I read Hannibal over the course of three days and for the most part was satisfied. Say whatever you will about the story, but none can deny Harris' compelling and suspenseful storytelling, it is literally a page turner. Here we get to see Lecter living in the free world according to his tastes. We also get a peek inside Lecter's mind to see the genius behind the cannibal, but there are a number of things which stop Hannibal from being as great a story as Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. The characterization of Clarice makes her seem more weak willed and not so much the strong, compotent heroine that we knew so well in Silence. Also the climax, as another reviewer had stated, seems like an outline for a screenplay for a big budget Hollywood action film, but is nonetheless compelling and has its' share of twists. The ending seems to be everyone's biggest complaint, and I admit I was shocked when I first read it, but come on now, can you think of any other better way that it could have ended? All in all, I didn't like Hannibal as much as Harris' other great novels in the Lecter trilogy, but Hannibal is compelling and suspenseful, and is light years beyond the supremely disappointing big budget film.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible Hannibal
Review: Hannibal was one of the most disappointing books I have read in the past couple years. It includes some of the most well drawn characters in the history of thriller novels--Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling, and Jack Crawford--but Thomas Harris does nothing with them. Hannibal enjoys the good life on the outside, but jumps around trying to evade capture from either the police or Mason Verger. It is interesting for a while, but it never seems that anyone else is really on his tail or that there is enough action to keep everything moving along. Clarice is also in trouble constantly within the Bureau, but it isn't interesting and the political undertones in the story take away from the excitement it should have. This would have been bad enough, but the ending to this story is so inplausible and stupid that it would have ruined the book completely if it hadn't already been pretty much destroyed by the previous 400 pages. The only thing that makes this book worth reading is that Harris does include some good suspense and violence that keeps it interesting and making the reader want more, expecting that it will get good, even though when you reach the end, it never lives up to the high hopes. I would not recommend this book (though I would recommend Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon very highly) to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: A note on the ending.
Review: Anyone who is familiar with the works of Thomas Harris should expect out of the ordinary elements. Wasn't the point of the ending to show that two people who have suffered from a corrupt and unjust society have finally found comfort far away from it as possible? Had Clarice and Hannibal not been tortured by certain constraints? I believe Harris could not have ended this delicious novel better. Anyone who cannot see the beauty of this conclusion should go back and read the last 5 chapters again. I do not believe Clarice was necessarily brainwashed--she was just lifted from the cave to see the light (Plato).

Rating:
Summary: Just Horrible
Review: This was one of the worst books I've ever read. Dissapointing doesn't do it justice. I agree with the reader who said it was as if Harris just wrote this because they wanted a sequel. He shouldn't have bothered. Should have left well enough alone. This story just didn't work. From the beginning where the FBI brass abandon Starling, a bona fide hero, after the fatal shooting of a female drug dealer to the idiotic revenge plotted by one of Hannibal's victims, to the unbearably ridiculous ending, this was a book that should never have been written. Harris should of left us with the ending of "Silence" and our imaginations. I never even bothered to see the movie since the film adaptation is usually inferior to the novel (however it's hard to see how in this case ). This book was so bad that I wanted a refund even though I had gotten a free copy.