Rating: 
Summary: Destruction of Harris's most fascinating character
Review: I'm still hoping that someone will tell me that this book was written by someone other than Thomas Harris. This piece of tripe could not have come from the man who gave us the deliciously disturbing Hannibal Lecter of "Red Dragon" and "Silence of The Lambs." Before, there was an inscrutable mystery of Lecter's motivations and delicious cat-and-mouse games; now, we get a freakish menagerie of characters (none of whom are detailed in the previous novels), an incredibly weak explanation of Lecter (you mean to tell me that the stoic demon of "Silence of the Lambs" cries out in his sleep? I don't think so), and destruction of the interplay between Lecter and his interviewers, as Starling falls under his spell. This last might not be as inconceivable as some reviewers would have you believe, but Harris's surrealistic attention to detail creates an ending as anti-climactic as it is absurd (Lecter's escape would have been laughed out of an ed wood movie).Lecter was so fascinating because of his mystery... an explained Lecter, particularly a poorly explained one, is an uninteresting one. If you loved the first two books, keep away from this one, and keep your enjoyment of Lecter intact.
Rating:
Summary: swing and a miss
Review: Admire Mr. Harris for trying a twist ending- clearly not at all what was expected by fans of his earlier work. Unfortunately, the twist requires us to erase everything we know about HL and Starling. Starling, whose poor Appalachian background has been, shall we say, rather heavily emphasized in previous novels, suddenly, thanks to some hypnotic drugs, develops wealthy-snobbish affectations. Mastermind HL collapses, thanks to a narcotic dart, into a sappy sad-sack. All this is the disappointing conclusion of a rather tedious (although airplane-readable) ride through a crime potboiler. Save your money.
Rating: 
Summary: It was good, but...
Review: I'm not so sure about this one. It was an okay read, but as a sequel to The Silence of the Lambs? Harris could've done better. I too agree that what happened with the Starling character was totally unlike the strong individual Harris created in Lambs. Based on the kind of person she was in the first book, she would've never let that happen. Sure, she and Hannibal respected eachother and everything, but she still knew he was a monster! And the fact that Harris gave some insight into why Hannibal was the way he was kinda didn't work with me. Don't you think it was much scarier to not know what drove him to be so brutal? This book is almost asking you to forgive him and think he's a better person. I think the only reason I didn't like this book too much was because it didn't end the way I wanted it to. Everybody has plans about what they want to happen to the characters before they read HANNIBAL, and if their expectations were like mine, it will not turn out the way you want it to. The movie is not going to work for me if Julianne Moore is playing Starling. Maybe there will be hope for it since Anthony Hopkins is coming back.
Rating:
Summary: Hannibal, what were you thinking?
Review: I am, a great fan of both Red Dragon and Silence of the lambs, but in Hannibal Harris leaves logic behind and writes about a Clarice Starling that seems unbelievable and somewhat ridiculous...wait til the ending. I couldn't put Silence down, I kept putting Hannibal down too many times.
Rating: 
Summary: On second though: more here than I expected
Review: "Hannibal" is the first of the Lecter trilogy that I have read. I opened the cover with a sense of trepidation and dread based on the "legendary" reputation of the character Hannibal Lecter. I was surprised to find that the story included a plethora of "monsters" who had been corrupted by their own lusts--- for revenge or sex or money, or all the above--- so that Hannibal is merely a superior monster (erudite, sophisticated, genteel...) surrounded by a world filled with lesser (short-witted and vulgar) monsters. By observing the masses of humanity through the contemptuous eyes of "Hannibal Lecter", the author subtley but CLEARLY projects the notion that humanity is in fact a race of monsters who ALL hide dishonestly behind the mask of "culture" and a meaningless veneer of "civility". Remove this veneer, Harris says (through Lecter's thoughts) and all you have left are monsters who are no better than Lecter himself, and in fact, who deserve to be ruled and tormented by Lecter's superiority. Harris even draws a distinction between common human corruption and true evil, through the scene where the common thief looks into the eyes of "true" evil and recoils. The final chapters alone are worth the price of the book. The author skillfully brings his premises to their logical conclusions: where virtue is folly, and hope is in vain, then evil may rule. The final chapters contain one of most gruesome yet bloodlessly tidy scenarios ever written; disturbing (because it reminds me of NAZI medical experiments), yet the image of "evil feeding upon its own offspring" is painful and laughably absurd at the same time. This book is a must-read for everyone but the most squeamish and the young. Lecter's erudition and sophistication lend a superficial glamor and deceptive charm to an otherwise utterly evil character. The Memory Palace was a WONDERFULLY mystical touch to Lecter's psyche. The book's theme is disturbing and appalling, BUT... it is nonetheless meaningful and relevant for this--- and future--- generations.
Rating:
Summary: It Didn't Become A NYT Bestseller For Nothing You Know!
Review: While the closest I ever came to Thomas Harris before was at the box office to see Silence of the Lambs, I was stunned at how Harris' enchanting language- and plot-play kept me glued to the book during train rides, lunch hours and pre-bedtime activities (ahem!). The reader is in for a special treat: the rare opportunity to glance at a serial killer on both good and bad days. Who knew Lecter was both a monster and a romantic at heart and, shedding some revelations about herself, Starling seems more "real" to the reader than in Silence of the Lambs.
Rating:
Summary: The climax of a brilliant 'series'
Review: I find it remarkable that anyone would find this novel a disapointment. Harris has a wonderful grasp of the English language. His plot construction is remarkable. His characters are well developed. I can find no room for improvement here. The Red Dragon was excellent. Silence of the Lambs was good, but in my opinion, the weaker of the three. The ending of this book is terribly ironic and masterful. I can't say enough good things about it. The only bad thing is another long wait for a possible sequel. I hope that Harris never stops, and never bows down to the vain attempts of greedy fans with lofty expectations. To put it simply, it couldn't have been better.
Rating:
Summary: Extreme shock value
Review: Silence of the Lambs was such a perfectly creepy book that this one was bound to be disappointing. I don't know if Thomas Harris felt pressured to finish this or not, but the whole thing seems rushed. I cannot believe anyone would even attempt to make this gross out story into a movie. I was physically ill at the end, literally. The subtle complexities of Harris's other novels are sadly missing here, as if his sole intention this time was to be as grotesque as possible. Lots of the elements work superbly, like the revenge plot involving Mason and the whole sequence in Florence Italy, which is very well crafted, but the rest of the book falls a little short of expectations. Clarice and Hannibal have lost a lot of their depth here. I think maybe Harris could have delved a lot more skillfully into their histories. As a result, you will remember the gorey climax much more than anything else in the book, which is a real shame because the characters are authentic and believable, especially the continuation of the male nurse Barney and his interactions with Mason's butch sister Margot, a subplot I found by the way much more intriguing than the main one...
Rating:
Summary: Your Kidding!!
Review: I'm shocked! Coming from one of the best books I have ever read (Silence of the Lambs) to one of the worst. This story was totally disjointed, with no real excitement or intensity. That ending fell apart completely. I will hope that I dont have to revisit this farce being advertised as the sequel on the big screen. You failed us Mr. Harris!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Super Macabre, Super Delicious
Review: If you like really morbid, sublimely written fiction this is it. It makes Silence of the Lambs look like child's story. A unique reading experience. One of the few books that I will probably read again.
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