Rating: 
Summary: The best book in the whole world ever!
Review: If you are looking for a good book to read, you MUST read HANNIBAL. But before reading this extremely good book, you must read the prequels, "Red Dragon," and of course, "The Silence of the Lambs." Hannibal really takes you into the mind of Dr. Lecter. Read it and you'll know what I'm taking about.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: A sequel to the excellent "Silence of the Lambs" was eagerly awaited. Unfortunately, it was a huge let-down. The Clarice Starling from the former book had strength, integrity, determination, fortitude, and a working moral compass. In the latter book, however, Starling has been reduced to a quivering, mindless idiot with no will of her own who sinks into a quagmire of debauchery. Much of "Hannibal" is set in Italy, and the reader is provided with some insight into the factors which came into play and exploded to produce a Hannibal Lecter. Although we begin to see into the tormented mind of this man, we gain little sympathy for him. The writing itself is dark and as dense as a thick fog. I was incensed by the ending and thought it did a huge disservice to its predecessor. I found it to be forced and contrived and, frankly, I was insulted by it. I expected better from the estimable Mr. Harris.
Rating:
Summary: Hannibal: It bites.
Review: .... Having come to Harris' books through the film 'Manhunter',I was pleased find an author who could drag the serial killer genreinto the realm of literature. After 'Red Dragon' came 'Silence', which was plainly a masterpiece. Imagine my anticipation for 'Hannibal', which was justified until the midpoint of the book, when Lecter leaves Italy. Suddenly, it was as if Harris had grown tired of his writing, his characters, and his theme, and just wanted to be done with it. It was like John Fowles writing half a novel and then handing it over to Dean Koontz to finish. I rather like what happens to Krendler in the end, but I never believed in him as a character (Harris seems to need a straw man to punish in his novels: the tabloid reporter in 'Dragon', Dr. Chilton in 'Silence'). Lecter's flashbacks touch on possible motivation for his sociopathic nature (inspired by Andre Chikatilo?) but are never fully explored, as with the killer in 'Dragon'. And Lecter, ready for even a pickpocket in Italy, fatally dropping his guard on his enemy's home turf? Oh, please! Needless to say, Thomas Harris will never get my hardcover buck again....
Rating:
Summary: The devil definitely is an angel
Review: This book is a follow-up sequence of the famous "The Silence of the Lambs", and yet it is a book all by itself. It does not pick up the thread of the story where it stopped in the previous book. Here the author shows a real serial killer who plans, elaborate and creates links between his crimes, his cannibalistic desire and a culture that goes back to the Middle Ages, a time where what he does alone was standard forms of justice. This historical perspective gives the crime an unbearable human dimension. The monster is nothing but a survivor, and yet, is he really the only survivor of those dark and brutal ages? He also shows how some people who have a lot of money and know how to buy some support in political and judicial circles, can do even worse crimes without having any problems. Hence the vengeance scheme against Hannibal, Doctor Lecter. And this plan shows how devilish a society founded on money can become. Because if you can do such ignoble acts to avenge yourself against such a criminal, what can you do to satisfy your desires with un-important people like illegal immigrants who cannot be claimed by anyone? It reveals that Hannibal Doctor Lecter only attacks people who are somewhere criminals themselves, people who are also trying to attack him. The book also gives some vista in the past of Dr Lecter, hence a vision of some kind of line of causation of his personality, and there again we find the ugliness of our society that refuses no crime to impose a rule, a political system, a dictatorship,etc. War, totalitarianism, dictatorship are human crimes that are, unluckily, so far, accepted as normal historical events and twists by everyone. It is easier to declare Hitler crazy than to denounce the social, political and economic system that produced him and that covered his crimes for decades. It took fifty years for the Catholic Church to officially apologize for its passive support to the Shoah. All that is behind the book, and the crimes of Hannibal in Italy are systematically a rerun of justice acts of the Renaissance. Where is the devil? Where is the angel? Where is God? We do not know at all. Evil is in man, or rather is encouraged in man by society and history. Here Thomas reaches a real philosophical level and goes beyond plain voyeurism. And what's more, Doctor Lecter loves poetry (Dante) and music, classical music. While people were gutted and hanged and tortured by politicians and the Chruch in Italy, the most beautiful and sophisticated music was composed by some of the finest musicians of all times. What a soul-stirring reality. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris universities IX and II
Rating: 
Summary: Who wrote this?
Review: A Thomas Harris book boring? Is that possible? Did he really write this lame follow up to one of the all time great scary books? The characters are like cardboard cutouts who didn't scare, amuse, or interest me. Hannibal seems to have changed from an interesting and frightening evil person to a Saturday morning cartoon character who can dodge bullets. So why do I give it a three? Because Thomas Harris is one hell of an author and wrote three dynamite books in the past. I just hope he does so again - and gets rid of this guy masquerading as him.
Rating: 
Summary: A must read
Review: Reading was never my hobby till I picked up this book. Here you can really understand the mind of Dr Lecter, although evil, but very cunning. The ending was weak which cost the book another star. But overall, if you enjoy psycho-thrillers, this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Well written with pacing problems but a big payoff. Worth theread although he could have trimmed fifty or a hundred pages off. Idon't think he pulls off the end, it was too ex machina. Not that it wasn't surprising, but it just popped up. He didn't set it up properly I don't think. I didn't think it was that scary or sickening, for a book named after a serial killer I mean. I liked the man-eating pigs, though. Clear prose, cool settings, great characters. I hated them all. (But -- or because? -- I believed them.) I couldn't even like Starling. So the ending seemed satisfying. Maybe harris will write another book in ten years.
Rating:
Summary: Ending negates an average narrative
Review: I read this story and kept thinking these characters are really bizarre. However the pace and story line were good enough to keep my interest. The author used a strange writing style. At times it was a straight forward narrative and then would change to a voyuer type of writing. As if the reader and author were peeping in on the life of actual people rather than characters in a book. I kept on with it and read the final two chapters of the book. I HATED THE ENDING. I thought Mr. Harris showed contempt for the characters he created in his two previous works. I can't say enough bad things about the ending. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read the book and reveal the ending. I will say that if the movie follows this book, especially the ending, I won't be seeing it.
Rating:
Summary: I Enjoyed This Quite a Bit!
Review: This long-awaited (by me) book was very enjoyable. I especially liked reading the parts that took place in Florence, Italy, having recently visited that lovely city. I always appreciate a book from which I can learn, and this one was full of interesting historical (and other) tidbits. Furthermore, when I have to look up a word or two in the dictionary when reading a book, as I had to with this one, I consider it a bonus. I also admire Mr. Harris' attention to detail as he writes. He chooses to include information and explanation that only adds to the many layers of delight present in the story. The character development is very good. The plot is interesting. The only thing I had trouble with was the ending, which I won't give away here. Suffice to say that I didn't find Clarice Starling's location (3 years out from the main story) believable. Maybe I missed something, some change in her character, but I found it inconsistent with who she is.
Rating:
Summary: Beauty and the Beast?
Review: Promising beginning. Harris fleshes out Lecter's character (no pun intended) and gives the reader details about the thorns in Lecter's paws. As the book moves along, Harris slowly diminishes Starling and turns this formerly by-the-rules FBI agent into a renegade who gives up everything for her monster. Near the end of the book, Harris switches genres and begins to write fantasy..and poor fantasy at that because there appear to be no rules. The ending of this book is incredibly disappointing. One can find absolutely no basis for it anywhere in the tale of the relationship between Lecter and Starling. Lecter and Starling are totally unrecognizable characters as the book winds down. Harris has the talent and imagination to have written an ending worthy of his readers and of his two main characters...sadly, he chose to turn the strong and intelligent Starling into a simpering fool and to end a fairly interesting novel with a cheap trick.
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