Hannibal

Rating:
Summary: Too sadistic, but riveting
Review: There were pages I had to skip past because I couldn't handle the goriness (and I'm not generally a wimp). I didn't like the way Clarice was turned almost into a buffoonish character (i.e., no dignity to be had as reporters snap pictures while she gets a speeding ticket; a senseless petty theft leaving her helpless in a supermarket and looking a little foolish). I didn't like seeing Clarice looking like a fool. On the other hand, a character like Hannibal Lecter can not NOT be fascinating. That alone kept me rivetted to the book and let me overlook it's flaws. I was (like in Silence of the Lambs) obsessively compelled to try to figure out how his mind was working.

Rating:
Summary: Lousy Ending
Review: This book was so anticipated, especially with all the buzz that Anthony Hopkins & Jodie Foster might reprise their roles for a movie based on it. I was very disappointed in the ending which totally changed the characters we know from "Silence Of The Lambs" and made them up to be part of a ludicrous finale. A shocker of a book, yes, but for all the wrong reasons. I would not recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Just what I was wanting
Review: I can see how the way this book ends could aggravate some readers; but, for me it was exactly what I wanted to see. I loved almost all of this book. Mason Verger's character was the epitamy of a despicable creature and his plan for Lecter is nothing less than terrifying. Lecter became this sensual man with nothing but class and inteligence. I simply couldn't put it down. I just hope they don't make the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Jodi, you were right.
Review: I understand that Jodi Foster turned down a mega bucks offer to play Clarice Starling again for the movie version of this book. What a smart lady!

I had a really hard time getting through this trash unlike my daughter who was smart enough to just not finish it.

Rating:
Summary: SATISFYING SEQUEL
Review: I am a big fan of the saga of Hannibal Lector. I think Hannibal was a pretty good follow up to "Silence of the lambs", although as many readers have stated, a little far fetched. (even for Harris) but i think thats what fiction is all about. I am truly dissapointed that Jodie is not going to do the sequel. The book is gory in details and entertaining in plot.

Rating:
Summary: No Comparison to Silence of the Lambs
Review: I have been hooked on Hannibal Lecter since first viewing the movie "Manhunter". I read "Red Dragon" and "Silence of the Lambs" and anxiously waited for 'Silence' to be made into a movie. I bought "Hannibal" on audio cassette the very week it was released because I wanted to learn about Lecter's latest escapades. "Hannibal" is no comparison to "Silence of the Lambs". Starling's role in this book is disappointing. The ending of "Hannibal" left a lot to be desired. If the movie ever gets made, I won't be rushing out to see it.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling horror story, realistic
Review: Thomas Harris' real strength shines through in this book, namely his believable characterization of evil (or insanity.. you decide). As with "Red Dragon" and "Silence of the Lambs", he presents a very unflinching view of the twisted and warped corners of a killer's psyche. In this novel, Lecter appears more than ever as an antihero rather than as a villain, and is a good read for those interested in suspense novels with an intelligent bent. This is true horror, without the supernatural nonsense that pervades most of the genre.

Rating:
Summary: The ending does not follow the story...
Review: This is the first Thomas Harris novel I have read. I saw Silence of the Lambs, loved it, and opted not to read the novel. When this novel was released, I immediately snapped it up.

The whole story was excellent from the onset. Harris does a great job of further developing Dr. Lecter's character. You even find yourself sympathizing with the crazy ba$tard! It is truly a wild ride and worth the read.

BUT, there is the ending. Although I could buy-into 70% of it, the ending as is does not jibe with the story or Clarice Starling. At least not for me. But, worth the read. Unless you are easily grossed out!

Rating:
Summary: Hannibal A Poison Kiss to Harris Fans
Review: "The evil that men do lives on and on; the good oft lies interred with their bones." So it is with Thomas Harris' followup to the electric "Silence of the Lambs," "Hannibal." Having had an Oscar-winning film made from his earlier book, Harris apparently intended to defraud the production company which purchased the film rights by writing a book which simply cannot be filmed.

First off, the violence is way over the top, and Harris' descriptions of the same reveal a sort of manic glee, as though the author were intentionally seeking to alienate his audience in a fit of artistic pique.

Secondly, the relationship between Starling and Lecter, so intriguing in the first book and in the film, is here reduced to an implausible and disgusting mock opera.

Third, the very thing which made Hannibal Lector an appealing villain, the mystery as to how a man could become so monstrous, is herein revealed by the author in a fashion only the most pedestrian of amateur psychologists could find appealing.

Fourth, the climax to the novel is so riduculous and over the top that most would simply throw the thing to the floor in disgust.

The only obstacle to giving this book an even lower rating is the nagging suspicion that the author, rather than being merely incompetent, actually intended this farce to be a practical joke on the public. If true, I give Harris some grudging respect for his audacity. I would not, however, recommend his book.

Rating:
Summary: Bad Endings
Review: I had been dying to read this book since the first news it was coming out. Finally I got my hands on a copy and devoured it. I loved it. The suspense, the characters. I loved The Silence of the Lambs and felt this book was a good follow up, until the last few chapters anyway. I feel the ending is totally out of character for the heroine. The turn of events at the end just don't make sense for the Starling that was introduced in Silence. Now I understand why Jodi Foster isn't going to be in the movie. I won't give it away for those who haven't read the book, but be ready for a shock. I'm glad I read it, but I was dissapointed.