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Summary: HANNIBAL--A Reader's Review
Review: In flowery prose and lilting description, Thomas Harris once again draws us into the mind of the elegant monster Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Essentially, the book is less of a sequel but more of an individual novel with harrowing plot twists that render surprising results. This book tests the bounds of the believable, rising question to Mr. Harris himself who is quoted as saying, "I can't write it until I believe it." The book begins in predictable fashion, but soon picks up the pace and prepares the reader for a tour de force of astronomic proportions. For a while, at least, we get what we came for. The description in the book is beautifully representative of how Lecter sees the world, and how we see him. An interesting aspect of the book is its treatment of Lecter, which presents him as a little more human but no less terrifying. I am reminded of the Rolling Stones song, "Sympathy for the Devil": Lend Lecter a shoulder to cry on with the risk of him nibbling at your neck. The book has remarkable potential early on, taking us through the haunted halls of Lecter's mind and introducing us to his nemesis, Mason Verger. The climax of the book is a page-turning, nail-biting roller coaster. If only the end justifies the means. These climatic events lead up to an end, which is for lack of a better word, perplexing. For fans who have followed his work and have waited 10 long years for a sequel, the ending is an outrageous betrayal of the characters and a disappointment. I have always loved a surprise ending, but please...make it plausible! The strained conclusion seems silly at best, as if it were penciled in at the last minute. Only now having read the book do I understand Jodie Foster's reluctance to do the sequel. While Harris created the character of Clarice, Jodie Foster gave her life on the screen. The book essentially betrays the character of Clarice, and sallows the plucky tenacity of her personality that makes her the sympathetic heroine of "The Silence of the Lambs." While I enjoy the psychological insight into the characters, I feel the original story is somewhat marred by the sequel. HANNIBAL is a thought-provoking, beautifully descriptive book, punctuated by brief moments of genius. Its eventual downfall is its less than palatable ending, leaving the reader dismayed and vaguely unfulfilled.
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Summary: I Like It !
Review: I thought the book was great, I had a problem with the Italian, but other than that I truly enjoyed the book. He was very detailed in his writing. I truly enjoyed it.
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Summary: EWWWWW!
Review: This book got increasingly repulsive, both in terms of content and of style. Harris's skills have become a parody of themselves as he indulges in every kind of flowery speech. And there's not one likeable character here, especially poor Clarice Starling. The ending of the book is thoroughly disgusting and almost painful. Do not read this. Wait for the movie, as a lot of what happens, like the first time around, will be cut out.
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Summary: Good book, bad audio
Review: Really, I enjoyed listening to this book. The story is good, The dictation is perfect (specially for the mason character) and it really captivated me on the 40' drive to and from the office. The book is not a typical "second part", but is able to stand on its own. As for the descriptions of Florence and the Italian life, only a few inconsistencies (nothing worth mentioning). Mr. Harris made also a few mistakes, as to mention that we have a sign on the car mirror that says "Objects look nearer on this mirror"... Sorry pal, but only american cars have this sign. My black note goes to bantam, as I got a set of tapes where tape #5 was a bad recording. Amazon responded and sent me another copy, no cost. Still, tape #5 has a hissing sound, specially on side B.
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Summary: Waste of a Weekend - Don't Bother!
Review: I was really looking forward to reading this book. I thought Silence of the Lambs was incredible in its readability and fast-paced, terrifying action. How could this have been bad, I wondered? Familiar characters, familiar writer. Was I ever wrong. Thomas Harris, what were you thinking? Most of this was tedious and slow as molasses. Harris seemed determined to give us every detail he could while we were "visiting" Italy with Hannibal...and it was all I could do to push through the endless descriptions of this street, that street, this church, that church. I'm all for setting and mood, but this was like a travelogue which rambled on and on to distraction. Harris' back-and-forth between tenses, I'm sure, was an attempt to be creative and to "flow" but it stopped me cold each time. It was like gears changing in a car and scraping madly each time. But the worst sin of all in this novel which held so much promise was the incredible depart from character at the end. I won't say anything to "spoil" the story but I felt like I'd suddenly been thrown into Bizarro World. I believe a writer has the right to create his/her own conclusion, but this was so out of left field I was almost insulted as a reader, as someone who had invested some time into the main characters. I was supposed to *believe* this could happen this way? Don't bother. This was a waste of a weekend for me.
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Summary: Old Doctor, New Tricks
Review: True to expectation, "Hannibal," the sequel to Thomas Harris' landmark thriller "Silence of the Lambs," doesn't fail to provoke a strong reaction from its reader. Positive or negative, the verdict (as with most sequels) often depends on the reader's opinion of the first novel and the inevitable differences between the two. With Harris' latest novel, there is good reason. Here, the streamlined nature of "Silence" is little more than a memory, with the all encompassing focus on Agent Clarice Starling now shifted to spotlight an entire cast of expertly fleshed-out characters. True to form, Clarice *is* looking for her old friend, Hannibal Lecter. As is Lecter's former patient, Mason Verger. As is Verger's sister, Margot. As is Clarice's Bureau superior, Paul Krendler. All with their own stake in recovering the notorious doctor who, apart from evading his merry band of pursuers, is keeping his own eyes peeled for Clarice. A thudding lack of Starling/Lecter interaction halfway through the novel is superceded by a more subtle form of communication as the two use the knowledge they have acquired in their previous encounters to track each other's movements across state and continent, with the occasional interruption in the shadowed form of Verger or Krendler. Each member of this incomparable triumvirate spends much of the novel grappling for the dominant role in the pursuit and ultimate capture of Lecter, unaware of the plans the doctor has for all three of them. Harris' fluid description of the individual motives of each character creates an intricate construction that, along with both a heightened sense of gore and a dulled amount of suspense, forms a heavier, more contemplative read that is neither superior, nor inferior to its predecessor.
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Summary: Irrelevancies
Review: I was mildly disappointed in the book, but my major criticism is against Amazon.com, for printing incoherent ravings from Sunday School teachers. I enjoy reading critiques, both pro and con, not irrelevant frothings at the mouth. I don't recall seeing one word in the book maligning Jesus or any aspect of religion. This book is supposed to be a thriller, not a treatise on theology. That critic should apply for a seat on the Kansas City Board of Education.
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Summary: Wow
Review: I asked "Santa" for a copy of this book. When I recieved it, I couldn't believe the actual size of the book. And I couldn't put it down. It is amazing that one person could come up with such twists and turns. I recommend this book for anyone who remotely enjoys an excellent book. Read it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.. Okay? go read it now.. I beg you.
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Summary: Don't bother, Harris fans...
Review: This book is a bitter disappointment. The real horror in Harris' "Red Dragon" and "Silence.." was the mundane, familiar nature of the terrible forces wandering among us undetected. This book turns Lecter into a cartoon character, whose powers are superhuman, and introduces others so other-wordly evil they begin to be funny; they certainly are completely unbelievable. Starling remains a three-dimensional character, but that's as far as it goes, folks. Harris may write beautifully, but in this book he has substituted gore for everything else--plot, depth of characterization, and talent.
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Summary: This is his worst book to date!
Review: My all time favorite movie is Silence of the Lambs. Just recently I finished reading the Red Dragon his first book that introduces Dr. Lecter and the book was really good. However after buying this book I was really disappionted! I found the book to be really boring.. It had too many chapters on Italy that was really hard to follow unless you speak the language or have been there. I didn't like the fact that Clarice was hardly in the book and when she was it was a joke.(no wonder Jodie Foster doesn't want to do this movie). I'm sorry Thomas Harris but I don't reccomend this book for anyone.
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