Rating: 
Summary: An Elegant Thriller
Review: I can't recall a more elegant thriller than "Hannibal"-- in its careful, restrained use of language, its well-drawn characters, and especially in its commanding use of painstaking research. The book is replete with interesting facts about medicine, history, forensics, zoology, animal husbandry, medieval literature, art, cooking, the city of Florence, the Italian language, classical music, and wine-- all presented with Thomas' sure, confident touch.This is not a conventional sequel, and many fans of "The Silence of the Lambs" will surely be horrified by this book's extremely shocking conclusion. Those in particular who regarded Clarice Starling as a feminist icon (including, perhaps, Jody Foster) may feel betrayed. However, I think Harris should be commended for his courage. The easiest (and most profitable) thing for him to do would have been to give us a "Silence of the Lambs" rehash, tailor-made for another blockbuster film adaptation. Most of the plot concerns Mason Verger, a meat-packing tycoon and an early victim of Hannibal Lecter. A child molester whose victims include his own sister, Verger is as diabolical in his way as the doctor himself. Paralyzed and disfigured by his brush with Lecter, he is planning an elaborate and ghastly revenge-- which Harris describes with a morbid lyricism worthy of Edgar Allen Poe. The conflict here is between two monsters: one attractive (Lecter), one unattractive (Verger). Harris subtly encourages us to root for Lecter, giving "Hannibal" a moral landscape far more ambiguous, more disturbing, and more ironic than most thrillers. Although I'm saving my pennies for the hardcover version, the 6-hour audio abridgement that I was lucky enough to find at my local library features a nicely understated reading by Thomas Harris himself-- speaking in a craggy, Mississippi-inflected voice that made me think of Mark Twain.
Rating: 
Summary: Ridiculous ending
Review: I have not read the previous two Hannibal books but my sympathies go out to fans of the series, who have had to witness the carefully crafted characters of Starling and Lecter destroyed in the space of 30 pages by a completely ridiculous and unsatisfying ending. However, despite the ending it is still an entertaining read - one for the airport or journey to work.
Rating:
Summary: Harris has done it again!
Review: From the beginning to the end, Hannibal was thrilling and mysterious. He did an excellent job of introducing Starling, Lecter, and all of the other characters, so if you hadn't read the Silence of The Lambs, you could pick up the story easily. I recommend it to everybody
Rating: 
Summary: A page turner that was disturbing yet unforgettable
Review: The novel is masterfully written and I had a tough time putting it down for the night. However, I don't know if I like what the author did with Lecter. This time, the doctor has been made almost sympathetic. It's disturbing when one is rooting for a serial killer. Also, I don't know if I liked what happened to the two protagonists. With all that said, the novel was provocative, engaging and unforgettable. I may even read it again.
Rating: 
Summary: The sickest thing I ever read... and I HATED it!
Review: Now, I like sick stuff, and Silence of the Lambs and all that stuff he wrote just gives me the creeps. But this one sucked, 100%. For example, there is a part where Jody Foster ends up eating someone because of what happens to her. She should be in the movie, but on top of that her character would just not do it. Never. And it made me nearly vomit. Really.
Rating:
Summary: This book disturbed me-- not much does that anymore
Review: Silence of the Lambs was about what Conrad called "the fascination of the abomination." I loved it because Hannibal Lecter seemed about as close as one could get to pure evil, and as such, was ultimately one-dimensional. The conflict between Clairce and Hannibal was formula-- some of the best formula ever produced, but still just a simple battle between good and evil. Unfortunately, things aren't ever that simple in our world, as Harris demonstrates in Hannibal, moving from the realm of formula into the realm of literature. In Hannibal, Claire and Hannibal become real characters that challenge the way we look at good and evil. Among all the characters in the novel, only the one that seems most evil can give Clarice the moral absolutes she's seeking-- that's why the ending is believable, and very highly disturbing. It's scary that a man could do such evil things out of love, or that one could love a man who does such evil things. Read it, definitely, but prepare to have your view of the world challenged-- not a comfortable thing.
Rating:
Summary: The most psychologically disturbing of the Hannibal Saga
Review: Red Dragon was a good focus on serial killers and how they are caught. Silence of the Lambs was a shocking study of serial killers and of Hannibal Lecter, a minor character in Red Dragon, who now becomes a real force of prescence and introduces us to the dark side of the soul through Lecter's demented view of the world. Now, with "Hannibal", we are allowed to actually step inside of Lecter's mind and discover that, horribly enough, we are him. He has the same (almost) ambitions as all of us, the same ideals. And yet he can be so ruthless. That is what makes him fascinating. We cheer for him despite his murders. We want him to get the woman and beat the bad guy even though he is ruthless and often malicious. We sympathize for what made him what he is. Some people gave this book poor reviews. I think their expectations were too high. If you want a good story, stand alone or sequal, sit down and read Hannibal. It is well worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Please don't make a movie out of this one!
Review: This is a hell of a book, and I don't mean that in a good way. It is Hell to get through, what with the constant switching between tenses, the sloppy writing (Harris reportedly refused to let an editor touch it), and the unbelievable actions of the characters. This was totally unfaithful to the character of Starling, especially. Please, please, Ms. Foster and Mr. Hopkins, make a sequel to the film, and disregard the novel completely. You could even use the novel's reported working title "Morbidity of the Soul", which even sounds more like a film about the not-so-good doctor.
Rating:
Summary: Terrible, depressing, disappointing unbelievable book
Review: After waiting, along with all the other Thomas Harris fans who enjoyed "Red Dragon" and "Silence of the Lambs", for"Hannibal", I was thrilled when a copy became available at my library. Alas, it was nothing like what I'd hoped. Unbelievable! I simply can't accept this story. This book was a huge disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: What happened?
Review: I read the first two books of the Hannibal series and they were just amazing. I could not read them fast enough. And when I finally received Hannibal, I was excited to start it. But as I continued to read it took so long for the plot to build. The story line was not flowing. Mason's plan is not original. It is only towards the very end when the book finally picks up the pace and maintains the speed and suspense as Harris's previous novels. All in all, it is a very disappointing book.
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