Rating: 
Summary: Above Average
Review: Who did not love the first two books in the sires? I thought they were both great so I had high hopes for this one. I would say that it is a bit of a let down, not so much that the effort is not a good one, but probably becuase I built it up in my head. I not only read the last book, but we all know the movie was just wonderful - that and the buss around this book probably meant Th I would be disappointed. The story was a good one, the additional characters are ok, not playing that large of a roll in the story so the fact that they are average is not a big deterrent. It was just that I thought he lowered his standards a bit by so heavily detailing the gore. I think the pace is great and if you like a straight forward story this is it, there are not a lot of sub plots. Overall the book was an ok effort from Harris, in the genre it is above average.
Rating:
Summary: "Hannibal" or "Mason"?
Review: Thomas Harris' "Hannibal" is a wonderful suspense thriller featuring the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter, adorned agent Clarice Starling, and a band of motley characters, each worthy of a trilogy unto themselves. Harris' mastery of character development in "Hannibal" is praiseworthy. "Hannibal" cuts through the red tape to show a different and even more menacing side of Dr. Lecter's life, bounty hunters. Mason Verger was a former client and victim of Dr. Lecter, who is permanently debilitated and sworn to revenge. Verger is the inheritor of a vast fortune, a sexual predator, and generally a very bad guy who has employed bounty hunters to chase Lecter. Clarice Starling, meanwhile, is having a tumultuous time with the FBI due to a botched narcotics bust, unfulfilled expectations, and a conniving influence named Paul Krendler. An episode unfolds in Italy, the transgressor is Hannibal Lecter, and the manhunt ensues. "Hannibal" is a fast, exciting, and intelligent suspense thriller that I'd highly recommend to all readers. The movie version of "Hannibal" distorts large portions of the book, including the ending, and should not suffice for true Lecter fans.
Rating: 
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: I loved this book! Although, it isn't really as frightening as the back cover implies. It is more romantic, albeit, in a really sick and twisted way. The book is MUCH better than the movie. And the ending is much more different.
Rating: 
Summary: THOMAS HARRIS IS A WRITER NOT A READER...
Review: In this abridged, audio cassette version of "Hannibal", the author, Thomas Harris, decides to treat the listener by doing the reading himself. This was a decided mistake. Mr. Harris, while no doubt a masterful story teller, is unable to read his own work without making the listener wish that Hannibal Lecter would creep up upon him and put an end to his reading. Mr. Harris should stick to writing, something at which he is quite capable, and leave the reading to those whose talents lie in that direction. This is, without a doubt, one of the worst audio cassette versions of a book that I have ever heard. Mr. Harris has a voice that gives the same effect as one who is raking one's fingernails across a blackboard. The story itself is fairly good, though it is not in league with "Red Dragon" or "The Silence of the Lambs". Here, Hannibal Lecter, having escaped from custody about ten years ago, is living the good life in Europe. Unbeknownst to him, however, he is being hunted down by Mason Verger, a fabulously wealthy, former patient of Dr. Lecter. Verger is also one of Lecter's victims who happened to have survived Lecter's unusual mode of attack. Left horribly disfigured by his former encounter with Lecter, Verger is very determined to hunt him down, and what he has in mind for Lecter will chill the listener. It is Verger who is truly monstrous, as the listener will discover (though with his unskilful reading, Harris gives him a run for his money). FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling remains an integral part of the story. After heading up a drug bust that went bad, she becomes persona non grata with the FBI. Still, when the FBI gets a tip about Lecter's whereabouts, it is she to whom the FBI turns, given the unusual relationship she previously had with Dr. Lecter. This assignment, too, turns bad, as Agent Starling is being set up for a fall by members of her own agency. What ultimately happens to all the players in this story is horrific. This abridged audio cassette version gets three stars for content and one star for the reading by the author. If one is interested in an audio version of the book, it is recommended that one pass on this one and try any one of the other versions in which the author is not the reader.
Rating:
Summary: No Silence of the Lambs
Review: I was so disappointed by this book, maybe because my expectations were too high, but it certainly is no comparison to Silence of the Lambs. This book was way over the top it was borderline disgusting. While I was reading the first few pages in this book, I was thinking to myself what kind of person could have wrote such a book. I found myself disliking every character in this book, and had great difficulties finishing the gruesome story. If you liked the first 2 books by Thomas Harris skip Hannibal, you will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: I liked it - ending and all
Review: Most of the people who do not like "Hannibal" will start
their reviews saying they are big fans of SOTL and
"Red Dragon" and then comes a big "but......". Well, but nothing. You cannot compare those books to "Hannibal" beyond the
in the most trival of ways - some characters are common. They surely don't have to have the same motivations after
a space of ten years? In many ways this is a story about the progreesive
disillusionment of Starling and her final realization of
her true nature. It is about her finding happiness. "Hannibal" is a way more ambitious book than SOTL and
ultimately more satisfying too. It is nice to see an author
prepared to let evil win out in the end and have virtue to be
so completely vanquished. That makes the ending exquisite - to take a character and have
them end up happy and contented in a life of ( from any rational
standpoint ), monstrous depravity. And all this stuff about "feminist icon"? Hmm. Why can't she
still be a feminist icon? Finally emerging as an equal partner?
I think all this "feminist icon" nonsense came from the fact
that in SOTL, there were no intruding male characters ( except
Crawford and he was too old for her ) amd she got to figure it
all out and shoot the bad guy. Now Dr Lecter has shown her her true nature and she is not under
any hypnotic or chemical influences, she can be an "icon" again,
fully in control, doing whatever she wants, confident and smart. But just "playing for the other side".
Rating:
Summary: One of the scariest books I have ever read.
Review: If youre looking for a deliciously disgusting novel that will creep up on you in your dreams you should definitely read this.Its a straight ahead shock thriller and Harris's attempts at shock value work.One of the best horror novels since The Exorcist,The Shining and Salem's Lot.If you think that most Stephen King and Dean Koontz novels just arent horrifying enough give Harris a try.
Rating:
Summary: Hannibal by Thomas Harris
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Thomas Harris. If you are trying to compare it to the movie, don't, you may have some difficulties. The book does describe a number of the relationships in much better detail and it is interesting to see the history/relationship of the characters to one another. I do not wish to give away the story. It was a quick read.
Rating:
Summary: Florentine Delights
Review: I'm only 15. When Silence of the Lambs came out i was only 2. So, as you can appreciate, i have not had to wait as long as some of you waited for this novel. In fact, i read it only about 2 weeks after i read SoTL. SO, my expectations had not been heightened by the passage of time. Nonetheless, this book is a masterpiece. There is no other word to describe it. Harris is a master. This is a wonderful gesture from Harris, giving the finger to all who fans who expected something rather like a carbon copy of SoTL, or even something vaguely similar. Harris here tells us that his novels will be dictated by what he wants to write, not what the public wants him to write. Harris comes up with a wonderfully gothic plot, and the way he writes is beautiful. The prose sings with intelligence and poetical value. Harris has created some great characters here. He builds on Barney, who we met in the last book, he delves deeper into Clarice's psyche, and explores Hannibal in a way that is vivid and realistic. Not to mention Mason Verger, who does superly as the disfigured and vengeful villain. And beside him you have Margot Verger, who is the best subsidiary character Harris has ever created. At first she is meek, then strong, and at the end finally comes into her gruesome own. Then we have Rinaldo Pazzi, another great character, out to trap Hannibal, but ultimate, inevitably, falls victim to him in a particularly horrible way. Wonnderfully done. Another stunning piece of villainly is Paul Krendler, who we just cheer at when meets his fate. Hannibal Lecter is back, and he is bigger and better than ever. The ending to this book is possibly the best to any fictional piece of writing i have ever come across. The last pages shimmer with brilliance and nostalgia. The last chapter is great, the last paragraphs inspirational, the last line, simply stunning. A great, great ending. Trumps expectations.
Rating:
Summary: Hannibal: by Thomas Harris
Review: You remember Hannibal Lecter: gentleman, genius, cannibal. Seven years have passed since Dr, Lecter escaped from custody. And for seven years he's been at large, free to savor the scents, the essences, of an unguarded world. But intruders have entered Dr. Lecters sanctuary, piercing his new identity, sensing the evil that surrounds him. For the multimillionare Hannibal left maimed, for a currupt italian police man, for the FBI Agent Clarice Starling, who once stood before Lecter and who has never been the same, the hunt for Hannibal Lecter has begun. All of them, in their seperate ways, want to find Dr. Lecter. And all tree will get their wish. But only one will live long enough to savor the reward...
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