Rating: 
Summary: Compelling, but a little over the top.
Review: I've been a big fan of Thomas Harris' novels, going all the way back to Black Sunday. I loved both Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs, and I've reread both of them. Silence, in particular, is a pretty tough act to follow. As far as Hannibal is concerned, I agree with a number of my fellow readers about the quality of the writing, which for the most part is excellent. And, as with Silence, it is obvious that Harris has done plenty of research about the places and the objects he puts in his story. The book jumps around quite a bit, but there's some terrific character development (in particular, we really get a strong sense of the origins of Lecter's impulses). I was disappointed though to see Jack Crawford's character rendered virtually sterile in this story. And even Clarice, who was so strong and intuitive in Silence, seems a bit more vulnerable (and even naive) than one would expect. I found the last couple of chapters more irritating than anything else, not because of the "gross-out factor", but more because of the complete departure from reality. One of the best aspects of Silence was its believability; in Hannibal, Harris takes the small strain of believability that exists in the early parts of the book and throws it right out the window. I think it'll be tough to do a movie out of this without completely rewriting the last quarter of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Lecter is less frightening than his dandy clothes
Review: In high school I was taught that fiction (novels, movies, etc.) is the sum of three elements: Story, Setting and Characters. It's as simple a scheme as you can get, but when it comes to judging a book, it works. Judged by these conventional parameters, Hannibal is unsatisfying. The story, unlikely and sometimes boring, adds nothing to what was told in The Silence of the Lambs, it lacks the thrill of the search, the investigation job is almost always behind the scenes, the action is always so unnaturally conceived that makes me wonder why it was there and to what purpose. The setting, since I'm Italian, was another disappointment. I hope Mr Harris didn't do a lot of research, because he would have learned the same things about Italy just by listening to the old cheap jokes. His Florence is so laughable and unlikely, his portrait of the cultural institutions so amateurish and uninformed, his knowledge of Italian society so poor that makes me think he was speaking of another country. As for the US part, I can't tell, the usual interjurisdictional stuff, lots of let-me-tell-you-something lines and he was done. The characters: Starling is a She-Rambo waiting for Mr. Right, unfit for both these roles, like the ones I've seen in too many movies and, not too miss a common place, Harris even puts her behind the wheel of an All-American muscle car. In a word, Jennifer Beals in Flashdance, the glamourous steel mill working girl was real life, in comparison. Pazzi, the Italian investigator, looks Italian only when he's riding a moped. Hannibal is less frightening than his worn-out dandy tastes and it's unbelievable how he manages not to get caught, given his ability to get noticed. As for the others, they're just ill-conceived macguffins to bring Hannibal back to his homeland.
Rating: 
Summary: Something's Not Right in This Kitchen
Review: Like a long-anticipated meal, Hannibal is bound to disappoint, if only a little. The sequel to the amazing Silence of the Lambs feels and reads as if it has been worked over again and again, a little too much salt here, too much pepper added to take away the bite of the salt, too much sugar to balance the spice. There is a lack of balance in this book that is worrisome. The reader is troubled by frequent tense changes, from present to past, especially at the beginning of chapters. Only too late do you realize that what you are "hearing" is, possibly, Lecter's own personal narrative as he strolls through the memory palace in his head, wandering from room to room to savor experiences long past. There are moments of brilliance here, such as a delightful scene on an airplane in which Lecter, a monster sought on several continents, is irritated by a small boy who wants to share the doctor's lunch. The opening scene, a botched raid on a drug factory, reintroduces Clarice Starling in stark, brilliant, cutting light, and she never shines as brightly again. There are things amiss in this novel, as one might find in a fruit de mer royale left only hours too long out of the sea, or medallions of veal francaise made with RealLemon and Parkay. Many central characters are neglected almost to the point of becoming comic book caricatures. This is especially true of the primary antagonists, Mason Verger and his anabolically enhanced sibling Margot. When all is said and done, we know little or nothing about these scoundrels, except that they were, somehow, a little evil and vindictive. So, what's to like? Why give this long-awaited story four stars? There is something deeply disturbing in the last ten chapters, which make up a macabre, scintillatingly frightening short story inside the novel. It is at this point, when you believe that all the action is completed and the story is drawing to a close, that Hannibal shows its true colors. Like a dessert of fresh fruit in jasmine syrup, these last chapters wash the palate of all the shortcomings of the previous courses of this meal. This is not a dessert to be ingested just before bed, however, as it may return on you in the night. Do yourself a favor. Read for the poetry rather than the plot, until you think the plot is finished. From that point on, Hannibal is a thorougly satisfying, incredibly disturbing look at genuine psychopathy and malevolence in action. You may discount the first seven-eighths of this novel, but you will return again and again to smack your lips over its ending. Can't wait for the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Dreadful and predictable
Review: One can rationalize for several squarely typed inches here but nothing can excuse the cruelties, large and small which permeate these pages. Harris has run out of places to go and the only suspense left is whether one monster will have the chance to wreak revenge on another monster. Who cares and why should we? With a large Italian section which is utterly predictable (the only question being what gruesome way some will die) and an ending which tries to be poetic and winds up unbelievable and foolish. A waste of time and a precipitous drop from his earlier work.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome
Review: Found it hard to put this one down. Character development throughout the book is masterful. If you liked "Silence", read the book...
Rating: 
Summary: Think of Lost World or the Last Don
Review: Just as Mario Puzo, the genius who gave us the Godfather also produced the Last Don and Michael Crichton followed Jurassic Park with Lost World, Thomas Harris has taken what was a stellar record and added a severe blemish. Dislikable characters, implausible plot turn after implausible plot turn and absurd ending and you have a real dud. JODI and ANTHONY if you are reading this, take my advice, do not agree to make this movie, do not give this a second life, let it die or get someone else to play the parts. This book needs to be priced more than 50% off for you to get your money's worth.
Rating:
Summary: High expectations.
Review: High expectations. I think this is what everbody had after "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs." "Hannibal" is not a bad book, although it is a bit outlandish and far-fetched at some points. It merely deviates from what Thomas Harris had previously established. Some people may not like this. My response,"You didn't have to buy it in the first place." I must say myself that the end was both a twist and a grotesque suprise. I think that the ending has effected many positive opinions about this book. For those who were expecting something on the level of "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs," you musn't expect Thomas Harris to stay on the same literary lines he has all the time. As for Stephen King's review, I think he summarizes it pretty well. By the way, I must argue with the reader from Ohio who says both Stephen King and Thomas Harris lack a good editor. Apparently, the reader doesn't understand the concept of being an editor.
Rating:
Summary: don't be mislaid
Review: like may readers, I had reservations about this book due to the bad reviews, how anyone can trash this book and call it rubish is beyond me. I found it to be a very suspensful and harrowing read which deeply disturbed me. This is what i bought the book for. All the readers who were disgusted and could not read it, what did you expect?? I am appalled to find that MR Harris has felt the need to appologise to his readers because of their comments. What right do do readers have to tell TH how the characters that HE! created would react in the circumstaces. I would like to thank TH for a brilliant book and only hope that he has not been disheartened by the critism to write a follow up book. (but I do wish he would write them quicker)
Rating:
Summary: Eerily delightful! Grotesque and romantic!
Review: Throughout much of the book I was wondering where Harris was going with the characters and the storyline. And like a true suspense thriller I was hooked until the very last page. Occasionally the writing style would change in a manner that was a bit confusing. It seemed that pieces were left out, when really Harris was bringing us truly into Hannibal's intricate mind, where trivialities matter not as much as results. Hannibal, nor Starling let the trivialities in life get to them. They are calm through and through. I admire these qualities and came to admire the characters. Harris brought them to life for me. Sometimes I fancy that they really are alive. To quote Poe, [Hannibal] "thrilled me -- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before". Also it made me giggle with delight. It was exquisite! How I would like to talk to Mr. Harris about this book as I think much of Hannibal Lecter is really part of himself (though I doubt Harris is such a monster). Harris must be a man of distinguished taste and class, as well as humor. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: This novel is a superb sequel to its predecessor.
Review: In this novel, Harris further expands on the events that happen after the escape of his horrifyingly realistic character, Hannibal Lecter. We are allowed a tiny glimpse into the hallways of Lecter's mind, and what one finds there can only be described as the remenants of one with great potential that was diseased and corrupted by a childhood trauma. I recommend that anyone with an interest in the psyche of a brilliant madman, imbibe this novel as well as its prequels The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon.
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