Rating: 
Summary: If Thomas Harris were here, I would kick him in the...
Review: That's how much I hated this book. The majority of the book paled in comparison to Silence of the Lambs, but the ending was just absurd. It actually made me angry it was so bad. If I thought it would work, I would go to a hypnotist to get all recollection of this book removed from my head. In short, if you loved Silence of the Lambs, for god's sake DON'T READ THIS BOOK!
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Summary: This is ENTIRELY too silly!
Review: Bleah! I just finished this boook, and from having read some of the many reviews here, I knew it was either going to be terrific or terrible. Well, I must vote for the latter. I give this thing two stars only because it's a fast, easy read, and it does contain some creative bits from an obviously talented author. But, whereas his previous works were genuinely chilling and fear inspiring, this thing was more of a farce and had about as much impact as an old Wile E. Coyote cartoon, in which the principal form of entertainment is seeing all the different ways the coyote (Hannibal's victims) could be creatively done in. The characters are either ridiculous, revolting, or a mixture of both. Some parts were so over the top you half expected John Cleese to wander in and cheerfully announce "This is ENTIRELY too silly!". The bottom line is we don't care about any of the characters, and the plot is simply too outlandish to take seriously enough to be frightening. Lecter might as well wear blue underwear with a big "S" emblazened on his chest, since apparently he can accomplish anything with the merest of effort or hesitation. The Lecter of the previous novels was indeed exceedingly clever, but not so smart as to avoid getting caught in the first place. In short, he had an aura of credibility which made his penetrating evil all the more frightening. Ditto for Clarice, but in this book, the two of them, along with everyone else, become little more than cartoon figures. All I can say is I'm glad I got this from my library (read it over the weekend, dropped it off the next day, having had little desire to go back and savor it again, as one does with any truly worthwhile read) and avoided paying the cover price. It will be interesting to see if it's made into a movie, it's hard to imagine any revision to the screenplay that won't be an improvement over the novel.
Rating:
Summary: BORING
Review: I thought to myself when I first saw the book on the shelf finally a sequel to Silence of the Lambs. I went to the library to put it on hold and was the 75th person waiting for the book. When I did get I only had it for two weeks, well it was two weeks too long. I found it boring from the beginning, middle and to the end. Though I must admit I skipped through most of the book hoping to find it more thrilling and keep on the edge of my seat, but alas. It was like Hannibal never came into the picture until the end. Mason Verger was a pain, Krendell was a nothing and what of Starling, well just that what. She was more interesting in Silence of the Lamb. I'm glad I didn't buy this book. Thomas Harris I enjoyed your first two books, The Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, what a disappoint about the third. Can't wait for the movie, hope it will be better.
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Summary: Fascinating...Revolting...you won't stop thinking about it!!
Review: People will be polarized by this story. Hate it or love it...this story is guaranteed to make you think...maybe disturb your dreams. It goes against the grain for many, and I think that was the intention. If you can read this without stubbornly clinging to your own favorite images of the characters...you're in for one hell of a ride!
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Summary: Taking thrillers to a new level of degregation
Review: I do enjoy my thrillers. Silence of the Lambs was a fantastic fast paced book with exciting action. This book pushes the sick and macabre to new levels. In an effort to be more grotesque than any other writer, Mr Harris sacrifices everything it takes to make a truly satisfying thriller.
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Summary: Call Bellvue, we've got an author who's lost it!
Review: Harris has the inimitable ability to fully engage the reader and create a visceral experience that keeps your eyes glued to the pages and has you checking underneath your bed before "attempting" to sleep. In Hannibal, Harris has obviously taken to the crack pipe.My true feeling is that Harris was fed up by the pressure from Hollywood to write a sequel to Silence of the Lambs-- and to get even, he wrote this book. At least I hope that's the reason. If not, call Bellvue, we've got an author who's lost it! I asked myself 150 pages into it "Is this going anywhere?" I should learn to be more specific with my questions because where it went was right down the crapper. In Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, Harris so masterfully creates his characters that we actually feel sympathy for the psychotic Dr. Lechter. In Hannibal, we learn that Harris is the real psycho and our sympathy goes out the door when you consider the price of this hardback monstrosity. The ending itself was so bad, I took out life insurance to get through the last ten pages. I pulled through but it was touch and go there for a while. In spite of the fact that I would never recommend picking up this book, I still can't reveal the details as to why the ending of Hannibal bites so badly... no pun intended. Harris is not a conventional writer so his formula for creating suspense and developing characters is anything but formulaic. Does this book just take a different path? Indeed, a path that leads right off a steep cliff.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a very American ending - which is not always bad.
Review: If you remember a movie entitled "Fatal Attraction" starring Glenn Close, you will recall that the ending of that movie had to be changed because the American preview audience hated it. A borderline personality disorder patient, which Glenn Close worked so hard to portray, would have commited suicide, as she did in the original cut. American audience prefered that she attack the guy and get blasted away by a gun. This is the fare that attracts Americans. The original cut was shown in Europe. Hannibal does not end in a way that would satisfy most American readers. If it were to be made into a Hollywood movie it would need a different ending. But this is the only way it could have ended. Or should have. In fact, if it were not for the last section of the book I would have called it just another potboiler. The last section is the best part of the book. The book has faults. I understand that Mr Harris resisted editorial meddling. As a result, the book is full of redundant words and phrases, excess sentences and a point of view that wanders all over the place. The book seriously needs editing. Still, I like the book, as most intelligent readers should as long as they don't expect a shoot'em-up ending. As Dr Lecter would say, all I ask is for you is to keep an open mind.
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Summary: hated the ending
Review: I enjoyed the book, until the ending. So unbelieveable and out of Starling's character! Hated it! Really, I regret buying this book. Yuck.
Rating:
Summary: Utterly disappointing!
Review: first, while i'm glad i only paid half price for this book, it was the worst $ i have ever spent and nothing short of perhaps burning it one page at a time could psychologically redeem my financial loss. it's truly a tragedy that harris doesn't contractually allow his manuscripts to be edited by his publisher. this one reeeeally could have used a re-write or two. my biggest complaint with the development of dr. lecter's character is that after all harris has taken his readers through with him over the years, having lead us to a place of relation/connection where we really believe that he was simply this unexplained, perfect and unflappable social miscreant by his own choosing, he now honestly wants us to be sympathetic to this monster by trying to validate his wrath via the mischa storyline. THE MAN IS A SERIAL KILLER. PERIOD. NO EXPLANATIONS NEEDED. it's far too late to try and garner sympathy for lecter. he's apathetic and far from remorseful over any of his murders. i don't need to know about his tormenting childhhod memories. nor do i want him to be a romantic. no one wants to feel those kinds of feelings for a monster like lecter. you can't make references to him being lucifer and then say well...he's human after all - it doesn't work!! the mischa thing is awful - true enough, but you can't blame it for lecter's grown up sadistic choices. it doesn't justify what he became. i understand that he's trying to communicate that no one kills without reason it's just difficult to believe that dr. lecter, a professional shrink, couldn't conquer his own demons. his composure level in every other area of his life has been too thouroughly controlled and complete. and on the starling storyline...don't get me started. it was so difficult to believe her metamorphisis. yes seven difficult years have passed but the one thing she never has been is hopeless and without any fight in her. i just can't accept her total collapse in character, ethics, rationale. it was so overwhelmingly done that it just didn't read realistically at all.
Rating: 
Summary: If you liked S.O.the L., you're gonna LOVE this book.
Review: In Silence of the Lambs,Harris' presentation of the main characters was only the tip of the iceberg. Hannibal develops the title character and that of Clarice Starling beyond my greatest hopes and we are left with the question...who are the bad guys and who are the good? The richness of detail is wonderful. I was totally engrossed until the end.
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