Rating: 
Summary: Decent script, mediocre novel.
Review: The story itself was utterly compelling, and I found myself drawn to the wonderfully distasteful plot like a bad car accident. But Harris's prose style is witless, pedantic, and artless. The book reads like a script: dialogue is fine, but the descriptive paragraphs read like stage directions. And the ending - UGH - turns an otherwise good thriller with a strong, indomitable heroine into a sentimental romance worse than Richardson's Pamela. I hope Jodie Foster has the good sense to turn this sequel down. Bottom line: A good, fast summer read, but nothing that will stick in your mind.
Rating: 
Summary: A Literary Triumph of Symphonic Proportions
Review: Thomas Harris wrote two outstanding books about the psychology and the behavior of serial killers. Both "Red Dragon" and "Silence of the Lambs" were exceptional because the text managed to combine images of violence - eye popping at that - with brilliant elucidations of the mental processes at work AND birth the character of Hannibal (as well as that of Starling.)So many other writers have tried with uneven success to follow Harris' approach, and so many films have used the serial killer theme, that the whole genre was exhausted. There seemed to be nothing left to say on the topic. The mine of the serial killer themed books and films was so completely exhausted that simply knowing a work of popular art contained this topic caused me to avoid it. Which is part of the reason I found "Hannibal" to be such a triumph. Harris was almost certainly using either opera or symphonic arrangements when he wrote this book. He went deeply into the title character and the Starling character to create a work of fiction which is (amazingly) fresh and innovative. "Hannibal" will be considered the masterpiece of his few novels, and there is not the slightest doubt that both Hopkins and Foster will reprise their roles in a film version. The conclusion, which has been criticized by many readers, was completely believable. You give a psychiatrist access to as much knowledge and psychoactive drugs as Hannibal had, coupled to the level of intelligence he presented, and the result was almost inevitable... if he wanted it. And THAT kept me in suspence for even the last dozen pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Very seductive to find yourself rooting for the bad guy ...
Review: My initial reaction was that Harris had gone one step over the line ... Mason Verger is too horrible for print. But once again I found myself both repelled and seduced by Hannibal (as Clarice can attest). A great read ...
Rating: 
Summary: Complete disappointment
Review: I am an avid mystery and psychological suspense reader and I have previously read all of Thomas Harris' books which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, I was completely disappointed in Hannibal and found it very difficult to complete. I actually forced myself to finish the book, hoping that at sometime, the climate would change and what I had come to expect from his writing would surface. At one point, towards the end, I thought this would happen; however, I found the ending of the book to be unbelievable and unprobable. It felt like a cop-out ending to just finish the book. In fact, the book seemed as if it was just written so the movie could be made. A completely commercial endeavor rather than good reading.
Rating:
Summary: The most intriguing and disturbing book of the summer.
Review: Finished the book at 3:00 am and couldn't sleep for another two hours. Definitely more disturbing than "The Silence of the Lambs" or "The Red Dragon". The relationship development between Hannibal Lechter and Clarice Starling was startling, horrifying and compelling. A must read for anyone who wants to know how it all ends.
Rating:
Summary: The (Little) Suspense Novel That (Thought It) Could
Review: Once upon a time there was a Suspense Novel, youngest of 3, who learned much from its older siblings but had ambitions of being something MORE than just a suspense novel. Therefore it dabbled in diverse arcana, from the historical to the pornographic to the peerlessly vile, allthewhile wallowing giddily in the autoerotic whirlwind of what it felt to be its own transformation, or, if you will, ascension and illumination. Unfortunately, this never entirely came about. The Little Suspense Novel came to be viewed as something of a stoner, a flake, a dreamer; and if he never entirely succeeded at the perhaps-impossible task he'd set out for himself, still, you had to admit he was less predictable, infinitely more interesting company that his older brother (Red Dragon) and sister (Silence of the Lambs), with the exception of the times when he felt the need to repeat them, shamelessly verbatim, imagining we would not notice... Well, one can't have everything (after all, Gehenna and Acheron don't share the same racks, do they?) and Hannibal certainly tops anything Clancy or Grisham or their ilk could ever possibly come up with. But as a writer, I took offense to rampant overuse of the word 'plosive' and to the long passages of truly cliched dialogue, replete with the some of the silliest takes on race and culture I've heard since the last time Dan Quayle attempted a speech. Mr. Harris ought to know better.
Rating:
Summary: A mega let-down!
Review: This sequel is an insult to the prior two books. If this plot is all Harris can do with his wicked but fascinating Dr. Lechter, he should have given his creative juices another decade to distill before bringing him back. Then,again, perhaps he should have stopped with "Silence". Less is more in this case.
Rating: 
Summary: Heart Stopping Chills Killed By Insidious Ending...
Review: Had me by the hairs on the back of my neck. Hannibal is every bit as unpredictable and evil as ever. Love Clarice Starling again in this book though she takes a back seat to Hannibal. But HORRIBLE HORRIBLE ENDING. UNACCEPTABLE ENDING. RUINED THE WHOLE BUILD UP. PREPOSTEROUS.
Rating:
Summary: Good audiobook, but....
Review: I listened to the unabridged audiobook version of HANNIBAL, read by Daniel Gerroll. I have to admit that when the first tape started, Gerroll's voice wasn't one I thought would be suitable for this book. I quickly changed my mind, though, and eagerly anticipated each time I got into the car and could listen to this book. Gerroll did an excellent job with the different voices, accents, and vocal impediments of the characters that I almost forgive how wrong the ending of this book was for the story and its characters. Yes, it was gruesome and gory, but I felt the ending was just plain wrong. I've been a big fan of Harris in the past, but he just lost me with this one. At least I can say I enjoyed Gerroll's reading and will look for more readings from him.
Rating:
Summary: YOU WON'T LOSE SLEEP OVER IT
Review: After rave reviews I was expecting a novel I couldn't put down...not the case. My intentions were to pull the pin at chapter 75, but I perservered and finished it. I would have liked to have taken an axe to it...dr lecter style. Overall not a bad read...but not the best.
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