Rating: 
Summary: Left me feeling conflicted
Review: A fan of Harris' earlier novels - Black Sunday, Red Dragon and 'Silence' - I had hoped for another. The characters were finely drawn as usual - I loved hating Verger - but the ending was a gyp. It felt like Harris didn't know what to do so he did what he did. Also, I'm not sure I wanted insight into why Lecter was Lecter - the whole point of the previous novels in the series being that he was undefinable. So read it to enjoy Harris - but don't expect to be satisfied by the ending.
Rating: 
Summary: slow moving, with nonsensical violence
Review: I was very disappointed in this book. It drags on and on, with a hard-to-believe ending.Violence is used as a substitute for plot, and at times is so far out, that it's like watching professional wrestling. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: It wasn't nearly as good as Silence of the Lambs.
Review: I found it dragged in places. I thought most of the characters fascinating but sickening. I was a bit disappaointed in "Barney" and didn't like what happened to Clarice Starling at the end. I'd would like to see a prequel to all the books that deal with Hannibal that tells how he was origially caught.
Rating:
Summary: A good read, until the last chapters, when it disappoints.
Review: I waited, along with all of Harris' other fans, for his next book to be published. I was excited, as I am sure the others were, when I heard it would be a follow-up to "The Silence of the Lambs". When I finally was able to start reading this long awaited tome, I was delighted that it followed the pattern of the previous book. As I got farther along in the book it started to become disjointed. The explanation of Lecter's condition seems to be an afterthought and was not explored beyond a few paragraphs. In his previous works the disclosure of the life of Francis Dollarhyde and Jame Gumb were highlights of the books. Lecter's previous life seemed to be a throwaway.... An "oh, by the way, this is why he eats his victims". The final chapters were disappointing and seem to have been written with a movie script in mind. Most of the book was enjoyable but the ending was a BIG letdown.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as it should be
Review: I found the bizarre violence to be an attempt by Harris to outdo his previous novels. He may have suceeded but it is not nearly as good as Red Dragon. The ending is disappointing and totally out of character for Clarice.
Rating: 
Summary: A Hero for the New Millenium
Review: Like Cyrano de Bergerac, Hannibal Lecter will never lose his panache. Witty, suave, and preternaturally cool, the omnipotent Lecter evades his would-be captors at all turns and proves that a razor-sharp brain and sang froid are more than a match for weapons, ravening maws, and vengeful demons. He sees all, he remembers everything, he is stronger than an ox, his taste in truffles and wine is impeccable. (With all that going for him, whatever possessed him to go into psychiatry?) He starts to look vulnerable at times, but he upholds our faith in him and survives his tribulations dignity intact. The most important key to his survival is his capture and conversion of Clarice Starling. Having planted the seeds of love in Silence of the Lambs, he woos her delicately from afar, and contrives a conclusion that assures his safety for the rest of his life. We know that the FBI, underfunded and mismanaged by Washington boors as it is, will never manage to lay hands on him. He is far too clever to be captured by mere Italian cops. No, there are only two people in the world who could possibly run him down. One is Starling. The other, of course, is the nasty perverted billionaire Mason Verger. (Have you ever read The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair? What a foul industry meat packing is!) Mason can capture Lecter because he, too, has a mind that can manipulate a network of other people into carrying out his wishes. His money helps, but the real secret of his success is his ability, polished by therapy with Lecter, to talk people into doing his will. Lecter escapes because he has cultivated Starling. He survives by making her his own. In the process of tracking Lecter, she learns about taste, guided by his purchasing habits and inadvertently preparing herself to become his partner. When the malodorous Sardinians seize him, she dashes to his rescue; how could she not, after the lovely birthday present he had just given her? She frees him, but loses herself in the process. But who can complain about such an ending? Unlikely, yes, but isn't it what we wished could happen at the End of Silence of the Lambs? How tragic it was, that the relationship between Starling and Lecter was doomed to be a love that dare not speak its name. How satisfying that Clarice has finally found a man who can keep her in the fashion to which she clearly wanted to become accustomed, and can serve up her enemies in beurre noisette to boot. The 1990s have been the decade of the serial killer. It is only fitting that 1999 conclude with a fairy tale featuring a handsome prince in the guise of a murderer and cannibal who has more taste and dignity than anyone and, unlike Superman, does not have to relinquish his power to possess the woman he loves.
Rating: 
Summary: MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT!! I'm sorry to say.....
Review: The book started off with good intentions with the drug bust and Ms. Starling being in the picture. I got totally confused ( and still do not understand ) what the storyline in Italy had to do with the rest of the book. The ending got better when we got back to the Starling and Hannibal interactions. The ending was an interesting twist that I don't think most readers were expecting. Overall, my long wait for Hannibal, and the time it took to get throught it, was a waste of time. I'll cross my fingers that maybe the movie will be better.
Rating:
Summary: Dissappointed - - big time!
Review: It's really only 2 1/2 stars. Felt like the entire book was written as a screenplay, knowing it would have to be adapted in to a movie. Also, felt it tried too hard to reference contemporary news/events (various mentions right out of the headlines) - - it was too obvious and only served to bring me back to reality versus allowing me to get deeper into the story. Ending, without giving away, seemed way out of character for all involved - - sorry Thomas, still a big fan of Red Dragon and Silence, but this one wasn't nearly as strong.
Rating: 
Summary: The return of the king
Review: Thomas Harris' latest book, Hannibal, comes across as less a novel than a piece of classical art. The journey he takes the reader on is funny, frightening and unique to his own style of storytelling. As a fan of all Harris' material, from Black Sunday through Silence of the lambs, I feel I can definitely say that this is his strongest work. Hannibal has been called 'one of the most sadistic books ever written' by Time Magazine but nothing could be further from the truth. This is a sweeping saga that ties up all the loose ends from his previous FBI thrillers (Silence & Red Dragon) and provides a conclusion that is better than anyone could have hoped. Although the ending is horrifying it is also beautifully poetic, the calm way in which Harris describes scenes of the blackest horror only adds to the atmosphere. I cannot ever remember reading a book where I felt queasy and yes, even frightened to turn the page because of what I thought was coming. I won't spoil any plot details, it suffices to say that this novel is a sweeping, breathtaking masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Harris Does Something Different
Review: I applaud Harris for resisting the temptation to rewrite Silence of the Lambs. The ending worked for me, in an appropriately creepy way.
|
