Rating: 
Summary: Marvelous, multi-layered, read til you drop novel!
Review: It would seem, from reading the reviews below, you either love this novel or hate it. Happily, I felt my money was well spent, as I loved it. The plot was dense and many-layered, adding a depth and breadth to the characters of Lecter and Starling that was only touched upon in the earlier novels. The ending was indeed a surprise, but once considered, fits in well with the series. I loved it, gross details and all. More Harris, more!
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully gross
Review: I read the reviews on this site but bought the book anyway. I am glad I did. The visual images painted by Mr. Harris are wonderfully gross. I was curious about the ending after so much uproar. The ending is fine and made you go hmmmmmmm.
Rating: 
Summary: What an utter disappointment
Review: For years, I've walked into bookstores inquiring anyone that would listen to me as to what Thomas Harris was doing. I was hoping, praying that he was doing something along the lines of Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs. Unfortunately, with this book, it appears as though that wasn't even close to the case. While the Red Dragon had characters and images that I'll never forget, this book is UTTERLY FORGETTABLE! All these years of waiting and we get this?! This book reminds me of how long we all waited for Boston's third album only to be disappointed and wish they had never released it, but instead had simply retired on top. Sadly, I feel the same about this book and Mr. Harris.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but also curiously flat in too many places
Review: While I enjoyed spending time with Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling again, and actually felt the ending was a logical conclusion to the relationship Harris first begun in Silence of the Lambs, I was also unmoved by elements of the story , particularly the graphic scenes of violence which too often bordered on caricature. I also felt that Harris' writing style in this book created a voyeuristic sense in the reader (at least this reader) which further distanced me from the text. His humanization of Hannibal Lector was necessary given the ending, but did in the end detract from the essential mystery of the man that I found so compelling in his previous works. I will be interested in seeing how this translates to the screen, and whether Hollywood (and the audience) will let stay the final denouement of Clarice and Hannibal.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing and scary
Review: I read The Silence of the Lambs in the Saudi desert before the war. I can't describe to you how scary it was to read that book in the dead of night with a flashlight. I came away thinking the writer was brilliant. I haven't changed my mind about the author after reading this book. Lecter is fascinating in his insanity. I love the ending of this one.
Rating:
Summary: Not as gripping as SOTL but still a remarkable thriller
Review: Not as taut as SOTL, this is more of an exploration of the mind of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and his unique relationship with FBI Agent Clarice Starling as the "good" Doctor tries to evade those who would capture him. Hannibal is a more indulgent novel than SOTL, taking alot of time to explore the multi- dimensional aspects of Dr. Lecter's exceptional persona and his many equisite tastes(!)It is interesting to get some back-story on the making of Dr. Lecter and also to explore further the nature of the attraction between him and Starling, the two characters that made SOTL so memorable. I think Dr Lecter is one of the most astounding character creations of modern fiction, with all the wealth of his intellect and knowledge combined with the contradictions of his total lack of a "normal" morality. By the end of the book you almost start to see the world from his perverted but brilliant perspective. Maybe this brilliant portrait was one of the reasons that Starling did not come across as strongly as in SOTL. I personally didn't like the somewhat surreal ending although some of the climactic action sequences are breath-taking. Harris is very brave to structure the novel so that one of the heroes is a serial killer(however intelligent and refined he may be!) Here is where I found myself confused, because I found myself cheering for Lecter, but not wanting to! Harris achieves this by making Lecters'foes not only murderous but also petty and physically repugnent unlike the sleek and sophisticated Doctor! But Harris is a unique writer and his research is so detailed it always draws you into the world he creates. I can't wait to see the movie!
Rating:
Summary: Relax people .... it's just a BOOK!
Review: I guess that I am one of the few people in this world that actually enjoyed this novel. True, it was written differently which "die-hard" fans of SOTL and Red Dragon will not find acceptable. And yes, most of the characters seem to have changed, but it has been 7 years, hasn't it? Plus, it's just a book! Not something which has to be critiqued and scrutinized for every minor detail. In addition, they're just characters, not people to be awed at, and Harris can do whatever he wants with them (mainly Starling and Lecter.). After all, they are his! I liked how he chose to treat them in this novel, and how he structured "Hannibal" differently from the prior two. Thanks Mr. Harris!
Rating:
Summary: Great story, but I wasn't crazy about the performance.
Review: This is a great story. Harris is one of those guys who would rather write an interesting and compelling story than pander to the screenwriters who will inevitably butcher his work. The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five was that I wasn't crazy about the reader (unabridged audio version). He did a great voice for Hannibal Lector, but his stuffy, fake-sounding British accent did nothing for Starling's voice or anyone else's. Overall he was good, but not great.
Rating:
Summary: Is this a joke?
Review: I give it one star only because there is not a zero star.I could not believe how disappointing this book is. I feel T. Harris must have been playing a joke on his readers. I once read that he claims he doesn't like to write this kind of book, but that is what the public wants. He must have decided to give us what we want and do it to disgusting extremes. The ending, the characters, and the plot are dissapointing,to be polite. I might get my money's worth from the bokk this winter if I burn it for fuel in the fireplace.
Rating:
Summary: A Thrilling read with a very dissappointing ending.
Review: I agree with many of the other reviewers about the ending. I've read Harris' other two books about Dr. Lector and looked forward to this one. I enjoyed the background on Hannibal and Harris' writing is top notch. Clarice's career and the infighting at FBI rings true. Crawford, however is just a cardboard image of his former self. I found it fascinating right up to the last chapter. The ending just doesn't match Starling's character.
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