Rating:  Summary: Forget about it!!!! Review: I, like every other reader who have read Mr. Harris' previous books, was waiting anxiously for the release of Hannibal. What a disappointment!!! I actually had to force myself to finish it. And the ending, what were you thinking Thomas!!! Did you really think that this ending was the only way to finish the book?
Rating:  Summary: A major disappointment. Review: I had several problems with Hannibal. First, you absolutely had to have read SOTL to appreciate the characters. I dislike books that basically require you to have read an earlier novel (not an issue w/SOTL and Red Dragon). When this happens, I think the author gets lazy in character development: i.e Mason. His character was oversimplified: he didn't scare me that much, and we didn't learn enough about him. Lastly, I was blown away and very frustrated with the ending: was it drugs that changed Starling behavior, why would she possibly do it. I guess I don't understand enough about psychology.
Rating:  Summary: Paralyzed with awe... Review: You need to let this one simmer in your mind after you've finished. Save your analysis for later, after it has digested a little.The book was everything and nothing that I expected it to be. I had to force myself to only consume 35 pages a sitting, so as to lengthen my reading pleasure. This one makes you stop and think for days afterward. My initial reaction to the ending was similar to those shared prior to these comments, but after taking a few days to churn it around in my mind, I realize what Harris was trying to accomplish at the conclusion. A true novel of horror to the very end. I know that this won't be the last time we are invited to dinner.
Rating:  Summary: You have to become any book to believe. Review: Not what I anticipated yet exactly what I needed. The disappointment for many is the insight into Dr. Lechter allows him to become more human and less monster. What the naysayers forget is the nurse who felt the same way at Baltimore State Hospital in SOTL -- and she lost her tongue.... The snake hasn't lost its bite or its venom, but is soothed by the momentary music. My only hope is it doesn't take eleven years to publish again. Continuing with this charachter or not, Mr. Harris is arguably the best in the business at thrillers.
Rating:  Summary: An excellent book by a great author. Review: At first I was looking for the sequel to the screenplay of SOTL and was disappointed. Then as I got into this super novel I realized what a terrific, totally new work Harris has given us. If you want a great read this is it, if you want another SOTL you may be disappointed.
Rating:  Summary: Deliciously Wicked Review: Kudos to Thomas Harris for not confining himself to writing a screenplay sequel. The complaints about this novel are largely unwarranted. The only one I have is about the very long interlude in Italy. It could have been shorter. I felt it was taking time away from the characters I was reading the book for in the first place; Hannibal & Clarice. The ending was so out of left field that I found myself totally accepting every word of it. Afterall, if the reader is willing to accept the cannibalistic superman that is Hannibal Lecter, why not this? My only question is, where did Will Graham go? Ultimately though, an exceptional, quirky ending to a remarkable trilogy.
Rating:  Summary: Too bad the last several chapters weren't rewritten Review: I can't say much more about the book that the others have not already said. The only thing I'd like to add is that I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of the story. During that portion I had intentions of going immediately to the bookstore to get "Red Dragon" after finishing this one. After learning the ending, I immediately went to the bookstore and bought a totally different book. I give three stars for the part I enjoyed. The last several chapters get ZERO stars.
Rating:  Summary: If I don't "get it"...I'm glad I don't. Review: This book does for pork what Philip Roth's "Sabbath's Theatre" did for sex...makes the delicious seem unpalatable. And the ending?! It's as if Gloria Steinham appeared at a NOW rally squeezed into her old bunny suit. Can I have my mind hosed down please? I feel greasy.
Rating:  Summary: I loved it!!! Review: Contrary to what others thought about the book, I thought it was great (apart from the ending!) Quite different from the first book. I cannot wait to see the movie!
Rating:  Summary: Harris Get an Editor!! Review: BEWARE: I DISCUSS THE ENDING OF THE BOOK IN THIS REVIEW!! T. Harris would do well to get another editor or listen better to the one he's got! He has done his research (food, music, wines, scents, mushrooms, art, etc.), writes very well, is very descriptive, has a good command of the English language, etc., but fails to satisfy this reader in the end. The dinner scene where Hannibal and Starling dine on the brains of a fellow dinner guest is ludicrous, and in 3-5 pages destroys the credibility of both Hannibal and Starling and guts the book's value (pun intended:)). The incredible push-pull attraction between Hannibal and Starling --in my humble opinion-- can never be consummated and be realistic or seductive to the reader. I'm willing to bet (name your price here) that the movie version of this book with completly eliminate this scene and Starling and Hannibal will never share the same bed. Nor should they. Harris seems to forget something very important: Hannibal is a serial killer and a cannibal. Did he really think that he made a plausible argument for the reader to believe that (1) Starling would eat human organs; (2) Sleep with Hannibal; and (3) Hannibal would somehow become a prince charming you could turn your back on? I think not.
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