Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: This book never really captured the imagination in the same fashion as "Silence of the Lambs". The book kept you somewhat involved until the last 50 pages then it feel apart, as if the author did not know quite where to go from there. The ending was unsatisfying.
Rating: 
Summary: masterpiece
Review: very well written book about the depths of a complex man's mind. i was treated to descriptions of a lavish life filled with exquisite taste and, of course, a picture of a psychopath.
Rating: 
Summary: I want a refund!
Review: A very disappointing book! The book starts off fast-paced. Then it stops and crawls along with the most boring narrative. I felt no suspense, tingles up the spine, or chills of any kind. Unlike "Silence of the Lambs". Thomas Harris has been away for seven years - presumably to write this book. One would have hoped that he would have taken the time to sharpen his skills and bring more of an edge to "Hannibal". Maybe Harris was hoping that we would not miss the edge because of his previous works. I, for one, wished that I could start all over again with "Black Sunday" and come to this point. I think I will.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-Paced with a let-down ending.
Review: I considered myself a Thomas Harris fan until I finished reading Hannibal. I thoroughly enjoyed both The Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. I must have romanticized Clarice Starling's and Hannibal Lecter's characters because they were unrecognizable in this, the newest book. The plot was beyond far-fetched! Trust your judgement. When it starts to seem a little odd, please know its going to get worse! I also disliked the character Mason Verger-the veggie with attitude! Nothing in the story seemed to gel. All elements of the story seem to chafe against each other. The one good thing about the book was the pace. It is very quick reading but when you get to the end you may wish you hadn't. Harris does leave an opening for yet another episode in the Clarice Starling saga. Let's just hope that Harris' heart is into it the next time!
Rating: 
Summary: Was this book written in half an hour??
Review: Who were these characters? These were not the same individuals that were in Silence of the Lambs. I was greatly disappointed that Thomas Harris felt the need to use violence for just shock value, as I thought the previous story had much expansive value. The ending of this book was unbelievable. Unbelievable, but not in a good way, a better word would be stupid. Can someone please tell me how to get my money back? This book is more than a waste of time; it actually decreased my intelligence. Did anyone notice that the picture on the back of the jacket bore a striking resemblance to the description of Dr. Lecter? Would you say over identifying with your character?
Rating:
Summary: Most diabolical thing I've ever read.
Review: This is a stunning book that will get inside your head in unexpected ways. It is also very disturbing, not least because of how it turns out. To put it in theological terms, Harris's Hannibal is a brilliant embodiment of Satan, as is pointed out on a couple of occasion by the minor Italian characters who dare to look into his eyes. But Satan has ways to capture people other than devouring them.... What I am confused by, however, is the shift in Harris's portrayal of Hannibal. In Silence of the Lambs, the doctor rejects any behavioralist understanding of himself, saying that he is an independent force of nature, unshaped by his enviornment or history, etc. That presumption is greatly weakened in the new book, and we see Hannibal as motivated by deeply rooted longings to turn back the clock. This new dimension to the account of Hannibal makes interpretation of the ending somewhat vexing...we're not sure whether Hannibal was a human all along or in fact purely satanic. Or both. In any case, it's disquieting. Don't bother to read w/o having READ Silence of the Lambs first. There are a couple of truly terrifying moments in the book, shocks that leap out even when you can guess impending disaster. I am glad I do not have to live with Hannibal Lecter in my mind as long as the author obvioulsy had to to create this incredible depiction of human evil. The concept of the "memory palace" used to describe Lecter's mind is also intriguing.
Rating:
Summary: Decent book, absurdist ending
Review: I must admit despite some inconsistancies (ex. when did Clarice become a world class marksman? Certainly not in "Silence of the Lambs!") I liked the first 450 pages of this book. Though I felt the descriptions in the Florence portion of the novel many times uninteresting and pedantic. Most readers would probably agree with me in that the Barney/Margot relationship was superfluous except as a plot device in the end. My problem, like many others, was with the ending. To describe it as Nihlistic would be kind. It is Absurdist!
Rating:
Summary: Great book, bad ending
Review: I liked the book until the last 10 chapters. This ending made me so sick I cried. The first part of the book was great but I don't know if it makes up for the end. The only way I change my mind about the end of the screenplay, or soon to be screenplay, is if Thomas gets Courtney Love to remake the song "Wind beneath my wings" for the final scene of the movie. Then and only then will I change my mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but gruesome
Review: I really enjoyed this book overall; however, be forewarned of the gruesome nature. Some of the descriptions of people/victims and activities is grotesque. It is a pretty fast read. I just don't "buy" the ending. I'm eager to "hear" what other people think, and even MORE eager to see how this book translates to the big screen.
Rating:
Summary: not quite as good as "Silence"
Review: While I wasn't quite as intrigued as I was reading "The Silence of the Lambs," what with the moth in the throat and the entomologists explanation, I have to say that this was one exciting, however, gory read. The whole swine thing really made me cringe in horror. But, you know, I really liked the ending. And, of course, throughout the whole read, I was able to picture Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in the lead roles. That made it so much better. Clarice, what's next? (Can't you always just hear how he says "Clarice"?
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