Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely super Thomas Harris.
Review: I agree with the NY Times review. It's not as good as "...Lambs..." It's much better. Except for a slight loosening of his story telling reins at the very end (I guess he's entiled to a bit of whimsy), Thomas keeps his plot taut, spare, and targeted like an arrow (crossbow?) headed to the bull's eye. A pleasure to read.
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King, you were right ...
Review: Amazing - everyone on Amazon either loves it or hates it. Those who hated it all seem to think that Mr. Harris is under contract to us, the reading public, bound by some unwritten yet understood pledge to deliver a 'sequel', whatever that is. Does this come from watching too many episodes of Melrose Place? (As Hannibal said in SOTL in response to Starling stating that it was something Miggs would say: "Not any more ...") What Harris delivers is certainly more than a sequel - a separate and distinct work of art. Brilliant! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And as for the ending, which seems to have put everyone's panties in a bunch - again, brilliant.
Rating: 
Summary: A book for those who like Harris, not Demme.
Review: Harris has an increadible gift for bringing life's less pleasant aspects to a stunning, if not brutal light. While not for the squeemish, Harris is true to form and true to his charectors. If, after seeing the movie, you expect Anthony Hopkin's "Lecter," think again. As a charector, Lecter is written evil, without apology, and he makes no bones (forgive the pun) about it. If you search for safe summer reading, pick up Danniel Steel, but if you want to be scared and intruiged, this book is perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Original, if not disappointing ending, A page turner.
Review: I have only seen the movie "Silence of the Lambs" before reading Hannibal so I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book or not but decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed, well not till the ending but it was original I must admit. I was pulled through the book very fast and it always kept my interest. I now plan on buying the first two books so I get the complete Triology.
Rating: 
Summary: Starving for a proper sequel
Review: Where to start? It needed a better concept, then some actual editing. "Hannibal" mistakenly tries to recast the scary psycho into a somewhat sympathetic protector of Clarice Starling. As a result, I wasn't scared any more. I also was annoyed that Dr. Lecter is apparently some kind of martial arts master who's virtually unstoppable (how'd he get caught in the first place, then?). A big comedown from Harris' previous spare, straightforward, REALISTIC thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: First time Thomas Harris reader found Hannibal "intriguing"
Review: I have never before this read a Thomas Harris novel. I had seen "Silence of the Lambs." I am forever fascinated by the human mind and all it's complexities. I wonder about my own "sanity" at times. Harris reminded me that "sanity" is a word defined only by the context of the society one chooses. I found "Hannibal" fascinating reading and want to thank Mr. Harris for his research and the many years of his time that it took to spin this tale. It seems a shame that I took only 8-hours to read it. I devoured it and did not savor it as Dr. Lechter probably would have. It is time for me to go back to the Holy inspired Word of God as I have danced with the devil long enough and prefer the freedom of an ordered universe to that of chaos.Chaos is so tempting to me but ultimately so unsatisfying. Nevertheless, I felt this a well written book and of great entertainment value.
Rating: 
Summary: Too fast an ending...not much central character background
Review: Talk about marketing hype - the book got treated to the same feeding frenzy attributed to The Phantom Menace, but unfortunately - and similiarly - fell short of certain expectations. One would expect that with name of the book being attributed to the villian, it would shed more light on his shadowy past but is instead treated to details on his (admittedly) impeccable taste in food, wine and the fine arts (good taste, by the way). His childhood is merely brushed away on thoughts of his late sister, Misha (whom he later replaces with Clarice) and his parents of nobility mentioned en passant. What of his childhood after the war? His early education? How did he develop his depravity (was he forced to eat Misha as well)? Like Darth Maul, none of it is ever fully explained (worse in Darth Maul's case - he was killed before any of it was known, but i digress). The Red Dragon had a more informative history.The ending, unfortunately, had an alarcrity that suggested gun-induced pressure on the author's part...read for yourself and see. Bad editing too, the resultant of a lesson on how not to rush a masterpiece. Recommended for those who thought the film Ravenous had no artistic flair to it.
Rating:
Summary: Slow, meandering and self-conscious compared to last one.
Review: I just finished the book and I'll merely give my strongest impressions. First, the ending actually saved it for me because it unleashed the same level of shock and distress that was much more common in "Silence of the Lambs." It was dark and gothic, where much of the preceding parts of the novel seemed self-indulgent and overlong. The many chapters set in Italy were pedantic and arcane to little or no purpose (certainly no dramatic purpose) and the main Italian character was both overwrought and underdeveloped. Though it was used to better effect at the book's very end, in general I found the author's direct invitations to the reader(s) jarring and poorly integrated into the typical narrative style of the novel. This conceit was unexpected and unwelcome. "Come with me now as we explore..." To my mind Harris simply asked weak characters -- Verger and Pazzi-- to carry too much of the book, while deflecting attention from more interesting and familiar characters.
Rating:
Summary: Did Anne Rice Write the Last 6 Chapters?
Review: As Red Dragon is one of my favorite books, I was truly looking forward to this novel. I thought it was acceptable...until the last chapters! Overblown, unbelievable, over the top...it reminds me of My Fair Lady set in hell - ridiculous! It read like bad Anne Rice! One of the things I liked about Red Dragon and Silence was the realism and the gravity with which Harris treated the subject matter. Now Lechter only eats "free range rude" people and Starling is won over with cashmere and emeralds? Ugh...
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste money or time on this book
Review: as Jed Clampet would say.. Pitty-full. Terrible compared to his prior masterworks. Inconsistancies.. Are we to believe that Lecter left a victim alive years ago.. who did not turn him in? (remember that Lecter was caught by the character in Red Dragon. But this book has a character who could have Identified him as the man who tore his face of..but did not? The Ending was so bad.. I gave the book away.
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