Rating: 
Summary: I don't care what the others say, I liked it!
Review: On reading this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing, my first and foremost opinion was that a lot of the criticism it received since its release last year was unjustified. OK, so it may not have been as compelling or emotionally disturbing as 'The Silence of the Lambs' but 'Hannibal' still represents the work of a gifted writer. As the story takes a more up front, less psychologically challenging line in its latest outing, it still manages to grip you from the first page to the last. Mr Harris once again introduces a wonderful tone and expression to his narrative, and has a most admirable skill to end each chapter leaving you wanting more. What impressed me most about 'Hannibal' was how quickly the story seems to thread itself together and the amazingly short amount of time it took me to read it. As Harris opts for a more explicit reference to violence (in the form of man-eating pigs etc.) Dr Lecter maintains his marvellous presence in the saga, and his breathtaking character remains even more witty, intelligent and fascinating than Anthony Hopkins' great performance in the movie could make it. In my view, a real treat for the true Hannibal Lecter fans, only don't expect something better than 'The Silence of the Lambs'.
Rating:
Summary: Woah!!!!
Review: Hannibal is one of the greatest novels I've ever read. It kept me goin' until the end. I could'nt put it down. The ending was the most unnexpected one ever. The auther gives such good details of everything (including each fatality). Really a well writen book. It would be good for anyone who likes susspense
Rating: 
Summary: HORRIBLE
Review: No, not really, but I couldn't resist the urge to put that title for my review down. But the book certainly isn't great and certainly isn't bad. Here's the breakdown. The good: Mr. Harris is very skilled at ending a chapter, forcing you to start immediately into the next one. I liked his description of the human mind as an immense palace full of dark nooks and crannies, but also illuminated areas. Some interesting new settings. The bad: Clarice Starling is DIFFERENT. Especially towards the end. I felt like screaming. "What are you doing?" I would shout to her in my mind. The beginning isn't as good as I hoped. Neither was the dialogue. The bad guys were evil and weird, but they were TOO evil and weird. What wicked mind would think of PIGS as a method of torture? The ending was somewhat predictable because it was so unbelievable, yet you sorta wanted it to happen, anyway. I haven't seen the movie, but the book was not enough to convince me to see it. If you're a die-hard Harris fan, then you might like it, but I'd stick to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, if I were you.
Rating: 
Summary: A book to devour..
Review: A friend had recommended that I should read this book, and I did. I must say, I absolutely love it. I've read 'Silence of the Lambs' and own the movie. The book brings out the beauty of Harris's writing. Page after page, was filled with vivid backgrounds of simple places with a haunting twist to turn this into a work of art. To be honest, I couldn't let go of the book. This isn't a book to let go; something to remember.. especially the last words of the book.This book gives me a whole different view of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and his evil ways, along with a whole different and new view of Clarice Starling. The book starts out as a bang and carefully lures you into the mind and world of Thomas Harris. (Please enjoy your stay.)
Rating: 
Summary: Utter disappointment
Review: I don't get out much to see movies, and heard "Hannibal" was pretty gory, so I got the book. I thought "Silence of the Lambs" was a good book and movie -- and expected more of the same. Well, what a TOTAL waste of time, ink, paper, money! Terrible. Vile for the sake of being vile, and the conclusion was so utterly implausible. No *wonder* Jodie Foster didn't want to do this movie! The whole thing reads like a rush-writeup of someone's bad (and weird) dream. Very very disappointing. Two thumbs down. (Why aren't NO stars available?)
Rating:
Summary: Not a bad read
Review: I'm fortunate in that I haven't read the other two books in this series, so I'll be judging this book on it's merits alone. As far as I can tell the author precedes storytelling for constant fashion and artistic name-dropping. I can't imagine that happened in the other books. Also, I found it a little odd that in the end Hannibal turns in to some sort of demi-god. I suppose it's possible that a man of his intellect could fluently speak several languages, master the piano, have an impeccable sense of fashion, work as a successful surgeon and psychiatrist, have a thorough understanding of medieval italian literature, AND be a gourmet cook...wait, no, you really COULDN'T do all that. That aside, the fact that the main character--Starling--seems to go through this weird and abrupt change in book's conclusion made this book a little difficult for me to truly enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Horror With Style And Taste.
Review: I think Stephen King said it best when he described "Hannibal" not as a sequel to "Red Dragon" or "The Silence Of The Lambs," but as another part to a trilogy about abnormal psychology. So, I suggest that you read this great novel without thoughts of a contiuation to "Lambs." "Hannibal" is stylish, hypnotic, classy, detailed and has touches of classic horror. Thomas Harris is a wonderful writer, with an exquisite eye to detail in his descriptions and thoughts, this adds a realism to the material that makes it scarier still. The characters are described with a clarity that never flounders and the dialogue is rich and convincing. "Hannibal" is also thrilling and fascinating. Harris never slows it down but keeps it flowing. It is also a gothic romance with images that stay in the imagination for a long time after you read the final chapter. I don't understand why some people flipped out over the ending, I thought it was devilishly entertaining and perversely romantic in the classic horror sense. What is a horror novel if it doesn't go to the limit? Books like William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist" showed that what is scary is what seems more real, yet more extreme. I wish Harris would write more often instead of taking almost a decade to release a new novel. "Hannibal" is for those who like something with taste, intellectual horror if you will. Harris captures a true sense of evil and the dark corners of the world we live in. An exquisite read, the best suspense/horror novel in years. Exquisite.
Rating: 
Summary: What a shame!
Review: I saw the movie and I read the book. I preferred the movie's ending because it kept the integrity of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling intact. I appreciated that. Something was lost in 'Hannibal'. Nothing seemed to hold together. It was too surreal; too vague.
Rating:
Summary: As daunting as life itself
Review: Hannibal is a great book. There is one thing about great books: everyone can find something in them. Judging on the sample of reviews I had time to read, it is also the case with Hannibal. If you have not yet seen the movie, do not go. The movie is a sloppy job intended to scare. The book is much more of a discussion. If you have not read The Silence of the Lambs, do it. Do not skimp on time - you will enjoy Hannibal more if you savor the details of its language, the complexity of its characters and the subdued references to the Silence. Hannibal is a mature writing. Harris does not seem to be much interested any more in hunting the monster. He is rather amused with exploring his Frankenstein, poking from time to time beyond the surface, every time wary of the danger to slide into the abyss of Lecter's soul. That is probably why Lecter's personal story in this book is like the shaking of hand on a drawing that deserves to be spotless. Do not go deeper than you are allowed to... In Hannibal, Harris makes some tough decisions. Many changes happen to people and places, comparing to the times of the Silence. The changing preferences of the author are also easy to recognize. Original Dante comes to replace FBI slang. Quantico surroundings transform into the landscape of Florence. Psychology goes into philosophy. The world of technique disappears, history and art taking the free space. Just like cheese getting aged, wine getting mature, people getting seasoned. It might seem weird not to mention Clarice Starling. Yet this is exactly what makes the book so great - the story manages the author, not the way around. Harris wanted her to be in to star. Instead, she is inferior to the context, pulled out for use whenever needed. So are the other human characters. Because Hannibal addresses issues of superhuman nature, something we are not supposed to know, only to guess. So there is a lot of guessing there, complemented with facts from the surface. In the end it is still much more of a fairy tale, luring us all along with scenes changing from pain to beauty. There was not much beauty in the Silence, but there was quite some craving for it. Harris somehow did not hit the balance right, in the hindsight. Now he does. One of the few books that deserve to be on any shelf, Hannibal must be translated with care. I skimmed the German version and was disappointed. It may take years to get good interpretations - in other languages, in movies, in reviews. For now, you'd better read the original English text. Do you share Marcus Aurelius' belief that the future generations are not any better than the passed ones? Then start building your own memory palace. In the end, there was much more order in the past, as Lecter learned from some theorists. But does the past contain answers to some of our most desperate inquiries? A good analysis always leaves you with more unanswered questions than before. "We can only learn so much and live." Read this book -- you will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: The novel "Hannibal," reconsidered
Review: The film version of Thomas Harris' novel "Hannibal" opens today and so it seems somewhat appropriate to reread the novel and take a stand on the book as a whole and its controversial conclusion in particular. I had heard the Harris would never write anything until he could believe it, which is a useful bit of authorial insight to have while reading the novel. Hannibal Lecter first appeared before "Silence of the Lambs" as a minor but pivotal character in "Red Dragon," which suggests that while the good doctor would be around that did not necessarily hold true for Clarice Starling or Jack Crawford. But the conclusion of "Silence" made it clear that there was a significant bond between Clarice and Lecter, such that neither would be able to let the other go. Wisely, Harris does not force the premise. Lecter is keeping in touch and Clarice is trying to track him down, but it has been seven years and nothing is really happening. However, what neither knows is that there is a third party who wants to take advantage of this tenuous connection in the form of the living corpse, Mason Verger. It is these behind the scenes machinations that threaten Clarice's place in the world, even though they are someone dubious actions taken by rather melodramatic characters. Certainly no one in their wildest dreams could have predicted the ride on which Harris takes his characters. Lecter is the title character, but once again the key transformation in the novel belongs to Clarice Starling. "Hannibal the Cannibal" was an exotic figure in "Silence" because he was incarcerated, and with Buffalo Bill out skinning his humps and Dr. Chilton being an insufferable ass, there were better people to fear and hate in the book. The various effronteries that caused Lecter to kill and fillet his victims are not always quite clear in "Silence," but Harris provides ample justification for Mason Verger's drug-induced self-mutilation way back when. Lecter leaves Mason alive, not just because his punishment is to live with what he has become, but also because otherwise there is no story. As Lecter's only living victim, Mason has a claim on revenge and as one of the filthy rich he has the means to create his own revenge fantasy fit for inclusion in Dante's "Inferno" by having Lecter eaten alive by giant pigs. But for the reader the true villain of the piece is Deputy Assistant Inspector General Paul Krendler, who might be helping Mason track down Lecter but who also take too much pleasure in ruining Starling's career. Krendler is more than Chilton's evil twin because his actions threaten Starling and everything she hold dear, so it is not surprising that he becomes the most particular target of Lecter's final act of insanely inspired appropriate action in the novel. Although it is not as clear in the film version as in the novel, there is a love triangle dynamic at work in "Silence" between Clarice, Lecter and Crawford. But this is more than the heroine caught between the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, because for each man the conflicting loves of a father for a daughter and a man for a woman are both at play. The emotions between all three are strong even if they are not precisely quantifiable. However, while Lecter is free to roam it is Crawford who is effectively removed from the picture by a heart attack. The problem is that one of the key ironies is that Lecter is more fascinating in captivity. In "Silence" it was his whispering to Meggs all night long and the photo of what he did to the nurse that provide the undercurrent of horror to his conversations with Clarice. In "Hannibal" he does the same thing to some degree only with Mason's sister Margot. The sense of restrained power is gone and in its place we have a Lecter who simply sends his mind elsewhere as he bids his time. Meanwhile, Starling is left in even worst shape as one she is slowly but surely stripped of all support. Her vulnerability is part of a complex ploy to lure Lecter to her side, but it also echoes the climax of "Silence," where it is Clarice alone who has to deal with Jame Gumb. However, this time she is painfully aware going in that she is all alone on this one, with no clear idea of what to do if and when she rescues Lecter. However, that choice is forever taken from her. At the end of "Hannibal" what we have is not an ultimate meeting of the minds between Clarice and Lecter but rather a perverse role reversal. Through the circumstances of her attempted rescue of Lecter from Mason's plot, Clarice essentially becomes his captive and then his ultimate act of creation. From this vantage point we look back on Clarice's life and see that her psychological struggle has indeed been a search for a father figure and not for a lover. Being freed from the psychological trauma of her anger over his death--as a trained F.B.I. agent she knows that he got himself killed by being stupid--might not make her a suitable lover, but Lecter is clearly more interested in a consort. The objections by those who see the pair of them living out the rest of their lives as a happy couple misses the mark, and projecting a worst case scenario onto the novel's ending is just plain wrong. Under girding this all seems to me to be a desire by Harris to put the characters to rest. There is certainly not as much promise of another story to be told as there was at the end of "Silence." Starling always proved herself capable of playing by Lecter's rules, but the idea that she could surprise him seems insufficient to suggest while she becomes so important to him. After all, on one level is she is simply the first woman he has seen in eight years. Ironically, in trying to explain Lecter, the author seriously undercuts the character. We find out the "why" behind Hannibal the Cannibal, but in justifying this grand creation Harris takes away a large measure of the mystery and the fear. Explaining Lecter takes away from our fascination. Naming his childhood trauma might create some sort of equity between Lecter and Starling, but in the final analysis the idea that they should or even could be equals is what many readers have been rejecting. By the end of "Hannibal," Starling has become an empty vessel into which Lecter pours his essence. If this is a perverse love story it is "Pygmalion" with a touch of "The Bride of Frankenstein." Starling does not live happily ever after with Lecter. By the end of this novel she no longer exists.
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