Rating: 
Summary: It was good, but...
Review: I'm not so sure about this one. It was an okay read, but as a sequel to The Silence of the Lambs? Harris could've done better. I too agree that what happened with the Starling character was totally unlike the strong individual Harris created in Lambs. Based on the kind of person she was in the first book, she would've never let that happen. Sure, she and Hannibal respected eachother and everything, but she still knew he was a monster! And the fact that Harris gave some insight into why Hannibal was the way he was kinda didn't work with me. Don't you think it was much scarier to not know what drove him to be so brutal? This book is almost asking you to forgive him and think he's a better person. I think the only reason I didn't like this book too much was because it didn't end the way I wanted it to. Everybody has plans about what they want to happen to the characters before they read HANNIBAL, and if their expectations were like mine, it will not turn out the way you want it to. The movie is not going to work for me if Julianne Moore is playing Starling. Maybe there will be hope for it since Anthony Hopkins is coming back.
Rating:
Summary: Hannibal, what were you thinking?
Review: I am, a great fan of both Red Dragon and Silence of the lambs, but in Hannibal Harris leaves logic behind and writes about a Clarice Starling that seems unbelievable and somewhat ridiculous...wait til the ending. I couldn't put Silence down, I kept putting Hannibal down too many times.
Rating: 
Summary: On second though: more here than I expected
Review: "Hannibal" is the first of the Lecter trilogy that I have read. I opened the cover with a sense of trepidation and dread based on the "legendary" reputation of the character Hannibal Lecter. I was surprised to find that the story included a plethora of "monsters" who had been corrupted by their own lusts--- for revenge or sex or money, or all the above--- so that Hannibal is merely a superior monster (erudite, sophisticated, genteel...) surrounded by a world filled with lesser (short-witted and vulgar) monsters. By observing the masses of humanity through the contemptuous eyes of "Hannibal Lecter", the author subtley but CLEARLY projects the notion that humanity is in fact a race of monsters who ALL hide dishonestly behind the mask of "culture" and a meaningless veneer of "civility". Remove this veneer, Harris says (through Lecter's thoughts) and all you have left are monsters who are no better than Lecter himself, and in fact, who deserve to be ruled and tormented by Lecter's superiority. Harris even draws a distinction between common human corruption and true evil, through the scene where the common thief looks into the eyes of "true" evil and recoils. The final chapters alone are worth the price of the book. The author skillfully brings his premises to their logical conclusions: where virtue is folly, and hope is in vain, then evil may rule. The final chapters contain one of most gruesome yet bloodlessly tidy scenarios ever written; disturbing (because it reminds me of NAZI medical experiments), yet the image of "evil feeding upon its own offspring" is painful and laughably absurd at the same time. This book is a must-read for everyone but the most squeamish and the young. Lecter's erudition and sophistication lend a superficial glamor and deceptive charm to an otherwise utterly evil character. The Memory Palace was a WONDERFULLY mystical touch to Lecter's psyche. The book's theme is disturbing and appalling, BUT... it is nonetheless meaningful and relevant for this--- and future--- generations.
Rating:
Summary: It Didn't Become A NYT Bestseller For Nothing You Know!
Review: While the closest I ever came to Thomas Harris before was at the box office to see Silence of the Lambs, I was stunned at how Harris' enchanting language- and plot-play kept me glued to the book during train rides, lunch hours and pre-bedtime activities (ahem!). The reader is in for a special treat: the rare opportunity to glance at a serial killer on both good and bad days. Who knew Lecter was both a monster and a romantic at heart and, shedding some revelations about herself, Starling seems more "real" to the reader than in Silence of the Lambs.
Rating:
Summary: The climax of a brilliant 'series'
Review: I find it remarkable that anyone would find this novel a disapointment. Harris has a wonderful grasp of the English language. His plot construction is remarkable. His characters are well developed. I can find no room for improvement here. The Red Dragon was excellent. Silence of the Lambs was good, but in my opinion, the weaker of the three. The ending of this book is terribly ironic and masterful. I can't say enough good things about it. The only bad thing is another long wait for a possible sequel. I hope that Harris never stops, and never bows down to the vain attempts of greedy fans with lofty expectations. To put it simply, it couldn't have been better.
Rating:
Summary: Extreme shock value
Review: Silence of the Lambs was such a perfectly creepy book that this one was bound to be disappointing. I don't know if Thomas Harris felt pressured to finish this or not, but the whole thing seems rushed. I cannot believe anyone would even attempt to make this gross out story into a movie. I was physically ill at the end, literally. The subtle complexities of Harris's other novels are sadly missing here, as if his sole intention this time was to be as grotesque as possible. Lots of the elements work superbly, like the revenge plot involving Mason and the whole sequence in Florence Italy, which is very well crafted, but the rest of the book falls a little short of expectations. Clarice and Hannibal have lost a lot of their depth here. I think maybe Harris could have delved a lot more skillfully into their histories. As a result, you will remember the gorey climax much more than anything else in the book, which is a real shame because the characters are authentic and believable, especially the continuation of the male nurse Barney and his interactions with Mason's butch sister Margot, a subplot I found by the way much more intriguing than the main one...
Rating: 
Summary: Your Kidding!!
Review: I'm shocked! Coming from one of the best books I have ever read (Silence of the Lambs) to one of the worst. This story was totally disjointed, with no real excitement or intensity. That ending fell apart completely. I will hope that I dont have to revisit this farce being advertised as the sequel on the big screen. You failed us Mr. Harris!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Super Macabre, Super Delicious
Review: If you like really morbid, sublimely written fiction this is it. It makes Silence of the Lambs look like child's story. A unique reading experience. One of the few books that I will probably read again.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Crack
Review: That's what it felt like, reading this novel - like someone had just given me (or, rather, the author) a dose of some serious illegal substances. I can't say I didn't enjoy reading it - I did, actually - but in the way one enjoys something with morbid fascination. The plot is more than once extremely contrived, and the constant references to "present day" technology and ideas become entirely tedious after a few chapters. Since the characters are, after all, figments of the author's creation, I won't comment on their general actions, save to say that some of them had me either clucking my tongue, or outright laughing (try watching people look at you as you laugh aloud whilst reading a book most know is intended to be gruesome and horrifying - especially during one of Krendler's final scenes). I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure - I surely read it quickly and enjoyed the process, but the book itself made me suspect it wasn't Lecter injecting anyone with drugs, but rather Hollywood producers injecting Harris with them. Or, that Misery was stading aloft holding a large axe and threatening him to bring Hannibal back. Alas, it did give me a lot to say, which is more than some books do. ;)
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS A JOKE, RIGHT!
Review: It was with great anticipation that I read the newest Hannibal Lector book. I've been a fan of the series since Red Dragon...I swear to you that I thought I was reading an Executioner book towards the end. I half expected Agent Starling to come racing into the scene with a Harley Davidson and an M-16. I can't even explain some of the premises of this dime store pulp. Awful. An insulting joke.
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