Rating: 
Summary: [poor book]
Review: ...Starling and HL are so ludicrously different from their former incarnations they might as well be totally new characters, and the writing is so bad it's actually in bad ENGLISH, with the "author" often using non-sentences to set up "scenes" like a screenplay. You forgot the VERBS, Tom! How appropriate that Shlockmeister Stephen King gave "Hannibal" such a glorious write-up in the NY Times Book Review. Only somebody who can't figure out why Jodie Foster took a powder on the film sequel should read this book. Smart girl, that Jodie!
Rating: 
Summary: A good book with a disappointing ending
Review: I have not yet read Silence of the Lambs or Red Dragon, but I do plan to in the near future, hoping they end better than this one! It started out as a terrific book, with thrills, suspense, and twists. I wish I could tell you what happens at the end just so you won't read the book. It just doesn't make sense and is not realistic. Everyone is hoping for the book to end one way, but......
Rating: 
Summary: A macabre feast
Review: Very disappointing. And Mr. Harris allows himself the privilege to REPEAT himself (comparing the Palazzo della Signoria to a Halloween pumpkin TWICE).And the final "feast" is really far-fetched: I wonder how it will look on the film-to-come. Hope Ms. Foster stays away from it. henry caraso, paris
Rating:
Summary: Stars for elegance, penalties for repugnance.
Review: Thomas Harris is such an exquisite writer. Reading his work is like sampling fine wine at the ritziest place in town with the most elegant partner available: you know you're with someone who has a lot of class and style, but is restrained enough not to flaunt it. Anyone who can make this story seem elegant is a master. The plot is not so good, the descent of Lecter and Starling is frankly disturbing, and the fact that Lecter is not the most ghoulish character in the story is a cause for concern on the behalf of the author at times. Harris has outdone himself this time -- I don't consider myself extremely squeamish but I grimaced in disgust many times during this novel. While I enjoyed the prose for its lucid brilliance, the story left me queasy when finished. Read at your own risk.
Rating: 
Summary: Hannibal
Review: Hannibal is a ride through hell! Perhaps the best way to describe this thriller is on the level of a dark and graphic horror film you wouldn't want to watch and go to bed afterward! Mr.Harris has done it again,writing in unrestrained detail which grabs you by the throat refusing to let go....Just when you thought Agent Starling was a heroine..wait until you reach the climax of this book,for the shock of your life! I absolutely love a story like this,even the cannibalism...because I've written about a cannibal character myself. -Ken Knight(author of CRYPTX)
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars without the absolutely bizarre ending
Review: Harris can write, no doubt. The story meanders through the lives of an officially disgraced Starling and an escaped Lecter. Lecter's seemingly unended stream of funding and alternative identities keep him clear of the authorities. At the same time, FBI officials hatch a plan to disgrace Starling. And Lecter's only surviving victim coincidentally has a vast fortune at his disposal to attempt the capture of Hannibal. Lecter's feelings for Starling propel him to aid and assist her. All of the components inevitably end up in a vague, disappointing mish-mash of an ending. Tactically, Harris executes descriptions as well as anyone but Wolfe. Strategically, however, _Hannibal_ leaves a lot to be desired.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing but in a good way.
Review: I noticed that a lot of people who didn't like this book disliked it because of the ending. I thought it was a complete surprise and hadn't seen coming. It was also very disturbing and I thought that the ending was the best part of the book. A lot of people have said that the ending betrayed the character of Clarice Starling. How so? She was under the influence of psychotic drugs for most of the ending.
Rating:
Summary: Something more provocative
Review: Thomas Harris' latest offering should not be read by those expecting a duplicate of his previous works. He has written it with the intention of portraying human beings as real, diverse and ever-changing. He has taken the character of Hannibal Lector and dug beneath the serial killer exterior in order to reveal something that is complex and engaging. The only difficulty I had with the book came from the guilt of applauding Lector's constant escapes and victories. Bravo to Thomas Harris for writing such a multi-faceted villain/protagonist. The risks Harris has taken with his portrayal of Clarice Starling should also be rewarded, though few will read close enough to truly understand them. Harris also challenges the reader to understand the motives to which each character clings to as they track the killer. The result is a well-balanced, tension-filled story where the reader must rationalize the actions of those they are rooting for. The amount of thought provoked throughout "Hannibal" exemplifies its classification as a newly born classic.
Rating:
Summary: Highly over-rated
Review: I wish Harris never wrote this one. He ridiculed the character, Hannibal Lecter. Moreover, i think Harris isn't a good writer at all. Just by researching on Italy and Behavioural science, he has included many facts but very poor with imagination and creativity. His description of serious and important sequences is poor as well.
Rating:
Summary: Hannibal
Review: I did something when I finished this book that I haven't done in about 15 or 20 years. I threw it away. I disliked and disapproved of it so much, that I wasn't even willing to recycle it by taking it down to a used book store. I just threw it out. I give "Hannibal" 1 BLACK HOLE, because that's where every feeling of goodness and decency ends up by the end of it. I believe this book causes harm. I believe it enough to speak out against a BOOK of all things. I loathe censorship, at least by government, church and / or the people. Self-censorship is another matter. I don't think this book needed writing. As far as I'm concerned all it did was cater to the increasing bloodthirstiness in the world and unfortunately, added to it. This isn't ancient Rome. I thought we had outgrown "Bread and Circuses". Perhaps we haven't come as far as we might wish. I read "Silence of the Lambs", "Red Dragon" and "Black Sunday". Yes, they are all dark and they are all frightening. I had nightmares after I read "Silence of the Lambs". I told myself that it was OK because these books are mostly well written, and most of the bad guys get caught or die. I never thought that "Hannibal" was going to be a walk in the park, but something seems to have happened to this author since he wrote the first three books. Psychological thrillers tend to show that there is darkness in everyone. OK, I understand that. It's basically true and if something in a book strikes a chord within me then I believe that it shows that I have some work to do. OK, fine. But Thomas Harris seems to have forgotten that in most of us, there is also good. If I had had any idea of how it would end, I never would have read it. As it was, I almost put it down several times without finishing it. I regret wasting my time. I'm very glad that we didn't pay full price for it, although we still spend too much. I believe that this is an extremely ugly story with little redeeming value. It is well written (technically) but something inside of me has been hurt by reading it. I'll get over it, but the harm wasn't necessary. I will not read anything else by this author. I won't go see the movie. There is already too much darkness in the world. More did not need to be created.
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