Rating: 
Summary: The ending is sappy, but still well written
Review: I must agree with the other reviews that the ending was a great disappointment. Also I'm wondering why Hannibal turned out to be such a great guy after all. If he can understand Stephen Hawkin I don't understand why he can kill innocent people around and then fly away with the girl of his childhood dreams. The author is undoubtedly a good writer, and much of his research and knowledge are impressive, but for this book I really can't give a 5 star. I will wait for his next one for a masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: Bovine bull.
Review: I actually quite enjoyed the book until the ending. Although I admit there were major flaws in it. All the main characters, except Starling, were just way over the top (even Starling changes quicker than Superman in a phone booth at the end). The main characters are all evil. Even poor old Barney is wheeled back in to be a bad guy. The man eating pigs were a bit too much. Surely there must have been better ways to torture a man than feed him to swine. I guess the pigs will be good fodder (pardon the pun) for the special effects people in the movie. Speaking of the movie, I suspect a lot of the book was written with this in mind. Even Lecter's mask miraculously reappears. Couldn't have a sequel without that in it, now could we? Same as a visit to the old cell and up pops one of the old inmates still living there even though the building is condemned (much in the same way as this book should be). Even the end seems to be designed to provide the requisite "twist" of many movie thrillers. I like a twist, but it must be believable. And there must be some hint at some point that it is coming, even though it is not recognisable at the time. As in Sixth Sense.
Rating: 
Summary: Forever dark....
Review: Thank you Mr. Harris for another pleasant read. Your novels, the intriguing characters, transporting locales, and utterly morbid plotlines, are resplendent in a dark fascination. Oddly, perhaps, Barney posesses me most. Sharing Lecter's dark desire, with the focus and and intesity of a Marine (do I identify?)- astounding. All of the others, yes it was wonderful seeing them outside my memory castle, to become involved with their thoughts once again, to meet the newest persons, and imagine what may be next for them. Many will besmirch Mr. Harris (and Dr. Lecter? ) for such an ending. Dismiss them. The monster will posess you entirely- rest assured that to meet "Il Dotorre" will result in your loss of humanhood. Don't come near the glass...
Rating:
Summary: Good Read, but not true to characters
Review: As a dedicated Thomas Harris fan, I anxiously awaited the release of Hannibal and ran out and bought it in hardcover the first day. I can't deny that it a supurbly written novel--in all of it's ghastly, gruesome, and suspenseful pages. In the end, though, the book disappointed me because I don't feel that Harris stayed true to the characters of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. They both behaved in ways that they would never have considered in Silence of the Lambs. The story in and of itself is fabulous (as long as you don't have a weak stomach), but as part of a whole, it was a cop-out with the characters forgetting personal standards for plot convienance.
Rating:
Summary: infuriating ending
Review: Up to the scene where Dr. Lecter is about to become pig food, Hannibal is a very good read. After that, the book just completely degrades. The ending was so unbelievable that I was actually infuriated that I had invested time in reading the novel up to that point. The change in Starling is so over the top and utterly disappointing that it is almost unbearable. Most notably, we are given a valid explanation as to why she feels compelled to save Dr. Lecter- that she cannot tolerate the idea of ANY creature being tortured to death. However, we are expected to believe a complete turnaround in her character when she is at the dinner with Lecter and their "guest" Kendler, where she sits quiet and composed and actually exchanges witty barbs with the Dr. while their "guest" is slowly tortured. Yes, I realize that there are drugs/hypnosis involved, but in essence, Starling's character has been lobotomized like the unfortunate Kendler. And it just totally ruined the novel for me- the waste of such a great character. I hope they get the movie right....
Rating:
Summary: Big Let Down!
Review: The only thing positive I can say is that I'm glad I resisted the urge to buy it in hardcover when it first came out. The style seemed to jump all over the place. The characters were a disappointment. I felt very odd indeed to be pulling for Hanibal to get away and disappointed to read that Clarice turned out not to be a strong woman afterall.
Rating: 
Summary: Totally out of character...
Review: This book is slow, the people we know from the previous book are a bit out of character from the previous story, and 1/2 way through the book your still waiting to be unerved! What can you expect when the movie rights are bought before the book was written. Someone's laughing all the way to the bank. Borrow this from someone if you must read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Darkly Beautiful
Review: This book has been widely misunderstood. It's an examination of just what *is* evil in an absurd, corrupt world, not a glorification of Lecter. Yes, it's very dark but if you stick with it you will find great, if disturbing, wisdom about human nature at the end.
Rating:
Summary: pretentious twaddle
Review: Hannibal Lecter is Thomas Harris. Page after page Harris displays his vulgarity. Describing paintings,clothes,food,books and buildings - the lifestyle of the rich and famous. And to crap it all our middle aged 'hero' gets to give the lovely Clarice a good seeing to. Wishful thinking Mr. Harris ? This book should be re-titled 'My Favourite Things' and is not worth stealing.
Rating:
Summary: To put it nicely: Not up to par.
Review: I greatly enjoyed his previous books and I eagerly anticipated reading "Hannibal." Now all I can say after finishing the book is, "What! " The book had its good moments but there were long periods that lulled me to sleep. I felt that the author betrayed the two great characters of Lecter & Starling with his awful conclusion, and in doing so, betrayed the fans that built his fame. Lecter's macabre mystique and power & Starling's balance of strength and vulnerability? - the authors throws all of this out in this book like used kleenex. I would say it ranked with "Godfather III" in disappointing sequels. If you are a fan of Silence of the Lambs, my advice is: read the first half of Hannibal, then make up your own ending - you couldn't do any worse.
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