Rating:  Summary: hanibal the 3rd and the best Review: Absolutely as suspensefull as the other three with a twist. Get through the Italian portion and you have got it made. From there your imagination is taken on a world wind tour of the FBI, and the characters associated with them. You practically get an overview of the first three novels. At times it seems a bit wordy if you know what I mean, but if you stick with it to the end, you will not be dissapointed. THUMBS UP! TIM
Rating:  Summary: Disturbed, deeply disturbed Review: Yes, some beautiful prose! Yes, some interesting new characters! But why did we have to resort to horror and gore? The beauty of the previous novels was that blood was only "local colour" so to speak. Here, it screams for attention in itself. Overall, I was very disappointed - horror fans and students of Italian art will both find enjoyable bits (not the same ones) but crime fans like me will probably want to go back to the previous books (although they get a bit spoiled by the character development in this one).
Rating:  Summary: Let's write a new ending... Review: because this one was VERY disappointing. While the bulk of novel was well-written and intriguing in its plot, it leads to an ending that will at first confuse you based on its style, then on how Harris thought he could get away with such a menial performance. It doesn't fit the rest of the book, series, and ESPECIALLY the characters.BOO HISS!
Rating:  Summary: Can I give it less than one star? Review: Tsk, tsk....Who could imagine that Hannibal Lecter would be *gasp* boring and silly? I've long admired Harris for his character development and knack for nail-biting suspense. He seems to take his time between novels which leads to rich, frightening reads. HANNIBAL, to me, seemed rushed and juvenile. So unlike you, Mr. Harris! From the very beginning, favorite characters from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and RED DRAGON do not behave consistently with the way they were originally written. I think Starling must have suffered several blows to the head to act as she did in this one. The entire sequence with her and Hannibal alone together is just not believable. And the scenes in Italy are uninteresting at best. Several times I wanted to put this novel away for good but kept reading in hopes that it would improve. Unfortunately, it just got worse and worse. If you have to read it, save some money and buy the paperback. I rushed out to buy it in hardback when it was released, and that hardback is now sitting in my "to be donated" box. I'm very disappointed, Mr. Harris. I'm a hardcore horror fan, and reading this novel took up time I could have used to read something worthwhile.
Rating:  Summary: A slow waltz through the mind of a serial killer. Review: If readers are expecting a terse writing style, they won't getit in "Hannibal". Comparing Hannibal to his previous work islike comparing a Monet with a Lichtenstein. You have to take a step back, relax your mind and languish in the mood and flow of the novel, nibbling on the references to Italian history and art. If you enjoy books that serve you the tidbits of the author's research, you will enjoy this. Hannibal contained very precise references to places were curiously intriguing on travel to Florence or Paris. END
Rating:  Summary: Hannibal Bites! Review: This is a book which started off with and consequently, maintained a high level of intensity. But, apparently the author got tired of writing it and decided it was time to go to bed. So...after ten years of working on a sequel to two excellent books, we are left with the most pathetic ending I've ever read. Hannibal is a complete waste of time.
Rating:  Summary: Meet Dr. Lecter... Again! Review: In this sequel to the famous and historical Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris presents us another exquisitely written novel. With his upscale writing style he brings us back our long time friends Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter. The novel itself is fast pacing, interesting and worth reading. Those pages will keep on turning, I guarantee you. I thing (and its very personal) that the downside to this novel, is the fact that Hannibal Lecter himself is now the main character of the book, loosing some of the mystery upon which his style was built in past novels. Looking from the bright side, this is the chance to step into one of the most intriguing and complex minds I am familiar with.
Rating:  Summary: Unbelievable! Review: This book was completely and utterly engrossing. I couldn't put it down. It was, without question in my mind, the best book of Harris' four. The ending is shocking. Hannibal Lecter is, once again, a fascinating character, as is new bad guy Mason Verger. This is one that does not disappoint, from beginning to end. Do yourself a buyer and read this one.
Rating:  Summary: Haunting, if sketchy Review: Unlike "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of The Lambs", in "Hannibal" Thomas Harris tries to give some rationalization to Hannibal Lecter's behavior and illuminates some of the doctor's background. Hannibal Lecter has to be one of the more fascinating characters in modern literature, and this novel cements it. Lecter is definitely a psychopath, but he is not necessarily a monster--his favorite victims seem to be men with their own sadistic/sociopathic tendencies, like Mason Verger, a victim of Lecter's whose hunt for the doctor is an integral part of the plot. Mason Verger is thoroughly despicable--we learn early on that he was a child rapist, one of his victims being his own sister. Harris obviously wants the reader to think that Lecter did the world a favor by paralyzing Verger (I won't mention what else the good doctor did). Inspector Pazzi, who discovers Lecter living in Florence and decides to turn him in for Mason Verger's massive reward, is also presented as a glory-hungry egomaniac who tries to regain his stature at all costs. FBI Deputy Director Paul Krenzler, with his harassment of Clarice Starling, cements a place on Lecter's list as well. This is Lecter's show, make no mistake--Clarice Starling, the focus of "The Silence of The Lambs," is illuminated only by Lecter's interest in her. I would have liked to have read more about Lecter's background--the hints Harris drops are fascinating, and I wouldn't be surprised if his next book really goes into detail--but in the end even Harris' haunting, highly visual writing can't save a very predictable ending. This is definitely not a book for the squeamish (I made the mistake of reading the part about Hannibal's last victim while eating breakfast) but a lot of the language will stay with you, and you'll never look at pigs quite the same way again.
Rating:  Summary: Don't Bother Review: We would have been better off if Thomas Harris had never written this book. He has taken two exceptional characters and completely ruined them. I guess Harris just ran our of ideas for this one. If you liked "Red Dragon" and "Silence of The Lambs", do yourself a favor and don't read this book.
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