Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant and misunderstood
Review: You can't expect a book like this to please everyone. Harris broke the conventions of the genre novel. Ambiguous in the best sense of the word and, at the core, viciously gripping.Plus, this novel, to use the words of one critic, is not only about Hannibal, it IS Hannibal. The genius behind this novel is that its voice is Lecter himself. At the least it's the voice of insanity. It's the voice of murder. It's the voice of internal decay. It's the voice of perversity. Only on a few occasions, such as the last paragraph, does Harris appear to bring his own apocalyptic view. Different from the author's previous works, but it stands on its own as a visionary masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: I Can't Believe I Read the Whole Thing
Review: Poor writing, disjointed scenes, and an unbelievable plot--I kept reading, hoping it would get better. Alas, the ending only cemented my earlier conclusion--this book was a waste of time. I'm sure Mr Harris must be a talented writer, but it was not evident here.
Rating:
Summary: Disastrous
Review: I'll start off by admitting that I haven't read any of Thomas Harris's previous novels, but common wisdom claims him to be a writer of merit. Something of which there is zero evidence of in this very average thriller. Why give an "average" thriller one star? Becuase it commits the unforgivable crime of explaining Hannibal Lector, in the procces destroying the character's enigma. This fatal error doesn't just make this book a failure, but to any of its unfortunate readers it also weakens The Silence of The Lambs and its excellent 1991 film adaptation. Bypassing this point, the book is still weak on its own merits, Harris seems to think that mixing tenses(past and present) is clever or stylish, but since he obviously has no idea or point, it seems to be an idea abandoned halfway through. The rest of the book , is a Nelson Demille class (airport) thriller, with random passages of gore that come off as a desperate attempt by an author to add something to a completely unremarkable novel. For some real horror, check out Irvine Welsh's brilliant horror/comedy/tragedy FILTH.
Rating:
Summary: A Huge Disappointment
Review: I just finished this book and must say it was a huge disappointment. I have read several serial killer works, both fiction and non-fiction. "The Silence of the Lambs" is the best fictional serial killer novel ever written. In "Hannibal", Mr. Harris abandons the sharp, crisp writing style of his two earlier serial killer books. I found myself reading along hoping the book would get better, but it did not. Hannibal Lecter is the scariest killer ever conceived because of his amazing attributes of strength and intelligence. Instead of writing a truly scary book, Mr. Harris sunk to a meandering story with a ludicrous ending. He totally missed the essence of Clarisse Starling and forgot completely about Jack Crawford. His plot 'twists' were so predictable throughout, that the ending seemed so contrived because the author realized the book was mundane at best. The convenience of Lecter's escape in Italy and then the parking lot scene combine to show how terrible the storywriting really was in this book. After 11 years, Mr. Harris could have really presented an outstanding book. Instead, he presents a book that should be on the 10 Worst List. It is no wonder no one wants to reprise their roles from the previous movie. He has turned the heroes into inconsequential human shells. The very thought of Clarisse Starling's development in the last few chapters is the truly disgusting aspect of the book. Not worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK EVERT!
Review: I cant believe you people who hate the ending! For one thing Hannibal did not really EAT people literally! He simply did not like rude people which it says again and again in teh book! REMEMBER? So him and Clarice who had both been treated very rudely by practicably EVERYONE in the book went away together. Wouldnt' YOU? Lecter as a character and as a person was HOT HOT HOT! I like when he gave the pigs the evil eye. GO LECTER! And they did not literally eat brains since that is what everyone is thinking, it was a SYMBOL of what they did not like in the world of rude people. There is more to this book than people understand! Now I cant' wait to read Silence of the Lambs!
Rating:
Summary: Did Harris forget his previous characters?
Review: At the audiobook store, the clerk convinced me to rent the unabridged version of "Hannibal" instead of the abridged. Boy, was I fooled! Harris has the disease of all researchers: I must write and publish every little thing I learned while researching and writing this book. Way too long in places but that's not the worst of it. The ending abandoned the characterizations of Starling and Hannibal set forth from "Silence." It's no wonder Jodie Foster does not want to play the part: I would not either and I don't blame her. If you still want to read this book, get the abridged tape. It'll save you some time.
Rating: 
Summary: typical sequel
Review: I couldn't wait to dive into this book- the first "fun" novel I've read in a while. I had no fun reading it- the change in location after a decent start was disappointing (thought it had one or two good moments, and transitioned back well enough,if predictably) but the story line as it included Clarice was lame, and depicted her as a very one-dimensional character. I found Hannibal's background interesting,and I would have prefered to know a lot more about him. He doesn't have to do anything to be interesting, he just is. This book is not.
Rating: 
Summary: Too sadistic, but riveting
Review: There were pages I had to skip past because I couldn't handle the goriness (and I'm not generally a wimp). I didn't like the way Clarice was turned almost into a buffoonish character (i.e., no dignity to be had as reporters snap pictures while she gets a speeding ticket; a senseless petty theft leaving her helpless in a supermarket and looking a little foolish). I didn't like seeing Clarice looking like a fool. On the other hand, a character like Hannibal Lecter can not NOT be fascinating. That alone kept me rivetted to the book and let me overlook it's flaws. I was (like in Silence of the Lambs) obsessively compelled to try to figure out how his mind was working.
Rating:
Summary: Lousy Ending
Review: This book was so anticipated, especially with all the buzz that Anthony Hopkins & Jodie Foster might reprise their roles for a movie based on it. I was very disappointed in the ending which totally changed the characters we know from "Silence Of The Lambs" and made them up to be part of a ludicrous finale. A shocker of a book, yes, but for all the wrong reasons. I would not recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Just what I was wanting
Review: I can see how the way this book ends could aggravate some readers; but, for me it was exactly what I wanted to see. I loved almost all of this book. Mason Verger's character was the epitamy of a despicable creature and his plan for Lecter is nothing less than terrifying. Lecter became this sensual man with nothing but class and inteligence. I simply couldn't put it down. I just hope they don't make the movie.
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