Rating: 
Summary: untrue to character
Review: I had anticipated a great escape, wonderful story, great character development. I was sorely disappointed. Although the author writes an intriguing story with bizarre and surprising twists, I can't believe that Starling could turn 180 degrees changing from a young woman of high ideals and integrity to an unprincipled person who would form a relationship with a monster. I was appalled.
Rating: 
Summary: Was this a satire?
Review: This book was so implausible it wasn't even witty. Auto-cannibalism, man-eating pigs...and the "Nazis ate my sister" bit just wasn't enough to turn Hannibal into a romantic hero. And that ending! Did Starling sustain massive head trauma at some point? I did not find it believable that Clarice, our scion of law and order, would ever run away with a mass murderer. But God forbid that a strong woman not be knocked down into her place. Still, couldn't Harris have contented himself with trivializing her character by refering to her looks every time she was mentioned? This book left me with the feeling that Tom Harris toyed with his readers as skillfully as Lecter ever did.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I have to admit I used the audio tapes for this book and believe strongly had I chose to read the novel I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. Much of the Italian language would have frustrated me. But the reader for this book did such a wonderful job, I found myself completely wrapped up in Hannabal and Starling's world. With that said. I think this was the best book I read/listened to this year.
Rating:
Summary: if you're a fan, you won't like where it goes
Review: Having read "Silence of the Lambs" I was eager to see the movie, and was not disappointed. Consequently I read "Hannibal" with images of Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in my mind. Mr Lechter is explored and his skills are clearly demonstrated. I diud not feel the same for Agent Starling, who seemed to lose her self-worth and my interest. Mr Harris seems to have lost interest in the characters that made him rich.
Rating:
Summary: Biggest disappointment of the year
Review: I've waited ten years for the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs; ten very patient years because I believed the longer the wait, the bigger the payoff. Wrong. If Thomas Harris spent the last ten years meticulously writing this latest installment, I'll eat my liver. Now hang on, I don't mean to say this is a bad novel, in fact it will make a tremendous movie. That's the problem...it read like a screenplay. The characters I grew to know in the last novel just didn't seem real enough and I didn't really feel anything about anyone. The writing seemed rushed, and as a whole rested on the laurels of Silence of the Lambs, of which there were many references. On the other hand, the story is pretty darn good. So this is a mixed review...great story, disappointing writing. To be frank, I first smelled trouble when the highest accolades came from Stephen King, whose endorsements I take with a truckload of salt. I recommend you read it, just don't set your hopes as high as I did and you'll enjoy a good story. And be sure you have an Italian-English dictionary on hand for those annoying non-translated passages.
Rating:
Summary: The movie will have to be better
Review: There isn't much I can add to the comments that have been made in the other reviews. I enjoyed the first part of this book - though not as much as Silence of the Lambs or Red Dragon - but like both of those titles, Harris seems to have had a problem with the ending. Here, unfortunately, he seems to be writing the ending to a different book than the one the reader had been involved in. Where this strange and unsatisfying ending came from is a mystery. Nothing really prepares us for it. Neither Starling nor Lecter act as we have come to expect them to. I am not against being surprised, but with no lead in or justification for what happens it is shocking and my response was to literally throw the book across the room.Make no mistake, when the film is made of this book it will be a different story. No one in Holywood wants to spend millions of dollars just to tick the audience off at the end. Maybe this is Harris's way of putting an end to this series. I can't imagine may who would want another dose after this one.
Rating:
Summary: Perspective
Review: Alright, so Hannibal is not the best of Thomas Harris. But lets face it, the least of Thomas Harris is better than the best of a whole bunch of others. Cases in point - Tom Clancy and John Grisham whose most recent efforts have produced the next thing to projectile vomiting. Toss in that utter drivel entitled "I Know This Much is True" that the dilettantes love so well, and the not-the-best of Harris comes across like a nightingale in flock of crows. As to those who denounce the denouement - get a life. The seeds of mutual respect between Clarice and Hannibal were sown in Silence of the Lambs. She has been pilloried by the organization she served so faithfully, and can anyone deny that many women fall in love with their physicians? More power to you, ex-Agent Starling. May you live happily ever after!
Rating: 
Summary: Exceptionally Disappointing
Review: Hannibal has none of the terror and suspense of Silence of the Lambs. Thomas Harris writes this book with nothing more in mind that to see how much he can disgust the readers. The book is slow-moving and does not really capture your attention. I can truely understand why Jodie Foster has opted not to return to "Clairce Starling." I would do the same thing in her position.
Rating:
Summary: Holy mother of God
Review: The best sequal ever written? Yes and then some, Hannbal is the bench mark that I will hold all other suspense novels to. The transformation of the characters especially Starling is the greatest part of this novel. Hannibal Lectur as a caring domestic figure, I didn't think that it was possible but apparantly Lector is capable of absolutley anything. Lectors character is one that has to be read twice or miss the entirity of his opressive presence. With the addition of Mason Verger and that captivating side plot I became an instant Thomas Harris fan. Please if you have any form of stylistic taste buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: I've never been so disappointed...
Review: As I read the book I was constantly plagued by the weak writing and unbelievable events that happened in the story. There were many occasions that I had to read and re-read sentences or whole paragraphs to decypher the words, there were several times when I was unsuccessful. It was only by sheer force of will that I was able to finish the book. Once I had swallowed my disbelief and realized how Harris was going to end this waste of time I had to force myself to keep reading. I now look back at those 15 minutes as 15 minutes that I will never get back. When I consider the other ways I could have spent that time I am saddened. I could have used that time to clean a cats litter box and encounter better literature. If you feel you truly MUST read about Hannibal make sure it's the one with the elephants and not the unbelievable wet literary noodle in this collection of words. (I can't bring myself to call it a novel.)
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