The Silence of the Lambs

Rating:
Summary: More than Meets the Eye
Review: I saw the movie adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs when it was first released, years ago. As an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller, it was a great movie. So why read the book? After all, I was familiar with the plot. I would be prepared for all of Harris' dramatic choices, Right? Sure, maybe. Yet after reading Thomas Harris' "The Silence of the Lambs," I realized that this book goes beyond its genre level of suspense. Unlike many traditional genre-based stories, this novel works on an intricate thematic level as well. Harris' dramatic choices may fall into the suspense genre, yet they serve a thematic function that is just as rewarding to interpret.

Clarice Starling, the main character, is a young female FBI student working in the behavioral studies institute. Clarice comes from a poor uneducated family. She has broken away from her background in that she has succeeded educationally. Although Starling wishes to distance herself from her background, her past actually empowers her in many instances. Starling is always striving for something more. She wants to save Catherine. She wants to silence the lambs in her dreams, to overcome her fears. She wants to communicate with Hannibal Lecter. Clarice longs for control, she must always strive, she must always claw her way to the top.

Starling's experience as a woman growing up in a particular social class in a particular part of the country helps her to connect to certain victim's families. Unfortunately, Starling sees her past as more of a hindrance than a help. Starling struggles for respect and advancement in an predominantly male-dominated field. Harris shows the reader the double standards that occur between men and women, the gender stereotypes prevalent in both groups, and the repeated objectification of women.

Starling is asked to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a former psychiatrist declared criminally insane. The detectives believe that Starling's femininity and naivete will convince Lecter to talk. On the contrary, Hannibal Lecter sees beyond Clarice's skin, and becomes very interested in her personal history. So interested, in fact, that he is willing to exchange critical investigative information for Starling's personal anecdotes. Clarice will risk almost everything to help save Catherine, and agrees to interact with Lecter.

Starling parallels the character of Catherine in many ways. It is no coincidence that Catherine is most frightened by the sight of fingernails on the well's wall. It is no surprise that the well is located directly below Jame Gumb's kitchen. Both of these women are objectified throughout the novel. Both women are striving upward, Caroline literally striving to get out of the well, and Starling striving to advance from the situation she was born into. Both women must use what they have in order to survive. In Catherine's case, it is merely a string, a bucket and Jame Gumb's dog. For Clarice, it is her past, the ambiguous clues from Hannibal Lecter, and her perseverance.

Harris' subversion of cliches are subtle. Jame Gumb sews his suit of human flesh on a sewing machine that says "I never tire, I serve." Starling feels the need to sew her blazer that has been frayed by her gun holster. It is in these small details, that the reader can delineate between the straightforward dramatic action, and the more subtle thematic concerns.

I strongly recommend reading "The Silence of the Lambs." Harris' ability to write a novel that works so perfectly on both genre and literary levels is amazing. Every detail has meaning. Every dramatic decision functions on a thematic level. Yet these details are not overwhelming- the suspense factor makes this novel a fast paced read.

Rating:
Summary: Not your ordinary suspense book.
Review: I would never have picked up this book on my own because I don't like to read (or watch, for that matter) bloody, gory suspense/thrillers. I was surprised and definitely not overjoyed to see it on my class syllabus at the beginning of the semester. Having only seen Silence of the Lambs on the "suspense" genre shelves, I was fairly confident I would hate it. A lot.

I was wrong.

While it did have quite a bit of that bloody gory stuff (probably not a negative aspect for most of today's readers), I found that it was also very accessible to people who are not looking for the quick thrill. Thomas Harris really delivers when it comes to pleasing the masses as well as those who want a little more meat to the mystery. Most particularly, the characterization is wonderful. All descriptions fill the characters out; they are very realistic. While Harris makes it clear that the main character is still working her way up the ladder, Clarice Starling is one of the most commendable strong female characters I've ever read in a genre type novel. It was also great that he didn't take the Xena-ish route of creating a strong woman character and then, as a "consequence" of that strength, make her a lesbian. Harris does very well also with catering to the real desire of "everyone getting what comes to them" - the outcomes stay congruent with the ongoing themes throughout the novel, but he also takes conventions and twists them - almost beyond recognition. In his portrayal of Jame Gumb, however, I am left hoping that those who read this book on a very basic thriller level are not left with the impression that all male cross-dressers are going to have some sort of sick, twisted mind set about women or about becoming a woman.

Hannibal Lecter, of course, is far and away the best characterization of pure intelligence I have ever read. He provides Clarice with the facts she needs, barely in time, and much, much better than some omniscient narrator leading the character through to the end. This adds quite a different dynamic that I thought worked extraordinarily well as we follow Clarice attempting to find the murderer in time to save the next victim. I personally thought that it only figures, the police and everyone finally get running on the case as soon as the next victim is the daughter of a Senator. A woman senator is certainly anti-cliché, but I think the plot would have worked just as well had the next victim been an ordinary young woman. Harris does have the plot set up so that the senator's moving Hannibal Lecter to a different location is crucial to the book; however, with Lecter's intellect, he could have escaped from just about anywhere (including his original cell).

This novel is majorly about Clarice's struggle to overcome her past - to silence the lambs. Thomas Harris follow this through to the end, which, I recommend you not to read first. It'll ruin everything.

Rating:
Summary: The many roles of women...
Review: As I was reading some of the reviews for this novel I realized that not too many people liked this book. Well, I have to defend it all the way...I love this book. I thought it was way better then the movie (although the movie was good as well). I have to say that I enjoyed reading it more so then watching it. I feel that reading this book is more suspenseful then just watching the movie because the movie shows you everything. When you read any book, but especially, The Silence of the Lambs, you give your mind a chance to use its imagination. You allow it to envision what's going on by itself, rather then force it to see what someone else wants it to see.

I also like this book because it is told from a woman's perspective. However, this woman is not just any woman; this woman is Clarice Starling. Clarice is a young woman with a great body, an enticing smile, an accent, and a drive to succeed. However, her drive to succeed does not take off in the kitchen, where women are "meant to be"(yeah right). Instead Clarice's drive to succeed takes place in the "man's" field, the FBI.

The novel is not just a book about trying to put an end to a serial killer but more so, I see this is a novel as being about the will to succeed. An even deeper underlying theme one may consider would be that the novel is about the life of Clarice Starling or even as being about the life of women in general.

Granite there is a lot of gore in this novel, but I believe that there is an underlying theme. This theme deals with the roles women play. For example, look at the character of Mrs. Starling. We see her playing the role of a working mother, trying to keep life, as she and her children know it. But at this she fails. Then look at the women who are killed by Buffalo Bill. Their roles are as helpless victims, taken advantage of by something more powerful then themselves. Now look at the character of Catherine Martin. A kind young woman, taken advantage of, but continues to fight and use everything that she has to survive. She is gutsy, witty, and full of determination. Next look at Mrs. Martin, a woman who is in a high political position. However, in this novel we are able to see another side of her. A side that begs and pleads and bargains and cries for the life of her daughter. Finally lets look at the character of Clarice Starling. A bright attractive young woman trying to make it in a world of men. We the reader, get to see many sides of Clarice. We get to see her as a motherly/caring figure, a figure of control, a figure of sex, a figure of power, a figure of weakness, and a figure of success; as well as many other figures. The roles of women that I've described above, are not only for women, but are roles that men play as well. However, we don't see too much of male role playing in this novel, unless you consider the stereotypical "male power trip"(no offense men).

As stated above, this book is not for everyone, it is very gory and frightening in ways, however if you can handle all that then this is definitely an excellent book to read. It has many underlying themes and I think that due to the way it is written in some strange way, people on some level or another will be able to relate to it. So just read it!!!

Rating:
Summary: A writer that cares
Review: This novel is an entertaining novel that seems to do well with the literary types as well as fulfilling its expectations as a work of suspense fiction. Thomas Harris gives us a character, a theme, and a plot plus an interesting style. These all fit nicely together. This is a novel that comes close to breaking the bounds of its genre and becoming accepted as "real fiction" by elitists. One can ask how Thomas Harris did it? My answer is he took the time to care more about the story than any convention or artsy style.

The plot is simple enough. It is well grounded and simply done. Suspenseful, yet not all that surprising. Harris drives the story foreword at a strong pace, not fast, not slow. But you will not be bored with the story by any means.

The themes are expressed in a straightforward way, using the form as a reflection of the function. For example, the book speaks a lot about the roles of women and any thing else you can imagine about the male female dichotomy. Buffalo Bill is after these women for their "femininity", not to have or posses, but to become. Other themes given attention too are the efforts of Clarice to get past her flaws, her own natural or biological advantages/disadvantages, and to outgrow her past. When you read it, just wonder what "The Silence of the Lambs" means.

Character is where Harris shines. Clarice is an interesting and complex character without being unbelievable. She has simple wants and goals and is not an unreasonable or whacked out character like those that usually embody the scope of literary fiction. Most important, however, she is a likable character. You go through the novel wishing her well, and hoping that she will succeed, unlike many other stories where your sympathies are not where they should be. As far as Clarice goes, she is believable and likeable, without being radical, which allows you the ability to put your self in her shoes, heightening the suspense!

Hannibal Lecter is the second of Harris' great characters. All the things above that apply to Clarice don't for Lecter. Lecter is a genius and a cannibal. He is not normal or reasonable. Harris, however, does a good job for making him believable. I personally found him an unsympathetic character, but most others I have talked to think he is really "a good guy down deep". Harris goes to great lengths toward crafting this character, I think we are meant to feel something towards him.

Another thing that Harris does really well, which is rewarding to the storytellers among us, is writes in a simple manner. He doesn't use incredibly flowery sentences, yet he is no illiterate. His description is direct and to the point, and most importantly, the story MOVES. It doesn't stagnate for 20 pages on a little bird that happened to fly past Clarice's eye. No, the story spends reasonable time on relevant concepts.

All the good points about this book come back to the care and love that Harris put into his novel. He didn't just type type type to make a buck and he didn't just plop down a hundred pages of stream of consciousness to fill up space. HE LOVED IT. The way he lovingly crafted the story speaks for his care of the thematic implications. This is the big difference; this is the one thing that makes a good story good.

I definitely recommend this novel. Read it for yourself, for pleasure, or for study, either way you'll get something out of it.

Rating:
Summary: Suspense, gender, and fear.
Review: The Silence of the Lambs is possibly one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile reads that has been written in the last fifteen years. Beyond the power of its suspense (if there is any life in you, then you honestly won't be able to put it down), there is a grim thematic development that covers a good deal of psychological territory. Through the story of Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, there is a horrific comment on what drives us, what scares us, and what opposes us. Clarice interviews the cannibalistic psychopath, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and comes closer and closer finding the elusive serial killer "Buffalo Bill," but while doing so must come face to face with her own fears and inhibitions. One of the most important themes of the novel is gender empowerment. This becomes apparent in almost every character of the book. Buffalo Bill's motive for murdering so many innocent women is for the simple purpose of using their skins to create one of his own. He wants to be a woman, but sees women only as the society Thomas Harris has created sees them - as skin. It seems as if Clarice is constantly fighting to advance and overcome the restrictions of being female. Jack Crawford gives her a first assignment, giving her a chance to advance and break through the glass ceiling. Her conversations with Dr. Lecter reveal the secrets of her childhood - a mother that failed to conquer the limits of being a woman when her husband died. A mysterious moth, found in the throat of a victim becomes, psychoanalytically, to be symbolic of the image of a parent buried in the subconscious. This is what Clarice, as a woman, has to go on, but as the story progresses we see how she becomes a stronger and more resourceful person. Just as Senator Martin's political sway helps her in the search for her daughter, and Catherine Martin uses the dog Precious to hold Buffalo Bill at bay, Clarice learns to use what is around her to reach her prize. There is a drastic change in Clarice's abilities from when she first enters the asylum and meets Dr. Chilton, the director. He is looking for a date, while she is looking for information. She realizes she could have gotten more if she would have used some charm. After her first meeting with Lecter she is hit in the face with most masculine thing possible - semen. Later in the novel she will learn to overcome her gender restrictions, using charm and wit in the investigation - with the entomologist Dr. Pilcher, and others who can give her information. Of course, there is also the strong element of suspense, which is the driving force of the dramatic aspects of the novel. It is truly a nail-biter as we follow Clarice on the trail towards Buffalo Bill. Harris crafts the tension of the story, revealing one piece of evidence after another to bring us closer to a thrilling climax in a dark basement. This book is on the level of other suspense writers such as Stephen King, and should not be overlooked as a powerful addition to the modern canon.

Rating:
Summary: Silence of the Lambs
Review: The book Silence of the Lambs is a superb book. It had great characters that you could learn to like. Hannibal Lecter semmed so real that,it was scary. Also, the plot was detailed and exciting you could not put the book down. The only downside was a disappointing ending with a showdown with the killer.

The best part of the book was Lecter's escape from the Memphis institution. he uses a key to pick his cuffs that he made from a pen he stole. After he was loose, he kills both guards, hides one body, and pretends to be one of the dead guards. He is then put on an ambulance and escapes.

The two most vivid elements of the story were the characters and the resolution. The characters were very mysterious, and Clarice Starling seems almost like a real person. The characters had a lot of emotions and the author expresses them in his writing. Thr resolution was great because I could see skin hanging from hooks, the pit, Jame's old sewing machine, and the pitch back of his basement. Well that's silence of the Lambs. It was great and I hope you consider reading it.

Rating:
Summary: this is more than just a genre book, folks--here's why
Review: This novel is certainly a great book when stuck into the horror/suspense/thriller category of page-turners to stay up all night and scare yourself with. But my purpose in writing this review is to unstick it from the label of just another genre novel and give my understanding of why this book, as good a plot-driven story as it is, is really much more than what just a superficial read will yield.

"Whose story is this?" -this is the key question to my own understanding of this book. For me, more than anything else this is Clarice Starling's story, the story of a woman who wants to prove against great opposition that she is capable of succeeding. To do this she must escape the burdens of her past, overcome female stereotypes and learn to use her femininity to her advantage, and remain strong in the face of opposition from nearly every person, man or woman, whom she encounters along the trail of her pursuit of Buffalo Bill.

So much of this book is about gender, and about how Starling must strike a balance between evading the negative baggage of her status as a woman and embracing the positive aspects of that same status and using them to her full advantage. Where does Buffalo Bill fit into that? Whereas Starling is forced to maneuver around the identity of the stereotypical woman, Bill shows up as her perverted male foil-the inside-out and upside-down perversion of what Starling is going through. While Starling struggles to prove herself as a woman and individual human being within the intensely masculine atmosphere of the FBI, Bill is trying to completely emasculate himself, stripping himself of all masculine characteristics and replacing them with feminine ones of his own creation. And even this emasculation is much more layered than it first seems-in addition to giving us an account of Bill's overt endeavoring toward a "metamorphosis," Thomas Harris also gives Bill qualities that (I believe) are more unconscious to even the character himself. Some of these female tendencies of his slipped by me at first, going nearly completely hidden until I flipped back through the book- by the wilder and more perverse facets of his skewed perception of his own gender. And it is no coincidence that the case Starling takes on to prove her FBI-worth is one fraught with male-female conflict-would this be the same story if she were hunting a bank robber or a hit-man, or even Hannibal Lecter himself?

And where does Hannibal Lecter fit into the whole gender-shebang? My impression of Lecter in this sense is that while he himself blows any attempt to neatly categorize/stereotype him clean out of the water, he is one of the few men in the story who treats Starling as more than just "a woman." This is part of the reason why I found myself rooting for Lecter towards the end of the story; he might be a cannibalistic sociopath, but he certainly dealt with Starling as Starling, the FBI trainee, the individual with the troubled past, the person, the human being, rather than as legs and a chest with no brains. In contrast to the actions and attitudes of Dr. Chilton or the policemen in Potter, West Virginia, Lecter's treatment of Starling is admirable, at least when it comes to the gender issue. Lecter's end goal might be to psychologically torture others for his own amusement, but at least he's not gender-biased about it.

I believe that a book should first and foremost tell us a good story, and it should second and foremost give an idea of a greater and grander meaningful judgement on the world (either our own or the story's) and how that world works, or ought to. The Silence of the Lambs does this for me, and I was quite satisfied by it. Though at certain key points I felt that Harris tended a bit toward melodrama, or that the complex interaction between drama and theme became a bit skewed in one direction or the other, I felt that overall, Harris succeeded in giving us a complex, thrilling, thoughtful story.

Of course, this novel can be read simply as a genre book, but whether you call it genre or whether you allow it something more is a mark of how much you-the-reader are willing to give to this story. There's nothing wrong with reading it just for the excitement; many people have done that and been thoroughly satisfied. But this book deserves more than that-it has much more to offer the reader than just drama, and the more effort you put in to pulling those higher themes out of the story, the more you will enjoy and appreciate this book in the end.

Rating:
Summary: The movie was awesome & the book's even better!
Review: Actually, I would rate this book at 4-1/2 stars. If you're 14 like me, or around that age group, it's difficult to picture a certain scene in your mind. But, Thomas Harris did an awesome job at writing this book with such vivid detail that I was able to easily & clearly picture every scene in my mind. It's beautifully written and constructed just like the movie. I can assure you that you'll like this book.

A little advise though, if you're young or don't really understand those more difficult books you should see the movie first. If you'd like to ask me any questions about this book you can e-mail me at: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: "some of our stars are the same, clarice"
Review: That is the closing line of the letter that Hannibal writes to Clarice at the fag end of the book. And it sums up the razor sharp yet unwittingly tenuous relaionship that the book's two most powerful characters share. Clarice Starling, trainee FBI agent determined to zoom in on Buffalo Bill, the serial killer before another innocent victim gets skinned alive. Hannibal Lecter, cocooned in a maximum security hospital, will lead her on, giving clue after clue and then make his daring, incredible escape. The scene where Lecter bolts out of the hospital is perhaps one of the most chilling and carefully crafted executions to ever find portrayal on paper. So are many other subtle yet superbly horrific parts of this book. This masterpiece sparked off a whole new dynamic genre of psychological thrillers. It doesn't matter if you've seen the movie( which is incidentally, brilliant), it's no substitute for what I could best describe as a monster of a novel. I liked this book for the delicate and shocking way in which Thomas Harris explored the dark depths of perverted psycholgy and also for the novel's shimmering characterization. Lecter and Clarice are legends today. The latter, a metaphor for courage in the face of fortitude. The former, a metaphor for calculated evil behind a sophisticated veneer.If you haven't yet read this book, buy it.

When Clarice cocks her gun and steps tentatively down the stairs to the basement in the novel's climactic terminus...look up from the book and at that half opened door and the shadows beyond...

Rating:
Summary: Silence of the Lambs
Review: First of all, you should review the book, not the movie. As usual, so many people compare the two and there is no comparison.

I have read Thomas Harris, including Red Dragon and Hannibal. All outstanding books. The movie does expand on his writings, but also it does leave out some excellent parts that could have been included. I loved Silence of the Lambs and have personally read it more than once. I did read the book before I saw the movie and was, frankly unhappy with the results of the movie. The book kept me awake for hours, not wanting to put it down.

I thought the character of Hannibal Lector was excellent and a great contrast to the Starling character. I will say one thing about the movie, they could not have gotten a better actor to play the role of Hannibal. Hopkins was wonderful. I am looking forward to seeing the new movie, as I have just finished the book!