Hannibal
by Thomas Harris

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• Hannibal Book

Book Reviews of Hannibal

Book Review: Hannibal's Goodbye Is The Best Of The Trilogy.
Summary: 5 Stars

It is seven years after the events of "The Silence of the Lambs." Jame Gumb is dead, Clarice Starling is on bad ground with the FBI after a drug raid gone wrong, Jack Crawford is nearing retirement and Hannibal Lecter is out of jail and free in the world. Nobody knows where he is, and everyday his photo stays as number one on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list. Now, someone is out for revenge. Mason Verger is a disgusting child molestor who was convinced by Hannibal to peel his own face off, leaving him horribly disfigured. Verger owns a large and wealthy foundation and enjoys terrorizing children while he lies in bed and watches every thing that goes on in the world. Mason is plotting a scheme to torture Dr. Lecter for two days until killing him for good as revenge against what he did to him. The reward he puts out for catching Lecter alive (without the knowledge of the FBI) convinces Rinaldo Pazzi to catch Lecter, who is living a good life in Florence under the alias "Dr. Fell," and deliver him to Mason for a full ten million dollars. Many die as Dr. Lecter leaves a trail of mayhem and blood, proving he is the ultimate monster is history. Meanwhile, the slimy Paul Krendler is double crossing the FBI to catch Lecter and kick Starling out of the FBI and use her as bait. But Lecter always remains one step ahead of them.

Ever since "The Silence of the Lambs" was published in 1988, readers demanded a sequel. Little did they know, it would take eleven years for such a book to be published. It's a lot like "Star Wars: Episode 1." People waited so long to get the book, and invisioned in their heads what might happen in it. So, of course, when it was released, many were dissipointed. When you wait so long, you build something up to be better than it really is, or the result is different than you expected it to be. That's why most of the reviews you'll find on this site are negative and bash it. I, however, am able to see the pure brilliance of this novel, no doubt a pure masterpiece. I'll bet a million dollars that most of the world was expecting another serial killer novel similiar to "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs," but what was given to them was so different, unusual and twisted they couldn't really enjoy it. Personally, as much as I loved the two previous books, I welcomed the change in this one and admired Thomas Harris' bravery in departing from what was expected.

When I say this book is twisted, I mean it. Everyone is up in arms over the gore of the movie version, but this book is much sicker. There's a truckload of violent murders, tons of gory scenes in very explicit details, as well as very disturbing talks about molesting children and Mason and his sister, Margot's (who is nowhere in the movie) sexual expieriences as children. Not to mention you've got man-eating wild boars and a particularly nasty dinner sequence. The ending also caused a lot of controversy and anger. I won't give it away here, but I will say that "The Silence of the Lambs" hinted at this throughout the whole book, and this novel was only taking that a giant leap further. I particularly admire this ending, because it is a big shock yet left me feeling completely satisfied (once again, the movie version changes this).

Dr. Hannibal Lecter himself is, in my opinion, one of the greatest monsters ever put onto a page. He is interesting and fascinating. The coolest thing about him is how is a complete gentlemen, has a knowledge of fine wines, enjoys excellent meals, speaks intelligently and has a wide knowledge of the history of the earth, and because of all this, he can kill and eat people and we still find him a nice guy because he is so charming and intelligent. This book explains his past more and why he is the way he is, and I really enjoyed it because it makes you feel for him as a character more. Of course, many people disliked this, but I thought it influenced that he is a real person and truly can't help the way he is. Besides, the real villian of this book is Mason Verger, one of the most disturbing characters I have ever seen in a book. The details the novel goes into about him are very nasty and I really hated him. Other characters from the previous novel are back, most noticeably Paul Krendler, Jack Crawford, Barney the security guard and Ardelia Mapp, Clarice Starling's best friend and house-mate.

Overall, this book is a must read for anyone with a strong stomach and anyone who enjoyed "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs." If you enjoyed this book, maybe you should check out "The Stand," the most brilliant novel I've ever read, or any of the Lecter movies, which include "Manhunter," "The Silence of the Lambs," "Hannibal" and "Red Dragon."

I hope my review was helpful.

PS: I really am thirteen.

Summary of Hannibal

Horror Books

• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror
• Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Psychological Thrillers