Customer Reviews

Hannibal (Spanish Edition)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read this book years ago, when it was first published - after I had read Silence of the Lambs. Thomas Harris is one of the few authors of 'popular fiction' who can convincingly write about a brilliant, subtle, erudite mind...the only other who comes to mind is William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist) It takes very high intelligence to successfully write of genius...whereas most authors must content themselves with TELLING us someone is brilliant, which is not convincing and takes a novel down many notches (Dean Koontz is a good example of an author who cannot write convincingly of diabolical or erudite genius) a very few authors can SHOW true brilliance in a character because they have a touch of it themselves. And that rare, precious brilliance, especially in an evil character, is endlessly captivating and seductive.

As for the 'horrible' ending many complain of, Clarice was obviously fascinated by Hannibal from the outset of the series- and there was a definite sexual dance of an undertone between them, although Clarice herself wasn't consciously aware of it. Lecter was drawn to Clarice for many reasons - her strict moral standards echoed his; albeit seemingly from opposite directions. Her wounded lamb vulnerability underneath a courageous exterior reminded him of his beloved sister, and her pleasure at their mental fencing intensified each time they faced off. In a way, this is a bizarre retelling of the My Fair Lady story - Hannibal's cultured, educated, challenging yet accomodating maturity (Professor Higgins) gradually brings out Clarice's subtleties and psyche simultaneously with her 'romantic/sexual' adulthood. Clarice finally grows up, truly blossoms - and it's due to Hannibal. This is not an anti-feminist ending, it's the ULTIMATE feminist ending.

This book doesn't flow quite as well as Silence or Red Dragon, in some ways, but its in-depth treatment of Lecter's mind, peculiarites and tastes, and basic elegance of prose and plotting makes it quite memorable and worth reading. Particularly noteworthy is Hannibal's absolutely brilliant method of helping Clarice to move past wounds about her father, which are keeping her partially frozen in damaged childhood - he literally digs up Dad's coffin, complete with moldering old Dad inside, for Clarice to talk to, rage against, wail over. This is one of the most unsettling but ingenious twists on a classic psychiatric transactional analysis method (wherein one pretends to interact with those who have caused one pain in an effort to spur a catharsis, healing or closure...here she isn't pretending-her Dad is RIGHT THERE) that I've ever read - and it is chillingly, fabulously believable...
both as a legitimate (if Lecterian) device and as a catalyst for real emotional and mental progress for Clarice.

In showing us the 'human' sides of Hannibal, and giving us alternate antagonists possibly more repellant and truly evil than Lecter himself, Harris not only successfully evokes sympathy for Hannibal
in the reader (which I felt already) but prompts the reader to examine their comfortable assumptions about many things - the nature of evil and the shades of gray that we all live with every day whether we admit it or not - which leads one to look at our endearing but wholly unrealistic picture of ourselves and humanity that makes us expect, and demand, a happy, neat, 'good guy defeats bad guy' Hollywood ending to all our modern fairy tales. (The Brothers Grimm were much more realistic about human nature and evil than we are today - remember how 'brutal and unfair', and terribly non-pc, their tales were?)

People uncomfortable with shades of gray rather than black and white - or those who cannot accept that all of us have dark and light facets to ourselves, or that good people can turn inside out and be a seeming 'opposite' of their former selves will likely be completely thrown and incensed by Clarice's apparent turnabout/defection...yet if one reads SotL closely, with an eye to detail and an appreciation of subtlety (which many reared on MTV and infotainment seem to lack) the eventual romance is not only expected but weirdly, deliciously satisfying as well. Through both her own personality and experiences and Lecter's ingenious tutelage, Clarice gradually becomes Hannibal's Lady M and his Mischa...the great loves he has lost. After all, who but Hannibal can understand, and therefore fully appreciate Clarice? And who but Clarice could unflinchingly see and appreciate the 'whole' Hannibal?

The are, in short, perfect for each other.

If you are looking for another Silence of the Lambs, then this book really isn't something that would amuse you. However, if you are looking for something more like an angst-y love story with an overshadowing horror in the background, then you'd probably enjoy this one.

-Spoiler-

The main complaint with this book that's been an issue, is the ending. Many people consider the ending sequence of this book to be throwing the Clarice Starling character out the window.

"Clarice wouldn't do that. EVER!"

Obviously not, if Thomas Harris decided to end the book the way he did. That's the most important part of the story, the ending, and they are always well thought out. The ending to Hannibal is written in such a way that you leave the two main characters, Hannibal and Clarice, without any strings left to yank. There is no question of the rest of their lives, because you have a pretty good idea by the end.

To me, Harris' writing of this prequel is phenomenal. Even if you aren't a Hannibal/Clarice fan, it's still a very entertaining 'cat and mouse' read.

Now I have a lot of respect for Thomas Harris, I think he's a brilliant author, but my god... he sure stuffed up HANNIBAL's ending.

The first three quarters of the book were fantastic. I was completely absorbed by Florence, Quantico and completely disgusted by Mason. I thought he was a brilliant villian, definitley one of the first that has genuinely disgusted and angered me. However the book began to lose its edge when (SPOILER) Lecter left Florence. The whole background thing with Mischa just wrecked everything for me; I think Hannibal was more interesting as a character when his background was a mystery. I expect Harris has REALLY stuffed that up in HANNIBAL RISING, which is next on my to-read-list.

(SPOILER) I won't say too much, but the whole Clarice-Lecter dynamic has gone down the drain too. No more, "Hello, Clarice. Do you still hear the lambs?", now it's more "Hey sweetie-pie, how was work? Eat anyone interesting?".

I'm not expecting HANNIBAL RISING to blow me away and I heard that Harris is writing another novel, so if it's another Lecter book, hopefully he fixes up his mistakes and turns Clarice back to her usual self. Maybe bring RED DRAGON's Will Graham back too.

This is one of the few cases where the movie is better then the book. Seriously. Go down to your video shop and rent out Ridley Scott's HANNIBAL instead. Stuff the library, stuff the book shop, stuff Amazon (unless you buy the movie!), sit down and watch Anthony Hopkins for a few hours.

Hannibal provides an excellent ending to an excellent series of books. It is better than Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs. There is extensive worldly knowledge placed delicatly throughout the book, and I have become more intellegent after reading Hannnibal. Thomas Harris is a genius of literature.

The negative reviews here had me bracing for a terrible book, but I loved it! Hannibal is just as good as the other Lecter books, if not better. It's a bit more subtle and abstract than Manhunter or Silence of the Lambs, which people might not be expecting. It gives much more insight into Lecter and Starling, and the ending is somehow both more and less horrifying than you would expect.

Harris makes Hannibal Lechter a superman, which is really pretty silly. But he turns Clarice Starling into some absurd, undisciplined character and then creates an ending which is amongst the worst endings of the decade! I loved "Silence of the Lambs", and there were parts of this book which had the same wonderful feeling of anticipation and dread. But it was nowhere near Silence for reasonably believeable characters. And the ending...! Too stupid for words....

If you are looking for a good book to read, you MUST read HANNIBAL. But before reading this extremely good book, you must read the prequels, "Red Dragon," and of course, "The Silence of the Lambs." Hannibal really takes you into the mind of Dr. Lecter. Read it and you'll know what I'm taking about.

I enjoyed "Hannibal". Not as much as Harris' others. Yet, in this, I found a more relaxed, even romantic view of a now Italian cannibal. Not as graphic, not as terroristic yet much more introspective.... I liked the ending & 'tis no wonder Jody Foster bowed out for the film! Would she dare want to be known as Mrs. Lecter? *smiling* If you enjoy graphic murderous thrillers, read "Messiah" by Boris Starling.

Hannibal Lecter was a very interesting supporting character in "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs." Unfortunately, Harris fell in love with the character, and distorted Lecter badly in this sequel. Previously, Lecter was an unmitigated villain, a monster who, though witty, well-educated and having good taste, was a murderous cannibal who killed people because it amused him to do so.

Now he kills only people who deserve to die. Hannibal the Cannibal has been forcibly transmogrified into Hannibal the Hero, and the author into Harris the Hack. The ending of "Hannibal" is absolutely horrendous, a brutal attack on the sensibilities of the reader and on the character of Clarice. It's snide, arrogant and heartless; in my experience as a reader, this is the most sadistic attack on the readers of the book I have ever encountered, and by very far, the worst ending.

If you like to read a book that really makes you think about what is going on then Hannibal is the one for you. Hannibal is about a man who does not seem to see the difference between what is right and what is wrong. This book has a very slow tempo to start out with and then it gradually picks up speed Thomas Harris spends a great deal of time on background information. Hannibal is set in Italy and the United States during the 1980's. It mostly takes place on Mason's Muskrat farm. This one of Thomas Harris's most famous books in the series about the character Hannibal Lecter. The other two are Hannibal Rising and Red Dragon. The prequel to Hannibal is Red Dragon. They have all been turned into movies. The author Thomas Harris is very creative in his writing because he is subtle about what is going on, but there is always something going on. The two main characters are Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. Hannibal is a cannibal and likes to mess around with peoples heads and Clarice Starling is the women who tries to find and help Hannibal. I would recommended this book for high school students and above. This book is such a thriller it makes me not want to put it down because it scares you out of your pants.!