Customer Reviews

Red Dragon

5 star:		(244)
4 star:		(115)
3 star:		(41)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Harris first rocketed up the bestseller lists with his excellent terrorism thriller Black Sunday. His antihero Hannibal the Cannibal exploded into the public consciousness after Jonathan Demme's excellent movie version of Silence of the Lambs (1991) came out, with Anthony Hopkins brilliant creepy performance as Lecter. And, of course, fans and Hollywood have had an anxious 11 year wait for Harris to finally publish a sequel. But many people may not realize that Hannibal Lecter first appeared, albeit in a cameo role, in the novel Red Dragon and in Michael Mann's capable movie version, Manhunter (1986). If you've missed this book, I urge you to try it; in many ways it is Harris's best work.

FBI Special Will Graham has retired to Sugar Loaf Key, FL with his new wife Molly and her son Willie. Retired because of his nearly fatal encounter with a linoleum knife wielding Hannibal Lecter, whose capture he was responsible for, and because of the emotional troubles that have accompanied his ability to develop an almost extrasensory empathy for such killers, such that he has trouble purging their feelings from his own psyche. His peaceful idyll is disrupted when his old boss, Jack Crawford, shows up and asks for his help in catching The Tooth Fairy, a serial killer who is notorious for the tooth marks he leaves and for dicing his victims with shards of broken mirrors. Reluctantly agreeing to join the chase, Graham decides, in order to recapture the mindset that has made him so eerily effective in prior cases, to visit Hannibal Lecter in the Chesapeake State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. There the administrator, Dr. Frederick Chilton, shares an anecdote about Hannibal that demonstrates just how horrible he is:

"On the afternoon of July 8, 1976, Dr. Lecter complained of chest pain. His restraints were removed in the examining room to make it easier to give him an electrocardiogram. One of his attendants left the room to smoke, and the other turned away for a second. The nurse was very quick and strong. She managed to save one of her eyes."

"You may find this curious." He took a strip of EKG tape from a drawer and unrolled it on his desk. He traced the spiky line with his forefinger. "Here, he's resting on the examining table. Pulse seventy-two. Here, he grabs the nurse's head and pulls her down to him. Here, he is subdued by the attendant. He didn't resist, by the way, though the attendant dislocated his shoulder. Do you notice the strange thing? His pulse never got over eighty-five. Even when he tore out her tongue.

I don't think we're any closer to understanding him than the day he came in.''

After tabloid reporter Freddie Lowndes splashes this visit all over the pages of The Tattler, the killer too contacts Lecter who urges him to attack Graham. Thus begins a suspenseful, violent minuet as Graham develops increasing insight into the killer's methodology and psychoses, the killer plans his next kill (he's on a Lunar schedule) and Hannibal pulls strings from the dark background. Harris provides fascinating detail on police procedure, he writes savvily about how the FBI uses the media and the inventiveness of the crimes he dreams up is genuinely disturbing. But the most interesting part of the story is the delicate mental balance that Graham has to maintain in order to think like the killers but still remain sane. And as Graham penetrates further into the killer's mind, Harris reveals more and more background about the Tooth Fairy, Francis Dolarhyde, who it turns out was a horribly misshapen baby, abandoned by his mother and raised by a demented grandmother, early on manifesting the now classic signs of the serial murder--torturing animals and the like. This background and Will Graham's troubles dealing with the thought patterns he shares with Dolarhyde raise questions about what separates us from such men and whether there's a formula for creating such evil beings. Is it really simply a matter of psychosexual abuse of young boys and, presto chango, you've created a serial killer?

In addition to this kind of portrayal of the psychotic as victim, our effort to deal with these creatures has resulted in a sizable batch of thrillers where the serial killer is portrayed as a nearly superhuman genius. This flows from the same impulse that makes folks so willing to believe that assassinations are conspiracies. It is extremely hard, as a society, to face the fact that nondescript shlubs like David Berkowitz and Lee Harvey Oswald and Richard Speck and James Earl Ray are really capable of causing so much social disruption. Their crimes are so monumental that we want the killers to be equal in stature to the crimes. The sad truth of the matter is that these monsters are, in fact, generally hapless losers. They are not Lecterlike geniuses.

That said, Hannibal is still one of the great fictional creations of recent times, our age's version of Dracula or Frankenstein, and Harris's imaginative story makes for a great, albeit unsettling, read with more food for thought than most novels of the type.

GRADE: A

I read Hannibal first. That was probably a mistake, but if you did the same thing, make sure you pick up a copy of Red Dragon. This novel by Thomas Harris is the best, in my opinion, of the three "Hannibal Lecter" books. Will Graham is a profiler that is brought on the case of the Tooth Fairy, a serial murderer killing entire families. This is what makes the book so good. Even though the murders in Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal are gruesome, it isn't as though most of us really worry about a death like that. But the fear of someone breaking into your home, which is supposed to be a haven, and murdering not only you but also the people you love the most--that is a real fear that many share.

One of the great things in this book, as opposed to SotL, is how we get in the head of the killer. We learn about his childhood not in a dossier or a debriefing but from his own memories. In the end, the killer is conflicted, torn between fulfilling what he believes is his destiny and doing what he knows is right, and I was actually able to empathize with him because of the suberb characterization.

I am a stickler for research. This book is well researched. Nothing sticks out as wrong, everything advances the plot, and the subplots, like the relationship between Will and his wife Molly, only enhance the read. I guarantee you will not be able to put this book down, this is not a leisurely read. I thought the movies of Red Dragon (called Manhunter) and Silence of the Lambs were excellent, and I'm looking forward to Hannibal, but the books can't be beat.

The Red Dragon by Thomas Harris is probably one of the scariest, graphic books ever written. It's a thriller through all 454 pages of it. The setting is modern day in Virginia. The Red Dragon is the prequal to The Silence of the Lambs and the detec tive, Will Graham, is asked to come back to the F.B.I for this special case. This book is about a retired F.B.I investigator, Graham, who is asked to come back to the F.B.I for this case. In this case, the killer, who works in a film developing lab, stalks out his victims after he watches their home videos. His name is Francis Dolarhyde and he feels that he has a Red Dragon inside of him that makes him do the horrible things he does. He is influenced by a famous painting called "The Great Red Dragon". Once you see the cover, which has a picture of a red dragon, you will realize how scary this book actually is. I had to rate this book 5 stars, and I would definately recommend it to someone. So, if you want to read, in my opinion, the scariest book ever written, The Red Dragon is the book for you.

I have seen both Silence and Hannibal, but I have read neither. I believe in reading series boks in order, so I picked up Red Dragon two days ago. Wow!

If you only liked Silence because you loved Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, you may be a little dissapointed. He is not really a main character, even though he is now being played up to be because of his notoriety after its predecessors.

This book is about a serial murderer who the police have jokingly dubbed "Tooth Fairy" because of the bite marks he leaves on housewives after killing their whole family. The killer knows himself as the "Red Dragon" because he feels he has the Dragon from William Blake's painting "The Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in The Sun" inside of him, helping him "Become".

Will Graham, a retired cop who captured Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter and was almost slain by him, is called upon by the FBI to help capture this mass murderer before he strikes again at the next full moon. Graham has a great memory and imagination but a bad case of recurring fear. he must overcome this fear and talk to Dr. Lecter, who may know something about The Dragon.

Lecter manages to manipulate the killer and Graham from his cell, through a tabloid called "The National Tattler". He communicates with the Dragon through codes in the personals section and manages to get the FBI into a frenzy over the ads, getting a sleezy reporter named Freddy Lounds involved in the picture.

The killer is also tormented by his past. He has a cleft palate and sound funny when speaking, causing him to slash his victims with broken mirrors from the house. He also hears the voice of his dead nasty grandmother, who had total control of the killer as a youth.

This book is not the conventional horror story. It is more a psychological thriller than a blood and gore fest. If you are looking for a good way to have nightmares for months, this book is highly recommended. Enjoy!

Through other reviews the plot of Red Dragon is pretty well spelled out. So I'll skip a synopsis. Red Dragon is one of the finest thrillers I've read in many years. The book is very well plotted, the characters are fleshed out, the pace is brisk, and the tension is kept up through most of the book and of course, as mentioned numerous times, this book marks Hannibal Lecter's first (albeit small) appearance.

A surprise to the book is the way so much time and back story is given to the antagonist/killer. We spend a great deal of time with Francis Dolarhyde, experiencing the childhood and early adult life that led to his present condition. This brought back very pleasant memories of some of author Robert Bloch's earliest novels, in which most, if not all the story was told from the antagonist/killer's point-of-view. Francis is not your typical serial killer of many of today's novels, where the killer basically is unsympathetic and whose motives are of your typical, done-too-many-times revenge variety. Francis, although a vicious killer, is also quite sympathetic in his way. Three quibbles. First, although a pleasant surprise on one hand, I feel that a little TOO much time was spent on Dolarhyde's background. We get the idea very early on, and the rest feels like excessive overkill. Second, the ending (don't worry, I'm not going to give it away), can easily be seen coming and is not a surprise.

Lastly, (and this is not a fault of the book itself) I'd seen the movie that this book was based on, MANHUNTER, before I read this book. Because the movie follows the book very closely, much of the additional delicious suspense that would have been there for me was missed. I knew what was coming. But not to discourage people in the same shoes as I, be heartened by the fact that the ending of the movie does NOT follow the book!

Despite this pre-knowledge of events, I must say Red Dragon kept me turning the pages. I didn't stay up all night and read this book, but I DID look forward to getting to it each day that I was reading it. It's that good.

The story starts when a retired FBI agent, Will Graham, reluctantly decides to take on a new case involving the murders of two whole families that are belived to be linked. After viewing the murder scenes where the "tooth fairy" has been, Will Graham, goes through just about every possible thing that couldhave happened in the murders by looking at blood stains and other such evidence. After a quick chat with Dr.Hannibal Lecter, a previous catch of Graham's, Graham gets back in mood to catch the killer. Knowing that the killer strikes in sync with the moon, Graham must act fast before any more victims are taken. Meanwhile, Harris introduces the killer to the readerand takes the reader through the tooth fairy's hard past. Eventualy the reader is taken into the tooth fairy's psychlogical mind battle between him, and his second personality, the dragon. This book is a suspenseful thriller and defnitely deserving of six stars. It would be hard to find a summary that could possibly do justice the the fabulous book.

It's hard to believe that this novel is 20 years old. Thomas Harris's scare tactics of dropping us into the minds of the demented still resound fresh and induce mind bending chills. In this tale an FBI agent, reluctant to come back to the bureau after his near fatal capture of one Hannibal Lecter, must overcome his fear once again to pursue yet another psychological anomoly, a new serial killer dubbed the "Tooth Fairy" for his penchant for gnawing on his victims. The tactics used by agent Will Graham in his earlier successes: think like the killer. An unnerving story unfolds, intense and extremely convincing. You never doubt Thomas Harris's skill with this book, in fact you are subdued into awe as you shiver with each page. Will Graham's pursuits force him to consult the very man who provoked his retirement: Dr. Lecter himself. But Graham isn't the only one corresponding with the doc, the "Tooth Fairy" is Dr. Lecter's own number one fan. The "Tooth Fairy" it seems, doesn't enjoy his media-dubbed moniker, he much prefers the title of "Red Dragon". And he forces it's recognition.

This novel will knock your socks off, a superior example of what psychological fiction should be. If you aren't terrified by what you read in this book, you're already insane. Besides, this is the first "taste" of Hannibal Lecter and aptly whets the appetite for more of this devilish character. The film version of the book is entitled Manhunter, and stars "the other Hannibal Lecter" but is nevertheless a jarring rendition of this Horror masterpiece.

With some authors it can take a few chapters to feel comfortable with, not so with Thomas Harris and Red Dragon. Almost immediately the reader will feel as though he or she has been reading Harris' books for years, and in a way they probably have. There is a little bit of Red Dragon in all the popular thrillers of today. John Sanford, James Patterson, David Wiltse and other excellent authors like them write about recurring characters that bear resemblance to Thomas Harris' FBI agent Will Graham. Red Dragon's story structure will seem familiar because of its smoothly-woven sentences that must come naturally to its creator. Harris only writes a new book about every eight or so years and it shows in his craftmanship and storytelling. A book must be good if one of today's most celebrated villians (Hannibal Lecter) plays only a supporting role and isn't missed at all. Serial killer Francis Dolarhyde is the chief antagonist here and he is fleshed out to perfection with gradual revelations of his tortuous childhood that ultimately lead him to his current homicidal state. Agent Will Graham, uncanny detective skills and all, is hard pressed to track down this imaginative villian especially with the added distraction of conferences with Dr. Lecter; who Graham had originally brought to justice. With a great ending to top it all off, one MUST read this book.

In some ways, this book is just as good as "The Silence of the Lambs." I guarantee that you'll remember Francis Dolarhyde long after you've forgotten Buffalo Bill. Hannibal Lecter is a supporting character in this story, but he's still as strong as ever.

The hero of "Red Dragon" is Will Graham, an FBI agent. To solve these murders, he must get close to the dark side -- so close that it's scary. He pays a heavy price for his work.

Thomas Harris often writes about horrible things, but without sensationalizing them. Maybe it's because of his journalism background, or maybe that's just his style. He's no slouch at characterization, either. Also, he doesn't underestimate the intelligence of his readers. He drops in cultural references without patronizingly explaining them.

Many other writers have tried to imitate Thomas Harris. They forget a few rather important things -- style, intelligence, characters, and psychological depth. A serial killer novel without those things is a dud.

Anne M. Marble Reviewer, All About Romance

While thinking of how many stars to give this book, I decided on five. So I went back and finished the rest of the book and then came back, giving this book only four stars.

"Red Dragon" is the first book I have read by Thomas Harris. I am normally a very big Stephen King fan, but I found this book quite enjoyable nonetheless. However, like I have seen in so many books before, this had the chance of being an amazing novel, but was spoiled by a disappointing ending.

To begin, I would like to say that I do not enjoy Thomas Harris' style of writing when he uses choppy sentences and switches between the first and third person narrative. However, I soon got over that. It did not take away from the book.

Plot: 9/10--I found Francis Dolarhyde to be an extremely strange and frightening character, yet we could relate to his story. You could sense the tension between the characters as they tried to hunt him down.

Action: 8/10--This book is more of a crime drama. It is filled with more "Law and Order"-like searching than action and violence.

Characters: 9/10--Dolarhyde was extremely well-done, but Will Graham was not developed enough. He seemed like a jerk at some points despite his attempts to stop "The Dragon".

Overall: 8.5/10--This book should be at least a 9.5, but the ending was not enjoyable for me. It was an oustanding book, yes, and I will continue to read work by this author, but it seemed rushed and unoriginal. I think Mr. Harris could have come up with a better way (WARNING: SPOILER--DO NOT READ ON IF YOU WANT TO BE IN SURPRISE!) for "The Dragon" to die. It was like most horror movies today, and non suspenseful like the rest of the book. Not only did Dolarhyde suddenly lose his strength and cunning brilliance, he was killed too easily.

"Red Dragon", in conclusion, is a great piece of fiction that I cannot say enough about, but beware, the ending may be slightly disappointing to some.