In the wake of Silence of the Lambs, many people discovered Red Dragon, Hannibal Lecter’s first appearance in Thomas Harris’s writing. Between the two of them, there was enough explosive thrills and criminal horror to feed the nightmares of the most devout action, mystery, or thriller reader. Then Harris brought Lecter back in, surprise, Hannibal, in which a creepy villain who almost makes Hannibal look normal brings to a halt our intrepid, ummm, hero’s undercover life. Of course, Clarice Starling makes a return engagement in what Jessica calls the final act in a two-volume traditional romance story. Brilliant literary criticism on her part, but a pretty wretched close to the book.
Well, Harris decided to explore the creation of an amoral murderer and cannibal, so Lecter makes a prequel appearance in Hannibal Rising. Captured and nearly eaten himself by a band of murderous criminals operating in German-occupied Lithuania, Hannibal loses his sister, but survives to take his revenge on the villains. Long step-Oedipal scenes with his uncle’s Japanese wife, uninteresting byplay with a moderately capable detective, and explorations of his memory structure make up most of the book. Without the fear and action of the first two books, this flows like a muddy river: slowly, occasionally bubbling something up from the depths, but finally just another long view of the same scene over and over.
Here’s hoping his next book (sometime in the early 2010’s?) will either pick up Lecter’s middle career, or put him back into direct conflict with Starling. Maybe he’ll even return to the prescient vision that made Black Sunday such a great thriller. Either way, I hope he’ll pick up more action along with his excellent writing, and give me another ‘just one more page, then I’ll turn out the lights’ story.
Say that bit about “brilliant” again please. I quite like the way it was used to describe me. That sort of behavior needs to happen more often.
Hannibal is my favorite romance novel ever. I floated around with a happy feeling for a full day after I finished it. Strange, though; it’s hard to get other folks to believe it’s a romance.
I confess to being disappointed with Hannibal Rising, but I think I’m in the same boat as many other Harris fans: we adore Mr. Lecter so much that we’ll take anything, ANYTHING about him, even if it’s mediocre.
Ahem – that would be ‘Doctor’ Lecter.
I found that Silence of the Lambs hinted at a possible fondness for Doctor Lecter and Starling, and in Hannibal, he is portrayed as sort of smitten with her, a little more lovey dovey, but the predatory tinge he possesses kept me thrilled despite it. I expected, in all honesty, that Starling would eventually succumb to him, and Lecter would repay her in the only way he seemed to deem fitting; by chewing off her face. I expected Starling to bite the dust at the end, and I guess I was pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise. While the ending was kind of fan-fiction esque, it fits the romance theme, and I feel a lot of the criticism is misplaced.
Hannibal Rising was a decent read but it was tame compared to Thomas Harris’ other books. The ending to Hannibal was really good but it left me craving to learn more about the lives Clarice and Dr. Lecter have. I would absolutely LOVE it if Thomas Harris wrote a continuation of their lives together. Will Clarice die? Will they ever get caught? I NEED to know!
We need the middle of his life after hannibal rising. Also the end what happens after feeding the kid brains on the plane while runnning from the cops. Do killers as good as him just stop and decide to die, kill them selfs as writters often don’t make another book, movie ,or thought of the what the fans really want. Do you put that much work into creating a story of ones life and not tell the hole story. Less forget about 10-15 years here, forget 10-15 years later on. This is all you get while fans want more. He wrote alot and maked 4 good movie. I think if you got a gift use it. He’s good at lectors story so finish telling it completely!!! Keep having the kid finish from were he left off in hannibal rising, and let hopkins finish with Starling. They want more money pay them all partys!!( the movies) Give the fans more. It not like theres no money in it! Come on Harris few people get the chance to have a story last this long and keep paying, and will keep paying as long as you stay to the script, and stay creative. Gaspard Ulliel was great for the middle story use him. Good movies, good books give your fans what they want tell the hole story
Jose, I agree with you so much it’s scary.
I can t wait to read any off the two next books.
I hope he write soon soon soon new book , cuz i’m biggest fan , and when they do another film , then they need Anthony Hopkins .. but he is not deathless :'(:'(
I like to , when he writes book about Starling and Clarice life or something ^-^
when i readed “..or put him back into direct conflict with Starling.”
I arise on the air and SCREAM!!!! WIII .. my heart is still pumping .. i’m going crazy !!! OMGGGG !!! :D
I HOPE SO MUCH HE WRITE ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT THEY !!!
ALRIGHT , I’M GOING TALK TO MOM AND DAD ! BYE :)
Hannibal Lecter is one of the most intriguing fictional characters ever created in American literature. I’m not sure if giving a cannibal a high class taste – no pun intended – demonstrates Harris’ warped sense of personality or mine because I am so fascinated with his character. But like most people who have commented, I am eager to read anything distantly related to Dr. Lecter. I’m glad to see that Harris has another book slated for early next year, but I sure hope and pray that it is another in the Lecter series.
I was supremely disappointed that the producers of the movie Hannibal altered the love story out of the movie. How did they expect to improve upon beauty and beast? Plus, unless they had some foreknowledge of where the next book is going, they will have a challenge keeping the story moving in a straight line.
Anyway, I believe that Starling will eventually discover the room in Dr. Lecter’s memory palace where the key to her hypnotism is stored, but he will fight to keep her from going in, but now, unlike Silence of the Lambs, she is in his head. In the end, I believe that Harris will allow good to reign supreme and Starling will find the key to release her from the hypnotism.
After Starling reverses her hypnotism, Harris will give us one more book in the Lecter saga.
I’m a big fan .. so .. I hope it will by a very good book . My obsession is Clarice and Hannibal “love” , yeah , they f.. up the movie ending ..
Thomas Harris don’t give interviews .. I’m really disappointed .. cuz he can tell my what he gonna write and he’s way of looking at cannibalism.. put , Hannibal is his own puppet
All right .. have a nice day ;)
I love Hannibal. Although the books are better than the movies, when I’m stressed out, I curl up and watch them on them on the vcr. Hannibal makes me feel safe. He chases all the monsters out from under the bed and closest. He is my fairytail prince.
I hope that harris will get back on track with his original theme of “The Silence of the Lambs” More specifically, Clarices main goal in life to rescue her lamb and thereby break the cycles of ritual murders that have plagued her family for miliennia.
I would also like Harris to further elaborate on the following from his original tome:
-Clarices’ lineage:”Faded names in the Bible”
-how she is perceived in light of her economic circumstances vs who she actually is and where she came from.
-how she and others in her family are treated because of it.
-her multiple genetic blood disorders.
-how she is related to Hannibaal I’m sure will shed light on how it is that he knows so much about her.
-Hannibaals drawing of her as a shepherdess was a nice touch by Scott.
I think it is important that Harris decide on Hannibaals’ motives. Does he truly care about Clarice and her Lamb? Is he there to help her in her endeavours? Or is he just another horny serial killer who seeks to control and exploit her and her lamb like all the others thourghout history?
I believe that it may go beyond Harris making the determination of whether Lecter can be of professional assistance to Clarice. In fact, Lecter will not help Clarice, because in her current state, she reminds him of Mescha(sp?), his sister from WWII. Lecter is so fixated in undoing the murder of Mescha, that Clarice is a place holder until he can reverse time. That is why he studies Stephen Hawking (in Hannibal). It is my ‘Monday morning quarterbacking’ theory that Harris has been waiting for a plausible time travel theory to develop currency in the physics discipline so that he can create the world where Lecter can go back and, not only undue Mescha’s misfortune, but his as well. This is much more important to him than to release Clarice from the crying of the Lambs. “Misery loves company,’ is a sort-of unacknowledged theme for Lecter. A man will generally seek his own reflection in a woman when he goes on a hunt for female companionship, and Lecter demonstrates this by carrying on the romantic relationship with one who also has demons to fight.
Harris brilliantly portrayed Lecter is a likable character who is in control of his own world, but he (Lecter) is deeply disturbed and wants to rid the world of evil, a sort of consolation prize for being in a world without Mesha. I think Barney called them the “free range rude” in Hannibal. Until he can create the innocent world that existed for him and his sister while they lived on the family’s farm or until he can reverse the flow of cause and effect, he will constantly be haunted by cannibalism.
I think if Harris is looking for a space time theory to reunite Hannibaal with Misha, then he should switch to science fiction instead of romance and let the Hannibaal series die now instead of messing it up to beyond the point of non repair.
Anyone who wants a genre of maneaters should maybe switch to vampires and werewolves. It would probably be more culturally appealing to them.
Yeah, Hannibaal and Clarice are damaged, but a lot of damaged people can do a lot of good things and not just feed off of eachothers grief and loss.
Law enforcement sure as shit doesn’t do anygood as they are part of the problem, not the solution. Harris points this out in Hannibaal.
any new news? how long his writing it..? he may not write it , give up.. i heared that theres some agreement with Pentam books ( i’m no sure , that that was called “Pentam” ) for one hannibal book.. well .. that’s good :D