| Title | : | The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0434009059 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780434009053 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 1222 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2001 |
The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy Reviews
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Fantastic series, one of my all time favorites.
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Books don't come much better than these.
Perfection. -
Like good black coffee, the perfectly good villain is a creature hard to define and even harder to find. Fortunately, in the hands of the good Dr Hannibal Lecter, we're perfectly taken care of.
For the purpose of this discussion, we're going to forget the films and TV show: fans of horror are purists in matters of the heart and Dr Lecter is very, very close to our collective hearts.
When you look at the books sequentially, there is a marked progression of Thomas Harris's interest in Hannibal as a character. In 'Red Dragon' and 'The Silence of the Lambs', he's more of an accessory villain in contrast to the more grotesque monsters which take centre-stage. He serves to put their crimes into context with his deceptively rational discourse with both heroes of the series, first, Will Graham, then, Clarice Starling. In 'Hannibal', Dr Lecter is given free reign to cavort across two continents in the pursuit of his prey and obsession-- Clarice Starling. Mr Harris's writing in this book is as close to perfection as you could possibly hope for, indeed, in its dark heart, the book is the finest example of what a refined horror novel can accomplish-- poetry, passion, pathos and finally, peace. For the good doctor, at least.
So, Dr Lecter, Hannibal the Cannibal, provides context. But who provides context for the good doctor? Hannibal's enduring power lies in the mystery that surrounds his personality and his almost vampiric demeanour. He's a culinary genius, an exemplary physician, a mass murderer with a cultured taste for fine wines, and finally, a lover to Clarice Starling-- a polymath well-suited to the myriad faces our Information Age lives force us to create. But where we stumble in our face-switching, Dr Lecter is smooth, as smooth as an electric eel sliding down his hapless victim's throat. Our lives then, are the most fitting context for Dr Lecter.
Mr Harris's first job as a crime-scene reporter informs much of the narrative of the first and second books. His two villains are revealed to us chapter by chapter, slow insight by tortuous revelation, even then, we are moved more to pity them in spite of the horrors they commit. Evil, in Mr Harris's novels, is more than ghosts in haunted homes, it is birthed in broken people, haunting the only places they have left to them-- the lonely recesses of their broken minds. In the third novel, where the villains are the bureaucratic 'good guys' of the FBI, Mr Harris shows how horror can also be banal, where office politics can hatch murder plots and the dishonourable discharge of honourable officers.
Hannibal, as a character is like a really good bass guitar that's initially humming in the background but later forms the core of the entire song (example? We Are All Astronauts cover of The Mighty Rio Grande by This Will Destroy You). Only, ONLY, a writer of Thomas Harris's narrative and stylistic brilliance could pull that off. Mr Harris's rare power is perhaps best captured by his contemporary Stephen King: “a novelist whose work can be grasped entire not just by English department profs and tenure-bound grad students but by the humble folk who entertain themselves with novels on airplanes and in overcrowded waiting rooms. ”
Mr Harris's prose is surgical in its precision, haunted with poetry that forms from every image he carves. Like no other novelist perhaps, Mr Harris does not judge, only narrates. So even in the face of high horror, we are lulled by his smooth tone, immersed in this vision of mind palaces and past and present folding into themselves, an infinite loop of snakes swallowing their own tails. But trust me on this, after having read Mr Harris's work, you will come away exhilarated. Like good, dark coffee, Mr Harris will not disappoint. -
Having watched the Movies 'Hannibal' and 'SotL' many years ago, I had forgotten most if not all of the plot. I read the three books back to back which is probably the longest run of fiction I've done in a while.
Red Dragon is my favourite of the trilogy, followed by Silence of the Lambs and finally Hannibal.
The characterisation and procedural elements to the story are first rate, but by the time the plot hits Italy in Hannibal, it becomes more of. rushed commentary.
Perhaps I would rate it more highly had I read each individually. -
Excellent. This is a must read for fans of the one and only Hannibal Lecter. My personal favorite is Silence of The Lambs; Hannibal's passages in said story are particularly creepy, and it'll keep you hooked, wanting more. If you like your horror stories with a brain (as well as heart, lungs, and earlobes) you'll enjoy this collection.
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I freaking love these books. One of the few mystery authors I will re-read again and again. Harris is a masterful writer, with perfect descriptors, a delicious "villian", and a true gift for language. Pretty much perfect thrillers, all three. And Brian Cox plays him pitch-perfect with all his charm and swagger in the original movie. Gimme his charm and swagger any day.
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Amazing books! I'm still processing the ending to the trilogy!
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The entire series is based on a psychopath Doctor named Hannibal Lecter, who ironically, practiced psychiatry himself. Over the series one can see that Dr. Lecter is has a complex and organised mind. He continues his practice of psychiatry with brilliance while he himself shows Cannibalism. He is popularly known as Hannibal the Cannibal. Ummm... Yeah u read it right... He eats humans... Apart from that he is a charming gentleman. .
As the series progress one gets deeper into his tale and you can't help but think about him over and over again. Chronologically, the order of the books is 4, 1, 2 and 3. However, I would suggest to read them as they were published As a fictional character Dr. Lecter is perfectly built with minute details fitting... Credits to the Author.... This is what makes the books gripping and absorbing.
If you don't want to read all the books back to back it won't do any bad. Though I think once you get started with it you won't rest until you know it all.
. ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌ .
The series is full of grotesque and gross stuff like cannibalism with excessive details. Read at your own risk. -
I know reader opinions will vary, but the first 2 books in this 4-book series are the only ones really worth reading. (Book 4 was published after the release of this bind-up trilogy) and the quality in storytelling (and the story itself) drops off after Silence of the Lambs.
The first two books in this trilogy are solid thrillers and introduced the fan community to one of the late 20th century's notable fictional characters, Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter. He is apprehended, held for years, and escapes in the first two books and there's solid side stories there. The third book, Hannibal, is quite a letdown, especially with how it ended. (the movie ended it better than the book, at least)
I don't think Hannibal was an awful book, but it was not good either. But I guess if you want an end to Hannibal Lecter's story from the author, here it is. -
Red Dragon 3.5
Silence Of The Lambs 4
Hannibal 3.75 maybe? That ending was wild.
Fun fact: Hannibal Lecter is actually one of the first things I can remember being scared of, because the Silence movie came out when I was really little and my elder sister, after watching it at a sleep over or something, came home and told tiny five or six year old me that he stole someone’s face. And when I eventually grew brave enough to watch it in my teens, I did so with her, in the dark. So of course during the bit with the night vision she kept moving her hand in front of my face to scare me, because siblings! -
Beautifully written. The scenes and characters evoke much emotion and are ever so vivid. The storyline flows and grows very well over the course of the three books. Although, the story concluded, in a way, I want to know whatever became of the Doctor and Clarice beyond the finale.
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The books are far better than the movies as is usually the case.
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tan increíble como apasionante, harris tiene un estilo policial que puede arrebasar a maestros del misterio y esta trilogía es el mayor exponente para aclararlo
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Classic! First series I ever read.
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Worth the price for Red Dragon alone, but it is great to have all three books (-Rising) in the one set.
Red Dragon 5*
Silence of the Lambs 4*
Hannibal 2.5* (That bloody ending is awful!) -
I read this book when I was traveling. It must have been 20 years ago or not far off.
It scared the living daylights out of me. So much so that I put a chair against my hotel door room.
It was a brilliant read, the character and the plot was so believable and the pace was excellent.
I could not put it down (scared as I was) until I finished. -
all three as a whole were worth the time. this does not included hannibal rising, and i wouldn't waste my breathe on it, written after the movie wrapped. enough said. the original trilogy out does all of the movies, except "lambs" of course.
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Can't give these book enough praise - you'll just have to read them for yourself.
~For anyone who is deterred by assuming it's full of "gore", etc. - It's actually not like that at all, the books are intelligent, descriptive, and very 'human'... -
loved all of them!
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fascinating
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mi villano favorito el Lecter :) como analiza la mente de sus victimas, y lo educado y caballero que es
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Nobody seems to want to discuss what a terrible ending "Hannibal" had. Other than this unbelievable and anger inducing ending, the books were very enjoyable.
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Absolutely adore them.
