Hannibal: A Novel

I had a few people discourage me from reading this book with warnings of how it will impact my opinion of Starling. I decided to ignore their advice and read the book anyways. I like my characters to be dark and if that’s what was in the cards for her, I wanted to experience it myself.The basic plot is that Hannibal has been on the run for 7 years. Mason Verger, his first victim who was left alive has been searching for Lecter. There is a reward, worth millions. Verger is supposed to be working with the FBI towards this goal, but he is only in it for himself and only shares the information when it becomes useful for him to share it with the FBI. Verger catches wind of Lecter’s location and his manipulations and deceptions continue to build in his attempt to capture Lecter. Starling, of course, is unwillingly wrapped up in all of this given her history with the great Doctor.I basically only have good things to say about this book. It was written just as well as Silence of the Lambs and we get to see a good deal of recurring characters throughout. The story leaves you guessing, giving the reader just enough to make them want to keep reading to find out if their guess is correct. Even at 520 or so pages, I wanted more Lecter and more Starling.This book provides a darker look at Clarice Starling, which I loved. She is such a strong character with a huge history. There is a passage where Barney is describing the description that Dr. Lecter gave of Clarice, and he compares her to a lion cub. Something that has the instincts and capabilities of its parents, but does not yet have the ability to use them. By the time the events of Hannibal take place, Starling has grown from being a cub to a full grown lioness. It’s a perfect description for her. Her entire career has been impacted by Lecter and their lives impact each other in a big way during the events of this novel.Lecter is as deliciously intelligent, witty, conniving and brutal as ever and it is always wonderful to read from his perspective.The only section I did not enjoy in the book were the ones written from Pazzi’s (Italian detective) point of view. It felt like it dragged and went on for far too long, but the ending of his section was incredibly shocking and satisfying, which made all of the slow parts worth it.I know many people have problems with the end of this book, and I will attempt to discuss it without divulging in any spoilers. I loved the ending. As extreme as it was, it felt appropriate and made sense. I felt satisfied after reading the ending, knowing the outcome of the major plot points had such a resolution. If people attempt to dissuade you from reading the book, citing that it will “ruin” Starling for you, don’t listen. It only makes her better and more interesting. I know that there is one more book beyond Hannibal, but it occurs long before the events of Hannibal. Hannibal serves as the end, of what we, the readers, see of Lecter and of Starling and I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate and satisfying ending.

Forget the movie. Read this without those visuals or plot in-mind and you're destined for a thrilling ride.

For those wanting a recap of Harris' Silence, I understand your disappointment. Rather that re-live the first novel, the characters have evolved into their more dark and cynical counterparts. The line between good and evil that seemed so bright within Silence has become blurry. No longer is Dr. Lecter so easily hated. He has a"taste," (pun intended?) that rivals most, a love of fine things declared by the obvious and unlikeable villan Krendal to be "artsy-fartsy." It is almost with an obvious sensation of being punched in the stomach that the reader discovers Hannibal is still the consciousless murderer that he ever was. The reader feels dirty because of the desire to like, or at very least admire him. This change makes the story more interesting to me, as the prototypical serial-killer has now become such a common place event. Rather that give Hannibal his old, now less shocking persona back, Harris has deepened it and made it more complex, so as to maintain his mythical quality. Hannibal is no longer simply "the Cannibal," but also "Lecter the Protector."Starling herself has also undergone a change. She is no longer the "star" of the FBI, nor is she as optimistic and green as she once was. She now has become a killer, and this goes to further blur the line between good and evil.Even Crawford, the wise seeming sage of the former novel, has changed. He has eroded into a shell of what he once was, now a sad and pitiful character.As for the ending, I must admit is was very troubling to me. I believe, however, that therein lies its beauty. There is a sense of impending doom overshadowing all of the lovely things, giving it a dreamscape style. You feel as if you are drugged with Starling. Also, at times I felt as if the novel intended to poke fun at those who made such a big deal of the connection between Starling and Lecter in Silence... As I remember it, there was even a time when Anthony Hopkins stated he would not appear in a sequal because of the heroic qualitites the audience attributed to Lecter. "Hannibal" seems to draw upon the darkness that we as a human race must have within us if we are able to make a cannibalistic serial-killer into a hero.Aside from the rich characterization, the visual attributes of the scenes are wonderful, almost poetic. One really sees the literary quality of this novel, putting it above most of the action-suspense genra.In closing, I must admit that although it troubled me greatly at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Though I was expecting Silence Pt. 2, I got a novel which was equally great, but essentially different. (Please excuse my spelling... I ws in a hurry when I wrote this!)

Muito boa qualidade e leal ao produto anunciado

Excellent book, kept me on the edge of my seat!

I was hooked straight away, enjoyed every minute of this book!

Livro muito bom de ler.

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