There is something so sinister and unfamiliar to most people with Hannibal Lector - you love him or you hate and fear him. I don't see any gray area there. It's the truly elegant, noblisse oblige gestures and actions on Hannibal's part that lured me in with Silence. I wanted to know who Hannibal really is - out in the open, away from prison and free to make a life of his choosing knowing it may be the last chance he has to live in the world. The descriptions of Florence are exquisite and moving - having been there myself more than once, I thank Mr. Harris for paying homage to this great city and I found no more fitting place to re-enter Hannibal Lector's life. I won't comment on the emotional, sociological, or ethical issues behind some of the characters' choices in this book other than to say in many ways the ending fit very well indeed. Clarice was looking for mate, a partner that knew her, understood her in ways she could not do for herself. While it's dark and scary and based on inherently evil acts I felt the love between Hannibal and Clarice was also based on mutual respect, admiration and humor. How could the story end any differently and remain true to these two characters?

This book is everything I expected and more. Without giving away details, I'll just say that the ending was stunning. This book was intense, shocking and brutal. I can't believe people complain about the gore in this book. It is a book about Hannibal Lecter, what did people expect? All I can say is that anyone who has not read this book yet should. You are in for a treat as this book is more encompassing and better than the movie. I cannot wait for the next book by Thomas Harris.

It's been seven years since Special Agent Clarice Starling visited Hannibal Lecter in the asylum in Silence of the Lambs. She's still with the FBI, although out of favor after a recent shoot-out. Wealthy recluse Mason Verger has been planning Hannibal's demise since he was under Lecter's psychiatric care. That association left Verger paralyzed and mutilated, with only thoughts of revenge to keep him alive. An Italian inspector has found Lecter living the good life in Florence, and is about to bring him to the diabolical Verger and back into Starling's life.

I listened to Thomas Harris read the audio book; I thought it would be interesting to hear the author read his own words, but I was wrong. Harris' twanging drawl was distracting and unchanging; all the characters - men and women, Americans and Italians - sounded exactly alike, except for one - he did a fine job with Verger's unique vocal impairment.

Clarice, Lecter, and Verger are all well-written, complex characters. Clarice is a workaholic and a loner, Lecter is a cunning and refined man of the world, and Verger is, without doubt, the most repellent villain I've come across in a long time. The book's ending is surprisingly different from the movie version and completes the Hannibal-Clarice story nicely. I liked the book very much (but not the reader, thus only 4 stars). The story is scary, disgusting, and packed with action. If you're a fan of the Hannibal Lecter books, this book is a must.

This is a good book. Quite possibly my favorite of the three. It provides so much depth about Hannibal. This is a must read for Hannibal fans.

Judging by the cover I thought this book was going to be good, but then I started reading it. There was this whole title page thing which really was kind of a letdown as it was mostly just a repeat of the cover without the picture. The chapters list was somewhat more promising but kind of left me feeling empty after that I just kind of lost interest.

Totally grusome but typical Hannibal...was let down by the movie because some main characters got left out and they had to change the ending....the book ended weird.

this book wasn't as good as Red Dragon or the Silence Of The Lambs. I think Harris should have left it alone, but i guess fan demand and the promise of a lot of money made this book happen. It's a little to ambitious, i think, and probably a little better understood by people who understand Italian geography, culture, history and arctitechture, or have been there and have seen those places. I think a lot of the book was greusome for the sake of being greusome, the graphic scenes weren't really necessary or effective. i read this book because i felt a sense of duty, having read the other two. I only ended up bored, confused, disgusted, and a little disappointed.

One of the best books ever. Incredibly subtle. Full of allegories and hidden double meanings. Based loosely in Dante Alighieri’s work [mostly The Divine Comedy]. Everything about this books is for the most sophisticated scholars. I loved the ending, as in my opinion is the punch line of the whole story. She couldn't have gone any other way. He was on the end the one person she could depend on and would never fail her.

This is a good read on a rainy afternoon, but I had mixed feelings about the ending. I won't reveal it here, but it was different than either one of the dvd endings.

Scary, gross, and interesting to read.

Harris puts you in his world and throws away the key with his description and pacing. I found myself rooting for Hannibal, hoping for his well being. The author did this to me by creating characters that in their own ways were worse than the good doctor. A superb book, it's only flaw is it's irresponsible ending; I enjoyed this ending, but still cannot reconcile the facts. This is a great read. Start it early in the day; you won't want to put it down once Harris starts the wheels turning.

SPOILER ALERT Loved the first half, hated the second half. The Clarice of "Silence of the Lambs" would never have entered into a relationship with Dr Lecter, regardless of the situation. I feel that Harris set up a contrived set of circumstances to make the reader feel that her actions were justified, but I just didn't buy it.

I personally was horrified yet thrilled at T. Harris' journey into the dark side of the psyche of man. Face it, there are sick people out there. Mason Verger was appropriately evil, and received just deserts (pardon the pun) in the end. Folks say Starling's character was too passive in this novel, but look at why. Her career ws stymied by mysogenistic men threatened by her innate brilliance. She has no ties, her reason d'etre - the FBI - shut it's door on her. With all the horror from her upbringing to present day, can't you see why Lecter filled the void in her soul. I wish the movie producers hadn't chickened out and played down the Starling/Lecter love affair in the end. I think it is the piece de la resistance in a wonderfully grim tale. The love affair between these two beings is the best and most horrifying part of the whole story.... I couldn't put the book down and read it in one day, I have already read it 5 times, and it is fresh each time. Lecter as her savior at the ranch, taking her away, caring for her, filling the void in her empty soul, wonderfully scary!

Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite books and favorite movies of all times. Oh how I waited in anticipation for this sequel. I have never been so disappointed. This is one of the worst books I've ever read. It's like Hannibal and Silence were written by two completely different authors. Why did he treat these great charactors like Clarice and Hannibal so poorly in this horrible book? The possibilities were so promising. Maybe the movie will be better. Good luck Julianne.

I was very much a fan of all that T. Harris had written...until Hannibal. This is one of the twenty worst books I have ever suffered through! To think that Harris made his fans wait 12 years for this piece of crap is unforgivable. I don't care what he writes next, because I wouldn't read anything after this travesty! Hannibal is, at best, absurd. The characters you've come to know have been stripped to being one-dimensional. The saddest part is that the one dimension these old favorites have left isn't what made them famous or likeable in the first place. The end of Hannibal is an insult to anyone who squandered their cash on this beast of a rip-off.

Good twisted ending. Great character development.

I'm about halfway through. So far I have to say I'm enjoying it more than I did its predecessor. Mason Verger is a horrifying and perverted character--more so, even, than Dr. Lecter himself (in my opinion). Plus, in Hannibal we get some insight on some of Lecter's dismal background.

What an amazing sequel! The tournout is absolutely shocking and nearly unbelievable.