I haven't read the new one yet but I loved Hannibal. I've actually read it three times now. It is a messy book but in the most beautiful ,for lack of a better word, way. I think I read somewhere that Hannibal Rising was a contractual obligation but I could just be pulling that out of thin air.
King certainly loved Hannibal and wrote a glowing review for it in the NYT...
I recognize that both RD(which is actually one of only a handful of books that had me looking over my shoulder when I was home alone, ha!) and TSotL are better books but Hannibal is just insane and I love it!
I had the same issue with HANNIBAL and, worse, HANNIBAL RISING. I didn't learn my lesson w/ HANNIBAL because, like you, I treasured RED DRAGON and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS so much that I wanted to revisit that magic again, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt and read RISING even though the previous volume was disappointing. Needless to say (if you've read them), that magic wasn't in the fourth Hannibal volume, either.
All that said, the utter narrative failure that is CARI MORA makes HANNIBAL and HANNIBAL RISING seem brilliant in comparison.
I've had my issues with favorite authors back in the day becoming contemporary authors whose work I no longer enjoy and, in fact, am no longer able to even recognize the quaities in their work that once made it so special to me -- Dean Koontz and Simon Clark leap to mind -- but the plummet from RED DRAGON and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS to, now, CARI MORA is certainly the most egregious example of that unfortunate transition I've ever experienced as a reader.
I really enjoyed Hannibal. Hannibal Rising felt forced to me, it was a story that did not need to be told in my view, but it was not bad. Cari Mora is just not a good story. Even worse coming from Harris, it was just a poorly told story.
I had the same issue with HANNIBAL and, worse, HANNIBAL RISING. I didn't learn my lesson w/ HANNIBAL because, like you, I treasured RED DRAGON and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS so much that I wanted to revisit that magic again, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt and read RISING even though the previous volume was disappointing. Needless to say (if you've read them), that magic wasn't in the fourth Hannibal volume, either.
All that said, the utter narrative failure that is CARI MORA makes HANNIBAL and HANNIBAL RISING seem brilliant in comparison.
I've had my issues with favorite authors back in the day becoming contemporary authors whose work I no longer enjoy and, in fact, am no longer able to even recognize the quaities in their work that once made it so special to me -- Dean Koontz and Simon Clark leap to mind -- but the plummet from RED DRAGON and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS to, now, CARI MORA is certainly the most egregious example of that unfortunate transition I've ever experienced as a reader.
Man, that is a brutal critique, Ron. Fully warranted, I'm sure, unfortunately. I did buy it, but I had already pretty much given up on him after the profoundly disappointing (to me) HANNIBAL. Having counted RED DRAGON & SILENCE as 2 of my top 5 novels at that point- I KNEW that the 3rd was going to be amazing. Those 1st two were SO good- it couldn't possibly be anything less than great. I couldn't believe as I was reading it that it was the same author. The tone was all wrong. The plot was wing-wang. The characters weren't compelling. It felt lazy and puerile. I completely understood when Jodi Foster backed out of repeating her Oscar winning role after she read the book, as well as director Jonathan Demme. I know some people liked it, and that's fine. Actually, I like all the Lecter parts in Florence in Ridley Scott's movie just fine. The book- just flat out didn't like it. How can someone write not one, but two perfect thrillers- and then completely lose their way?
I had the same issue with HANNIBAL and, worse, HANNIBAL RISING. I didn't learn my lesson w/ HANNIBAL because, like you, I treasured RED DRAGON and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS so much that I wanted to revisit that magic again, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt and read RISING even though the previous volume was disappointing. Needless to say (if you've read them), that magic wasn't in the fourth Hannibal volume, either.
All that said, the utter narrative failure that is CARI MORA makes HANNIBAL and HANNIBAL RISING seem brilliant in comparison.
I've had my issues with favorite authors back in the day becoming contemporary authors whose work I no longer enjoy and, in fact, am no longer able to even recognize the quaities in their work that once made it so special to me -- Dean Koontz and Simon Clark leap to mind -- but the plummet from RED DRAGON and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS to, now, CARI MORA is certainly the most egregious example of that unfortunate transition I've ever experienced as a reader.
Man, that is a brutal critique, Ron. Fully warranted, I'm sure, unfortunately. I did buy it, but I had already pretty much given up on him after the profoundly disappointing (to me) HANNIBAL. Having counted RED DRAGON & SILENCE as 2 of my top 5 novels at that point- I KNEW that the 3rd was going to be amazing. Those 1st two were SO good- it couldn't possibly be anything less than great. I couldn't believe as I was reading it that it was the same author. The tone was all wrong. The plot was wing-wang. The characters weren't compelling. It felt lazy and puerile. I completely understood when Jodi Foster backed out of repeating her Oscar winning role after she read the book, as well as director Jonathan Demme. I know some people liked it, and that's fine. Actually, I like all the Lecter parts in Florence in Ridley Scott's movie just fine. The book- just flat out didn't like it. How can someone write not one, but two perfect thrillers- and then completely lose their way?
GAH that sucks. I never got around to reading it and I think your review may be the final coffin nail. There's no way that these reviews are a matter of opinion. Not when it's universal and uniform. It's actually beyond subjective at this point. And that's so sad.
Think I agree with you on this. Not sure if I even want to keep my copy. Signed or not.
I must be the lone weirdo then. I liked it. Could have been better in some places but overall a good story. Of course I haven't read anything else by him. Saw the movies. Books have just been on my TBR.
It was not horrible but compared to anything else he has written it was not good.
I must be the lone weirdo then. I liked it. Could have been better in some places but overall a good story. Of course I haven't read anything else by him. Saw the movies. Books have just been on my TBR.
One you read Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, you'll see what he is really capable of.
I must be the lone weirdo then. I liked it. Could have been better in some places but overall a good story. Of course I haven't read anything else by him. Saw the movies. Books have just been on my TBR.
The sig is the only reason I will keep my copy now and that's barely enough.
Me, too. I have it shelved behind my other Thomas Harris books, all of which save for this one are placed spine out…this one is just hidden behind them in the dark. Don’t even care to see it...even at $20 for a signed Thomas Harris, I feel like I got snookered.
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