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madinhoa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
midniqhtr42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very light spoilers ahead. Couldn’t find a CW for foul language (other than cursing) but there’s a bit of that.
Like the previous installment, I was hooked from page one. This book actually includes cannibalism, as opposed to the first one, and makes Hannibal Lecter a central figure rather than a peripheral one.
While many of the book’s elements have aged well, the attempted discussion of “transsexualism” has not. Harris seems to be aware that trans people, and queer people in general, are not dangerous or “bad”, but the general tone seems to be one of sympathy rather than understanding.
I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he was nothing but well-intentioned and misinformed, but Harris’ understanding of what it is to be trans seems to begin and end with what amounts to transmedicalism (the idea that trans people have a medical problem that can only be alleviated with surgery and HRT).
To a modern eye, his perspective seems underdeveloped compared to the extensive research he must have done for even minor details in his work.
Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, especially the protagonist Clarisse Starling and her interactions with Hannibal Lecter and Jack Crawford.
Starling is a fully realized character, as most of Harris’ are, and her foray into the boys’ club that is law enforcement was uncomfortable and yet engaging to read about. Harris has that ability to imagine the world through another’s eyes, and uses it well. There was a passage at the end of the novel where Starling is analyzing the bedroom of a female murder victim that reminded me a lot of that Margaret Atwood quite about voyeurism.
I’d also love to see Thomas Harris write a serial killer whose trauma doesn’t stem from mommy issues, but considering the real-life precedent for it I can’t say I was surprised to see it included.
Graphic: Kidnapping and Cannibalism
Moderate: Death and Transphobia
Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
charliebriggs96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, and Toxic friendship
karol99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Moderate: Fatphobia and Transphobia
Minor: Homophobia
fosterwalrus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Cannibalism
bugeys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia and Kidnapping
Moderate: Fatphobia, Gore, and Stalking
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
sonyareadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Graphic: Body horror, Fatphobia, Gore, and Transphobia
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Homophobia
hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Gore, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Cannibalism
tenten's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
most of my "it's complicated" responses are complicated because of Clarice. i wouldn't say that the main characters are lovable, but i loved Clarice. i wouldn't say there's much character development, except for Clarice. i think she had the advantage of being the youngest main character, so her development, both as a person and as an FBI trainee, is more clear. i can also see why Jodie Foster took this role. i, admittedly, don't expect much from men writing from the perspective of women, especially in the 80s, but Harris did a good job with Clarice. i found her to be more interesting than Will Graham, protagonist of Red Dragon, and it's unfortunate what happens to Clarice's character in the follow-up, Hannibal (i normally don't prefer movie adaptations, but even that did a better job of concluding Clarice's story.) all in all, i loved Clarice - both in the book and in Jodie Foster's stellar portrayal (if it wasn't clear, i watched the movies first.)
i'm not sure if i want to continue with this series because i have read on several occasions that Hannibal and Hannibal Rising fall flat in comparison to the first two novels. i guess we'll see.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Gore, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Death and Cannibalism