Reviews

so here I am again, reviewing another complicated book by thomas harris. as with red dragon, i read this book over and over again in high school, wrote about it in college, and have a strong connection to the story and the characters. however, it's undeniable that there is a lot wrong with this book, and a lot of harm done by it and the subsequent movie adaptation. the biggest issue with this book is not the explicit text - it wasn't as bad as i remembered - but it's the ripple effects that come with having a character that's read as a trans woman/transfeminine being a sadistic murderer who hunts cis women.

i will give it to harris that he tries harder to correct that image than i remembered as well - he has a doctor give a long list of reasons why trans women aren't inherently bad or violent, and repeatedly asserts that gumb isn't a "real transsexual." however, that doesn't change the image of the character posing in the mirror in the film adaptation, or the way those already suspicious and hateful towards transfeminine people will use this story to throw trans fems under the bus. i think that is an important criticism of this book that can't be ignored, along with harris' dated fumbling of other topics.

however, like I said in my red dragon review, there's still a lot I love about these books. i have a strong attachment to the characters, and despite some of the unfortunate "man writing about women" issues (do we need to know what people's breasts are doing??), i think harris puts a lot of heart and spirit into all of the women he writes. each one has strength and depth in a new and unique way - ardelia, catherine, senator martin, and of course clarice. i do think ardelia gets short shrift as a Black woman, and i'd love to see more of her story and career, but i love the spark and ingenuity he brings to these characters. clarice especially will always have a special place in my heart for her scrappiness and commitment to justice, in the face of so much that goes wrong for her - i can't wait to revisit her in the next book on the other end of her accomplishments here, as she goes from fighting for a place as a young student to fighting for a place as a woman tossed aside.

i think the plotting here is clever, and harris is great at creating suspense. hannibal's escape, catherine's first attempt to grab precious, the knockout final confrontation - they all create a tangible feeling of tenseness. i think the story and its details hold up well - you can really see the research harris did into fbi techniques, quirks of life in different areas, etc.

i am trepidatious about rereading the next book - it is my favorite, but it also has some of the most egregious things in it. these books will always be special to me as my introduction to horror and for the fun of the fandom around the show, but i also completely understand if the shittier elements are offputting to some. i have enjoyed getting to know these books in a new light through the audio editions, and i am curious what revisiting them will look like as i grow!

kalauandromeda's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

More insight into lecter's character made it more likable than its prequel. The investigation in this book is much better than that in the red dragon. Honestly, Clarice Starling is more relatable and a fun character than Will Graham(no offence Will :) ). Despite all these Dolarhyde had a much compelling story than Buffalo Bill. Last few chapters of the book where Clarice had to make decisions and act on them were written soo good that I got goosebumps all over while reading them. Liked some subtle comparisons like comparing the washing machine sound with the sound of last peace that one hears as an unborn child. Loved the book as a whole <3