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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
I’m not sure some aspects of young Hannibal make sense for the character we know in later books. There’s a small reveal that initially seems sensical, but when you extrapolate it to later, seems questionable. It’s also littered with some weird exoticism that, when paired with fetishism, feels pretty antiquated and not well thought out. The movie gets away with more because it’s a Hollywood production.
This, though, seems pretty devoid of what makes the first two books, particularly Silence of the Lambs, really great: A better than average depiction of women and a greater awareness of socio-political issues permeating characters. While I bought the reveal of why Hannibal is cannibal, not much else worked, and it has a formula about it derived from the previous books re: the investigator on the scent of Hannibal.
This, though, seems pretty devoid of what makes the first two books, particularly Silence of the Lambs, really great: A better than average depiction of women and a greater awareness of socio-political issues permeating characters. While I bought the reveal of why Hannibal is cannibal, not much else worked, and it has a formula about it derived from the previous books re: the investigator on the scent of Hannibal.
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Medical content, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail
2 stars. so mid it actually hurts. this book felt like an excuse to flex the author's knowledge of foreign names. no rtc because there's nothing to elaborate on
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hannibal’s backstory was what I was most interested in learning when reading this series. I was surprised to find myself rooting for him with newfound empathy.
From what I've gathered, it seems as though Thomas Harris was kind of forced into writing this book and the screenplay for the film version. Dino de Laurentiis, the producer of most of the Hannibal Lecter-related films, said he was going to make a prequel with or without Harris's help. So, Harris rushed out this poorly written book that tells a nonsensical story about a young Hannibal Lecter's childhood and teenage years. Harris leaves too many gaps throughout the book, expecting the reader to figure out what happens. The problem is, it's hard to do that because the book is so brisk and little to no descriptive elaborations are present. What happened to the Thomas Harris of Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal? What happened to Hannibal Lecter? Nothing about this story feels right; it's damn near impossible to see how this Hannibal turns into the Hannibal Lecter of the previous three books. It's a slapdash book that should be cast into the fires of Hell, never to be thought of again.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The evolution of Hannibal from child to monster. I only wish there was more. This book ends when he is 18. I would love if there was another book from age 18 to the time he was arrested.
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes