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ghthefreak 's review for:
Red Dragon
by Thomas Harris
I went into this book with high expectations, since people often refer to Thomas Harris’s books with the highest of praise. And I was not disappointed.
This prequel to the more popular, Silence Of The Lambs, is a crime-thriller, with the perfect amount of lunacy and psychology. Harris creates a villain so heinous and frightening that even the villain fears himself.
If you’re looking for a plethora of metaphors or analogies, this may not fulfill those wishes, but it more than makes up for this in stellar plot creation. Harris writes a story in which everything matters—every minute detail is intricate to the tale. And that’s something that makes this story so savory.
One complaint I’ve seen a lot in regards to this book: there isn’t enough character development. While I can agree with that sentiment to a certain extent, I believe he wrote characters that reacted the way the reader would expect them to. He wrote realistic characters, and he didn’t waste time with unnecessary backstory—something I was grateful for. Aside from Hannibal Lecter (one of the most unique and interesting villains ever created), Dolarhyde is the only character who is extensively fleshed out in the story. Graham and Crawford and Molly are all believable, but they are by no means as dynamic as the two villains. This is okay, however, since Dolarhyde’s character has so much depth, he needs expansive backstory to make such an odd villain believable.
If you’re looking for a quick-and-gripping read, I would highly recommend this book. It’s fun, scary, and exhilarating. Some spots are disgusting, but it all feels necessary—no useless material in this story. It’s also interesting to read about the beginnings of Hannibal Lecter, and to see how some of those things leak into the film adaptation of Silence Of The Lambs.
This prequel to the more popular, Silence Of The Lambs, is a crime-thriller, with the perfect amount of lunacy and psychology. Harris creates a villain so heinous and frightening that even the villain fears himself.
If you’re looking for a plethora of metaphors or analogies, this may not fulfill those wishes, but it more than makes up for this in stellar plot creation. Harris writes a story in which everything matters—every minute detail is intricate to the tale. And that’s something that makes this story so savory.
One complaint I’ve seen a lot in regards to this book: there isn’t enough character development. While I can agree with that sentiment to a certain extent, I believe he wrote characters that reacted the way the reader would expect them to. He wrote realistic characters, and he didn’t waste time with unnecessary backstory—something I was grateful for. Aside from Hannibal Lecter (one of the most unique and interesting villains ever created), Dolarhyde is the only character who is extensively fleshed out in the story. Graham and Crawford and Molly are all believable, but they are by no means as dynamic as the two villains. This is okay, however, since Dolarhyde’s character has so much depth, he needs expansive backstory to make such an odd villain believable.
If you’re looking for a quick-and-gripping read, I would highly recommend this book. It’s fun, scary, and exhilarating. Some spots are disgusting, but it all feels necessary—no useless material in this story. It’s also interesting to read about the beginnings of Hannibal Lecter, and to see how some of those things leak into the film adaptation of Silence Of The Lambs.