Scan barcode
A review by gslife
Hannibal by Thomas Harris
3.0
Seven years after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lector remains at large. However, it’s entirely possible that Thomas Harris has made a hard turn into science fiction, since this Hannibal and this Clarice Starling reflect those characters of the previous novel, and yet are not them.
Dr. Lector had limitations in previous novels: he was intelligent, he was resourceful, and he had a deep understanding of human psychology. Yet here, Lector takes on the qualities of an immortal, notably the deus ex machina hand of the author. Lector is given a slight backstory and a sympathetic one, yet this is as much to illuminate his fascination with Starling as much as it is to clarify his motivations, though the more shrouded evil is the scarier it remains. Though this particular revelation isn’t a misstep of Harris’s, I think the ending is. Without spelling out any particulars, humanity is rejected in favor of what seems to be baser needs; there’s no triumph here.
There are new and fascinating characters here also, particularly Mason and Margo Verger, both with fully fleshed motivations and characterizations. In some ways, it seems unclear what Harris’s message is here, though. Mason Verger is, though hints and implications, worse than Lector. And yet, how can evil be cataloged? At some point isn’t evil just evil, regardless? Perhaps Harris’s intention is that the caged evil is no less so than the loosed evil. Evil comes from ambition, appreciates art and music, craves pleasure, seeks revenge, and so on. Perhaps Harris’s thesis comes directly from the mouths of one of his characters—“I think it’s easy to mistake understanding for empathy—we want empathy so badly.”
Lines I liked:
- It is one of those residences that always retains its occupant whether she’s there or not.
- We are elaborations of carbon…
Dr. Lector had limitations in previous novels: he was intelligent, he was resourceful, and he had a deep understanding of human psychology. Yet here, Lector takes on the qualities of an immortal, notably the deus ex machina hand of the author. Lector is given a slight backstory and a sympathetic one, yet this is as much to illuminate his fascination with Starling as much as it is to clarify his motivations, though the more shrouded evil is the scarier it remains. Though this particular revelation isn’t a misstep of Harris’s, I think the ending is. Without spelling out any particulars, humanity is rejected in favor of what seems to be baser needs; there’s no triumph here.
There are new and fascinating characters here also, particularly Mason and Margo Verger, both with fully fleshed motivations and characterizations. In some ways, it seems unclear what Harris’s message is here, though. Mason Verger is, though hints and implications, worse than Lector. And yet, how can evil be cataloged? At some point isn’t evil just evil, regardless? Perhaps Harris’s intention is that the caged evil is no less so than the loosed evil. Evil comes from ambition, appreciates art and music, craves pleasure, seeks revenge, and so on. Perhaps Harris’s thesis comes directly from the mouths of one of his characters—“I think it’s easy to mistake understanding for empathy—we want empathy so badly.”
Lines I liked:
- It is one of those residences that always retains its occupant whether she’s there or not.
- We are elaborations of carbon…