Whoa!
I don’t know what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t this.
I’ve been fascinated by Hannibal Lecter since I was a young teen and first saw Silence Of The Lambs sometime in the early 2000s. Since then I’ve seen every movie, adaption, remake TV series I’ve ever come across based on the incredible characters – but for some reason I never considered reading the books!
Last year it suddenly struck me that, of course there must be books, someone must have written all of the stuff I’ve been watching over the years, and I went looking for a name. I returned with Thomas Harris, and an incredible urge to dive into the series.
I didn’t have any expectations beyond the usual: a thriller about a serial killer (or two) and the haunted, but talented investigator whose job it is to put them all away. I figured it would be the standard recipe, and that its fame would be ascribed to the fact that it was perhaps particularly well-written or maybe the first in a type of book that was particularly vile and dark.
Well, let me tell you, there’s nothing usual about this. It doesn’t compare to any other thriller I’ve ever read.
First off, let me start with saying I love the pace. There’s nothing wrong with a short, fast book, that’s not afraid to just throw the story right in your face, lay it all out there, and not beat around the bush. In fact, I find it refreshing.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the pace. Because boooy, this book is fast!
It dives headfirst into everything, running at full sprint towards the plot and not bothering with giving us much, if any, backstory at all. Like I said already, it’s refreshing, at the same time, it’s very different.
I’m left with two feelings: as if I’ve read only half a book, one where half the pages were torn out at the end of each chapter; and with a desperate need to read The Silence of The Lambs, the follow-up which ended up selling over 10 million copies.
Because the characters are fantastic. The story is great too, the little of it there is, but I yearn to get to know both Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter better.
To sum up: an incredibly short, but really fascinating book. Can’t wait to read more Thomas Harris.
Have you read Red Dragon or other books in the Hannibal series? Anything else by Thomas Harris that you’d recommend, or other authors with series that have amazed you recently? Let me know in the comments!
And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!
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Trey Stone, Author 